SwissDIGIN
Home/Glossary/BIC
B

BIC

Bank Identifier Code (ISO 9362) — the international identifier for financial institutions used in cross-border payments.

The BIC (Bank Identifier Code), also known as a SWIFT code, is an 8- or 11-character identifier for financial institutions defined by ISO 9362. It is used in cross-border credit transfers (SEPA, SWIFT) to route payments to the correct bank.

Format: AAAABBCCDDD

  • AAAA — 4-letter institution code
  • BB — 2-letter country code (ISO 3166-1)
  • CC — 2-character location code
  • DDD — 3-character branch code (optional; XXX for head office)

Example: UBSWCHZH80A (UBS, Switzerland, Zurich, branch)

In Swiss domestic payments (pain.001 via SIC), BIC is not mandatory — IBAN alone is sufficient. BIC is required for SWIFT/SEPA cross-border transfers.

Key facts

  • Standard: ISO 9362
  • Length: 8 characters (no branch) or 11 characters (with branch)
  • Managed by: SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication)
  • Required for: SEPA and SWIFT cross-border payments
  • Optional for: Swiss domestic payments (IBAN sufficient)