SWIFT Code Finder

About SWIFT Code Finder

Find the Right SWIFT or BIC Code for an International Transfer

A SWIFT or BIC code identifies a bank or financial institution for many international wire transfers. If someone is sending money to your account from another country, the sender may need your bank's exact code. If you're sending money abroad, you may need the receiving bank's code.

SWIFT Code Finder helps you look up a code by entering a known SWIFT/BIC value or searching for a bank. You can also narrow the branch through Bank Name, State, District, and Branch fields when the code isn't in front of you.

Yes

The finder is free, doesn't require a login, and works on mobile. Its displayed database covers 181,390+ branches and 1,648 banks, with "Free · Always" and "Global Standard" shown as widget badges.

What a SWIFT or BIC code does

SWIFT is the name most people use for an international bank identifier. BIC means Bank Identifier Code. In everyday banking conversations, the two terms are commonly used for the same type of code.

The code identifies the bank and, when the longer form is used, a particular branch or office. It doesn't identify your personal account by itself. An international payment still needs the beneficiary's account details and any other information requested by the sending and receiving banks.

International transfers cross banking systems and countries. A correct bank identifier helps the payment instructions reach the intended institution.

SWIFT is different from a payment account number

A SWIFT/BIC code points to a bank or branch. An account number or IBAN points to the beneficiary's account, depending on the country and payment route.

That's why a transfer form may ask for several details at once. Don't treat the SWIFT code as a replacement for the account number, beneficiary name, address, or country information.

How the eight or eleven characters are arranged

A SWIFT/BIC code has either eight or eleven characters. The code is made of four parts:

• The first four letters identify the bank.
• The next two letters identify the country.
• The next two characters identify the location or city.
• The final three characters are optional and identify a specific branch.

An eight-character code identifies the bank's primary or main office in the code structure. An eleven-character code adds the branch section when a specific branch or office is identified.

Good to know

If the final three branch characters are omitted, the eight-character code refers to the bank's primary office in the code structure. Use the guided Bank → State → District → Branch locator when you need to find a specific branch code instead of assuming the main-office code is suitable.

Don't add or remove characters casually. The receiving bank or payment form may require the exact code used for that institution and transfer route.

What SWIFT Code Finder does

This is a full search widget on the page itself. It isn't a static list and it doesn't send you to another page for the actual lookup.

The direct search field is labelled SWIFT / BIC Code or Bank Name. Enter a code such as HDFCINBB, or type a bank name when you need to find possible matches.

Example chips below the search field, including HDFCINBB and SBININBB, show the kind of search the widget accepts. Results appear in an inline results panel below the search box.

Use the guided Bank Branch Locator

If you don't know the SWIFT code, the guided locator gives you another way to narrow the record. Start with Bank Name, then use State, District, and Branch to identify the location you need.

This matters for banks with many locations. A bank name alone may return several possible records, while the branch address can point you to the more relevant code.

Search with a known SWIFT or BIC code

Enter the code directly when a bank statement, beneficiary, invoice, or payment instruction already gives you one. The matching result can help you compare the bank and branch details connected with that code.

Check the character count before searching. A BIC may have eight or eleven characters, so don't reject an eight-character value simply because it doesn't contain a branch suffix.

Direct search is a reference check. It doesn't prove that the beneficiary supplied the correct code for the payment, currency, country, or receiving account.

Search by bank name and branch

You can search by bank name when you don't have the code. Add the branch or location information you know, then compare the available records.

Similar bank names can cause confusion. A local branch, an international division, and a related financial institution may not use the same identifier.

Read the full bank and branch result. Don't select the first match only because the brand name looks familiar.

When you may need a SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC details are usually requested when money crosses borders or when a bank needs to identify an institution for an international payment instruction.

• Receiving an international wire from a family member or customer
• Sending money to a bank account in another country
• Receiving payment from an overseas client
• Paying an international supplier or service provider
• Checking a code before approving a large cross-border transfer
• Completing bank instructions that request a BIC or SWIFT identifier

The exact information required varies by country, bank, currency, and payment route. Ask the receiving bank or beneficiary for the complete list before you submit a transfer.

SWIFT/BIC is not the same as IFSC

This is one of the most common banking-code mistakes. SWIFT/BIC is used for international wire transfers. IFSC is used for domestic Indian electronic transfers such as NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS.

A bank branch can have an IFSC for Indian transfers and a SWIFT/BIC identifier used for international banking. The two codes belong to different payment contexts.

If a form asks for IFSC, don't enter SWIFT. If it asks for SWIFT or BIC, don't use IFSC just because both codes identify a bank branch.

What about UPI?

UPI is a domestic Indian payment system and normally uses a UPI ID, QR code, or other account details rather than a SWIFT/BIC code. Follow the exact fields shown by your bank or payment service.

A domestic payment between Indian accounts usually needs domestic routing information. An international payment may need SWIFT/BIC plus account details and other country-specific information.

Example: receiving money from another country

Suppose a relative in Canada wants to send money to your Indian bank account. The sender asks for your bank's name, address, account details, and SWIFT/BIC code.

Example

Search the bank name and narrow the result to the branch or office connected with your account. Compare the displayed code with the bank's own instructions before sending it to your relative. If the code points to a different city or office, ask the bank which code should be used for the incoming transfer.

Don't send only a code copied from an old message. Confirm that the bank still uses the same details and that the transfer's currency and country requirements are covered.

Example: sending money abroad

Now imagine you're paying an overseas supplier. The supplier gives you its bank name, country, account number, and a SWIFT/BIC code.

Enter the code in the finder to compare the bank and location details. If the result points to another institution or city, pause and contact the supplier through a trusted channel.

Don't change one character because it looks more familiar. A wrong code can route the payment to the wrong bank or delay it while the receiving side traces and returns the funds.

Why the exact code matters more for international transfers

Cross-border payments pass between banks in different countries. A wrong SWIFT/BIC can send instructions toward the wrong institution or create a review before the payment reaches the intended bank.

Correction isn't always instant. Banks may need to trace the payment, contact another institution, and return or redirect the funds. Fees or exchange-rate changes can also become a concern, depending on the payment and bank policies.

Watch for this

A wrong SWIFT/BIC can misroute or delay an international transfer. This is MagicalToolz's own verified bank-code database, not a live SWIFT or bank-network feed. Details can lag a real-world change, so confirm the code with the beneficiary bank before a large international transfer.

Check the code before sending, not after the transfer is delayed. That small pause is especially useful for high-value payments.

What a SWIFT search result may and may not confirm

A matching record can help you compare the institution, country, location, and branch section of a code. It can show whether the characters you entered match a record in the database.

It doesn't confirm that the beneficiary owns the account, that the account is open, or that the bank accepts every type of international payment through that code.

It also doesn't replace instructions from the receiving bank. A bank may request an intermediary bank, purpose information, account identifier, beneficiary address, or other details for a particular transfer.

Country and location details need careful checking

The country part of a SWIFT/BIC code is important because it identifies the country associated with the bank. Compare it with the bank address and the beneficiary's instructions.

The location section can point to a city or location code. If the code appears to point to a different country or city from the documents you have, don't assume the database is wrong or that the mismatch is harmless.

Contact the bank or beneficiary and ask for current instructions. A similar bank name isn't enough evidence for an international payment.

Eight characters versus eleven characters

An eight-character BIC identifies the bank's primary office in the code structure. An eleven-character BIC includes three extra characters for a specific branch.

Some payment forms accept an eight-character code, while others request the branch-level version. Follow the receiving bank's instructions rather than adding a suffix yourself.

If you only have an eight-character value and the form demands eleven characters, ask the bank or beneficiary which branch code should be used. Don't assume that a common suffix is correct for every payment.

What to do if no matching code appears

No result doesn't always mean the bank has no SWIFT/BIC code. The name may be written differently, the branch may not be listed, or the database may not include the exact record you need.

Try the bank's full name, check the country spelling, and use the guided locator with the branch information you have. If the code came from a beneficiary, ask them to confirm it with their bank.

Don't replace a missing result with a code from a nearby bank or another branch. That can create a more serious problem than waiting for confirmation.

What to do when several results look similar

Multiple matches can appear for a bank that has several offices or branch records. Compare the country, location, branch name, and address.

Check whether the beneficiary's instructions specify a head office, branch, correspondent bank, or a particular payment service. These details can affect which code the sender should enter.

If the instructions remain unclear, ask the receiving bank. A directory result can narrow the possibilities, but the bank can explain which identifier its payment department expects.

SWIFT, IBAN, and account numbers

SWIFT/BIC identifies the bank. IBAN, where used, identifies a bank account through a country-specific account format. Some countries don't use IBAN, so the sender may need an account number and other local details instead.

These fields work together. A correct SWIFT code with a wrong account number can still send a payment to the wrong destination or cause it to fail.

Use the payment form as the checklist. Provide each requested detail exactly as the beneficiary bank gives it.

Privacy when sharing international banking details

A SWIFT/BIC code identifies a bank and isn't a secret password. An international transfer still involves personal and financial details, including an account number, beneficiary name, and possibly an address.

Share those details only with the intended sender, recipient, bank, or payment service. Don't post a complete bank statement or transfer instruction in a public group.

Before approving a new beneficiary, confirm the bank details through a trusted contact method. Be careful with unexpected payment-change requests sent by email or messaging apps.

Free access without a login

You don't need an account to use the finder. The page works on mobile, which can help when you're checking bank instructions while completing a transfer form.

Free access makes the lookup convenient. It doesn't remove the need to confirm the code with the receiving bank before a large international payment.

How to avoid common SWIFT mistakes

• Don't use an IFSC code where the form asks for SWIFT or BIC.
• Don't assume an eight-character code is wrong because it has no branch suffix.
• Don't add three characters without checking the receiving bank's instructions.
• Don't select a result only because the bank name looks familiar.
• Don't ignore a country or city mismatch.
• Don't treat the code as a replacement for the account number or IBAN where required.
• Don't approve a large transfer without a second check with the beneficiary bank.

Cross-border payments deserve a slower final check. Compare every field before you submit the instruction.

Related banking and postal lookups

Choose the lookup that matches the payment or form. SWIFT, IFSC, MICR, and PIN codes identify different information, even when a bank record shows more than one of them.

Confirm the code before sending money

Check the receiving bank's name, country, location, branch information, SWIFT/BIC, account number, and beneficiary name together. One matching code isn't enough if the other details disagree.

If anything looks wrong, stop and ask the receiving bank or beneficiary for updated instructions. A short confirmation before the transfer is easier than tracing a payment after it has been misrouted or delayed.