SWIFT/BIC Validator
Free online SWIFT/BIC code validator. 100% client-side, private, bilingual EN/TH.
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What is SWIFT/BIC Validator?
The SWIFT/BIC Validator is a free online tool that checks whether a Bank Identifier Code conforms to the ISO 9362 standard. It verifies the 4-letter bank code, the ISO 3166-1 country code, the 2-character location code, and the optional 3-character branch code, then decodes each part - including the country name, primary-office detection, live-member status, and test-BIC warnings.
Key Benefits
- Catches malformed SWIFT codes before they cause failed or delayed international wire transfers
- Decodes the country from any BIC instantly with a built-in ISO 3166-1 table, no web lookup needed
- Identifies primary-office codes (branch XXX) and test/training BICs that are invalid for live payments
- Works offline and client-side, keeping financial data private
Common Use Cases
- •Finance teams validating beneficiary bank details before releasing international payments
- •Developers sanitizing BIC inputs in payment forms and onboarding flows
- •Back-office staff checking vendor or partner SWIFT codes pasted from emails and invoices
- •Students and analysts learning how ISO 9362 BIC structure works
- •QA engineers generating edge-case BIC checks for payment gateway test suites
How to Use the SWIFT/BIC Validator
- Enter the SWIFT/BIC code: Type or paste the code into the input field. Lowercase is fine, and spaces, dots, or hyphens are stripped automatically.
- Read the verdict: A green panel confirms a structurally valid BIC; a red panel pinpoints which part failed - length, bank code, country code, location code, or branch code.
- Review the decoded parts: The result breaks the code into its BBBB bank code, ISO 3166 country code with country name, location code, and optional branch code.
- Check network status and copy: See whether the BIC is a SWIFT live member, a primary office (branch XXX), or a test code, then copy the normalized BIC with one click.
Key Features
- Validates both 8-character (primary office) and 11-character (branch) BIC formats per ISO 9362
- Decodes bank code, country code with full country name, location code, and branch code
- Flags test/training BICs (location or branch starting with 0) that cannot be used for live payments
- Detects non-live BICs whose location code marks them as non-SWIFT-connected participants
- Tolerant input: lowercase accepted, spaces, dots, and hyphens stripped automatically
- 100% client-side processing for full privacy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an 8-character and an 11-character SWIFT/BIC?
An 8-character BIC (BBBBCCLL) identifies the primary office of a bank. An 11-character BIC (BBBBCCLLBBB) adds a 3-character branch code pointing to a specific branch or department; a branch code of XXX refers back to the head office.
Does this tool check whether the BIC actually exists?
No. This validator checks the structure of the code per ISO 9362 - bank code letters, valid ISO 3166-1 country code, location code rules, and branch code format. It cannot confirm that a bank actually registered the code; for that, use the official SWIFT BIC directory or your bank.
Why is my BIC flagged as a test or non-live code?
ISO 9362 reserves location codes starting with 0 for test/training BICs, and a location code whose second character is 0 marks a BIC that is not connected to the SWIFT network. Codes like these are structurally valid but cannot be used for live payments.
Is SWIFT/BIC the same as IBAN?
No. An IBAN identifies a specific bank account (and differs per country in length), while a SWIFT/BIC identifies the bank institution itself. International wires often require both: the BIC routes the payment to the bank, and the IBAN picks the account inside it.