SWIFT code checker
- ✓ Free, no sign-up
- ✓ Format checked as you type
What the SWIFT checker tells you
01Format
4 letters for the bank, 2 for the country, 2 letters or digits for the location, and an optional 3-character branch (ISO 9362). Each part is ticked as you type.
02Bank and country
The institution’s name, city and country from our directory, so you can see the code belongs to the bank on the invoice.
03Head office or branch
XXX, or no branch part, is the head office. Anything else is a specific branch or department.
04In our directory or not
Right format but not listed is a different answer from a wrong format: our data may simply not include it.
How a SWIFT/BIC code is built
NBEGEGCXXXX
NBEGBank code
Four letters chosen by the institution.
EGCountry code
Egypt (ISO 3166)
CXLocation code
Where the institution sits on the SWIFT network. A 1 in second place marks a passive participant.
XXXBranch code
XXX, or nothing at all, means the head office.
Where to find a SWIFT code
01The invoice
A supplier asking for a transfer puts the SWIFT/BIC code next to its IBAN or account number.
02A bank statement
Your own code is printed on your statements and in the account details of your online banking.
03The bank’s website
Most banks publish their head-office code for incoming international payments.
04Our directory
Browse by country and bank below, or use the Find tab above to search by city.
SWIFT/BIC code vs IBAN
| Payment | SWIFT/BIC | IBAN |
|---|---|---|
| Euro to a SEPA country | Not needed | Needed |
| To Egypt, the Gulf or Jordan | Needed | Needed |
| To Algeria | Needed | No IBAN: 20-digit RIB |
| To the US or Canada | Needed | No IBAN: account number and routing or transit number |
SWIFT code checker: questions
- What is a SWIFT code?
- An 8- or 11-character code that identifies a bank, and optionally one of its branches, in international payments. Its official name is BIC (Business Identifier Code, ISO 9362); SWIFT is the network that issues and uses them, so “SWIFT code” and “BIC” mean the same thing.
- 8 or 11 characters: which one do I use?
- Either. The 8-character code is the bank’s head office; the 11-character code adds a 3-character branch, and XXX at the end means the head office too. If the beneficiary gave you 8 characters, use them as given; banks treat them as the head office.
- Head office or branch code: which is safer?
- Use the code the beneficiary gave you. If you only know the bank, the head-office code is the usual choice for an incoming international payment: the bank routes it to the account using the IBAN or account number.
- The format is right but the code isn’t found. Is it wrong?
- Not necessarily. The format check is certain; our directory is not complete, and it concentrates on banks in the countries we serve. Confirm a code that isn’t listed with the beneficiary’s bank before you pay.
- Is a SWIFT code the same as an IBAN?
- No. The SWIFT/BIC code identifies the bank; the IBAN identifies the account at that bank. A SWIFT payment to a country that uses IBANs, such as Egypt or the UAE, needs both.
- Do I need a SWIFT code for a euro transfer inside Europe?
- Not for a SEPA transfer: the IBAN is enough. Payments to Egypt, the Gulf, the Maghreb and most countries outside SEPA go by SWIFT and need the bank’s SWIFT/BIC code.
- What does a 0 or 1 in the location code mean?
- The location code is characters 7 and 8. A 0 in the second position marks a test and training code, which cannot carry a live payment. A 1 marks a passive participant, reached through another institution rather than connected directly.
Sending or receiving international payments?
TrillioniPay pays suppliers in 180+ countries by SWIFT and SEPA, and gives a business its own euro IBAN. Accounts open first to the waiting list.