Three codes, three jobs
| Code | Identifies | Standard and authority | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIC | An institution and, optionally, one of its branches | ISO 9362. Swift is the registration authority. | 8 or 11 characters, e.g. DEUTDEFFXXX |
| IBAN | One account at one institution | ISO 13616. Swift is the registration authority and publishes the IBAN Registry. | Up to 34 characters, fixed length per country, e.g. DE89370400440532013000 |
| National bank code | An institution or branch in one country’s payment system | Set nationally, by a central bank, clearing house or banking association | Varies by country, e.g. 9 digits for an ABA routing number |
An IBAN contains the national bank code
An IBAN adds a country code and two check digits to the domestic account number, which ISO 13616 calls the Basic Bank Account Number (BBAN). The BBAN’s format is fixed for each country and usually starts with the national bank code. The German example above breaks down as follows.
- DECountry
ISO 3166-1 - 89Check digits
ISO 7064, MOD 97-10 - 37040044Bank code
The 8-digit Bankleitzahl - 0532013000Account number
The check digits let software reject most mistyped IBANs before a payment is sent. A valid IBAN does not prove that the account exists or who holds it.
Not every country uses IBANs. The United States, Canada, Australia, China and India, among others, use their own account and bank-code formats.
National codes identify a bank in its domestic system
| Country | Code | Format | ISO 20022 clearing system |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | ABA routing transit number (RTN) | 9 digits; the last is a check digit | USABA |
| United Kingdom | Sort code | 6 digits, written 12-34-56 | GBDSC |
| India | Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) | 11 characters: 4 letters for the bank, a zero, 6 characters for the branch | INFSC |
| Australia | Bank-State-Branch (BSB) number | 6 digits | AUBSB |
| Canada | Routing number | 3-digit institution number and 5-digit branch transit number | CACPA |
| Germany | Bankleitzahl (BLZ) | 8 digits | DEBLZ |
In an ISO 20022 message, a national code goes in <ClrSysMmbId>, with the clearing system named by its code from the table. Where a central bank or clearing house publishes its list, the institution’s page in the directory shows the national code next to the BIC.
Which codes a payment needs
- A euro credit transfer within the EU. The IBAN. Under the SEPA Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 260/2012), banks may not require the payer to give the BIC for a euro transfer to another account in the EU. The rule has applied in full since 2016.
- A domestic payment in a country without IBANs. The national bank code and the account number, for example the ABA routing number and account number for an ACH or Fedwire payment in the United States.
- A cross-border payment through correspondent banks. The beneficiary bank’s BIC and the beneficiary’s IBAN or, where IBANs are not used, the account number and national bank code. Any intermediary bank comes from the beneficiary bank’s standard settlement instructions.
What these codes do not tell you
- Who holds the account. A valid IBAN or account number does not confirm the payee’s name. Payee-name checks do: Confirmation of Payee in the UK and Verification of Payee, which the EU Instant Payments Regulation has required for euro credit transfers since 9 October 2025.
- The legal entity behind the bank. The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) does. See the LEI guide.
- Whether the institution is licensed. None of these codes is a licence. See how to check a payment firm’s licence.
Look up the bank behind a code. Search the directory by BIC, LEI or name to see the institution, its branch codes and any national bank code published for it.
Search the directorySources
- ISO 9362, Business identifier code (BIC), and ISO 13616, International bank account number (IBAN). International Organization for Standardization.
- IBAN (International Bank Account Number) and the IBAN Registry. Swift, registration authority for ISO 13616.
- Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 (the SEPA Regulation) and Regulation (EU) 2024/886 (the Instant Payments Regulation). EUR-Lex.
- ISO 20022 external code sets, including the clearing system identification codes.
Reviewed 31 October 2026. Standards and registers change: the publisher’s own text is always the authority.