# SWIFT code checker: is this BIC valid? (free)

> Paste a BIC or SWIFT code to see its parts and whether the format is valid. Private, runs in your browser. It checks the shape, not whether the bank exists.

- Canonical URL: https://swiftcodelookup.com/
- Source: [SWIFT, BIC policy (20 January 2023)](https://www2.swift.com/knowledgecentre/rest/v1/publications/bic_policy/3.0/bic_policy.pdf)
- Checked: 2026-10-22
- Structured data: https://swiftcodelookup.com/data/home.json

This page includes a free interactive tool that runs in the browser and sends no data. The figures and rules it uses are the ones stated on this page, with their sources.

## Quick summary
- **A BIC has 8 or 11 characters.** The first four identify the institution, the next two the country, the next two the location. An optional three-character branch code makes 11 ([SWIFT](https://www2.swift.com/knowledgecentre/rest/v1/publications/bic_policy/3.0/bic_policy.pdf), [ACER](https://www.acer.europa.eu/question-212-data-field-2)).
- **The checker looks at the shape only.** It cannot say whether a code is assigned, active or belongs to a given bank.
- **Nothing is sent.** The check runs in your browser.

## Looking for a US bank's code?

The codes Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, PNC, USAA and other big US banks publish for incoming wires, each read from the bank's own page: **[US bank SWIFT codes](https://swiftcodelookup.com/us-bank-swift-codes/)**. Being paid from abroad? See [what to give the sender](https://swiftcodelookup.com/receive-an-international-wire-in-the-us/).

## What the checker tells you

- Whether the length and the allowed characters are right.
- The parts: institution, country, location and branch.
- A few notes, for example about 8-character codes and non-connected codes.

## BIC, SWIFT code, SWIFT/BIC: same thing?

In everyday use, people say "SWIFT code", "SWIFT/BIC" and "BIC" for the same kind of identifier. SWIFT's policy document calls it a Business Identifier Code. The checker accepts either name and works the same way. It does not handle IBANs or account numbers: those have their own formats.

## Examples of what you will see

- **A valid 8-character code** is split into institution, country and location, and the checker notes that an 8-character code is taken to refer to the primary office.
- **A code with the wrong length** is rejected with the number of characters it found.
- **A code with a digit in the first six positions** is rejected, because those positions take letters only.

## Further reading here
[How the code is built](https://swiftcodelookup.com/bic-code-structure/) · [8 or 11 characters](https://swiftcodelookup.com/8-or-11-character-bic/) · [Non-connected BICs](https://swiftcodelookup.com/non-connected-bic/) · [Before you send money](https://swiftcodelookup.com/before-you-send-money/)

General information, not financial advice. Confirm payment details with the recipient or the bank before you send money.


## More guides

| Page | What you get |
|---|---|
| [ISO 9362 revision](https://swiftcodelookup.com/iso-9362-revision/) | What changed in the BIC and the digit 1 |
| [Do you need a BIC?](https://swiftcodelookup.com/bic-iban-sepa/) | EPC on IBAN only in SEPA |
| [IBAN checker](https://swiftcodelookup.com/iban-checksum/) | Structure and check digits, in your browser |
| [Verification of payee](https://swiftcodelookup.com/verification-of-payee/) | The EU name check since October 2025 |
| [Wire transfer scams](https://swiftcodelookup.com/wire-transfer-scams/) | FTC advice |
| [SWIFT code vs routing number](https://swiftcodelookup.com/swift-code-vs-routing-number/) | Which one to give, with the big banks' numbers |
| [Find a SWIFT code](https://swiftcodelookup.com/find-a-swift-code/) | Swift's free BIC search and how far to trust it |
| [Foreign IBAN refused](https://swiftcodelookup.com/iban-discrimination/) | When a trader will not accept an IBAN from another euro country |
| [Questions and answers](https://swiftcodelookup.com/faq/) | Short answers from Swift's FAQ and the pages above |

## The app above, in three tabs

The first tab checks one code part by part. The second checks a whole list of BICs and IBANs and exports the results; see [check a list](https://swiftcodelookup.com/check-a-list-of-bic-and-iban-codes/). The third runs a [red-flag check](https://swiftcodelookup.com/payment-red-flag-check/) before you send money, because a valid code does not make a payment safe.

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SWIFT Code Guide · Contact: contact@swiftcodelookup.com