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BIC / SWIFT Code Validator & Parser

Validate a BIC/SWIFT code against the ISO 9362 format and break it into bank, country, location, and branch segments — with test/passive flags.

Enter a BIC/SWIFT code above to validate and parse it.

About this tool

The BIC / SWIFT Code Validator & Parser checks a Business Identifier Code against the ISO 9362 standard and decodes what each part means. A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters and follows the fixed pattern ^[A-Z]{4}[A-Z]{2}[A-Z0-9]{2}([A-Z0-9]{3})?$: four letters for the institution (bank) code, two letters for the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code, two alphanumerics for the location code, and an optional three-character branch code.

Everything runs locally in your browser — the code is validated and parsed in-page against a bundled country table, so nothing is uploaded. The tool splits your input into segments and labels each one: it looks the country code up in the ISO 3166-1 list and shows the country name (flagging an unknown code), and it inspects the location code's second character, where a '0' historically marks a test / non-connected BIC and a '1' marks a passive SWIFT participant. Both flags are surfaced as warnings.

The branch code is optional: when it is absent or equal to 'XXX' the BIC refers to the institution's primary (head) office, otherwise it identifies a specific branch. An 8-character BIC is the head-office form of an 11-character one. Paste a code such as DEUTDEFF500 to see the bank, country (Germany), location, and branch broken out, then copy the full report.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a BIC valid?
It must be exactly 8 or 11 characters and match ISO 9362: 4 letters (bank), 2 letters (country), 2 alphanumerics (location), and an optional 3-character branch. Anything else — wrong length, digits in the bank code, an unknown country — is reported as invalid or flagged.
What is the difference between an 8- and 11-character BIC?
The 8-character form is the primary or head-office code. The 11-character form adds a 3-character branch code identifying a specific branch. A branch code of XXX also denotes the head office, so DEUTDEFFXXX and DEUTDEFF refer to the same office.
What do the test and passive flags mean?
The location code's second character carries a status hint: a '0' historically indicates a test or non-connected BIC (not live on the SWIFT network), and a '1' indicates a passive participant. The tool surfaces both as warnings so you don't send funds to a non-operational code.
Is my BIC sent to a server?
No. Validation, the ISO 3166-1 country lookup, and the segment breakdown all happen in your browser with plain JavaScript. Nothing you type is transmitted, so you can check account details privately.

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