IBAN to BIC

A BIC cannot be calculated from the IBAN check digits. IBANforge extracts a bank code according to the country’s structure and looks for a mapping in its reference data. The result depends on the source and its coverage. It confirms neither account existence nor ownership.

Documentation reviewed on 4 November 2026. If you already have the BIC, use BIC lookup instead.

Try a single validation

This IBAN is a documentation example, never a payment instruction. The request uses the keyless REST trial within its available allowance; see getting started. For ongoing use, keep your API key and send it in X-API-Key.

curl --silent --show-error --fail-with-body --max-time 20 \
  'https://api.ibanforge.com/v1/iban/validate' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"iban":"DE89370400440532013000"}'

Read the complete response, especially valid, bic, bank_code_check and checks. A valid: true result does not guarantee a bic block or establish that an account exists. The validation reference describes the checks and their states.

Which source maps the bank code to the BIC?

`bic.basis`	What answered
`national_register`	The country’s register publishes the mapping. Also read `bic.authoritative`, dates and any qualifications.
`curated_map`	IBANforge’s maintained map contains the mapping; it is not an allocation register.
`directory_prefix`	A prefix search proposed a mapping. `bank_code_check.candidates` describes ambiguity when present.

bic.code keeps the 8- or 11-character form published by the source. bic.bic8 supports a prefix-level comparison, but two different BIC11 codes may share the same BIC8: equality alone does not establish the same local bank. Do not truncate a branch reference or add a guessed branch to fill a required field.

bic.source names the reference, bic.as_of dates the dataset refresh, and bic.source_as_of, when present, dates the content of a frozen copy. Importing a copy again does not make its content newer. Data sources describes the registers and their limits without assuming a uniform refresh schedule.

Missing, unavailable or historical results

Indication	Handling
`bic: null` or absent block	No usable BIC reference in this response. Do not invent one.
`bank_code_check.status: verified`	Read the register, `authoritative` and qualifications: this state names an institution, not an account holder.
`reason: not_allocated` with `authoritative: true`	The consulted register denies allocation of the bank code. Have the source data corrected.
`absent_from_reference_data`, `no_reference_data_for_country`, `register_names_no_holder`	Missing or limited references, not universal proof that a code does not exist.
`national_register_unavailable`, `lookup_failed`	The expected reference could not be consulted; do not turn an incident into a bank rejection.
`retired`, `superseded_by` or `bic.redirected_from`	Read the historical qualification or redirect; keep the original and propose review without rewriting the IBAN.

bic.authoritative concerns the BIC mapping; bank_code_check.authoritative concerns the bank-code verdict. Do not combine them into a single “payment approved” flag. Read not_in_register together with its reason and source, never alone.

Use the result during a data migration

Keep the supplied IBAN and BIC, then add the result and its provenance alongside them. A discrepancy, multiple candidates or missing information remains subject to review. The supplier-data review guide and recipes demonstrate this workflow; use batch validation for multiple IBANs.

An institution’s address is not the beneficiary’s address. The VoP register does not return a name-to-account match either. Confirm the details required by your chosen payment route separately.

Put these checks to work

Choose a first step for your software or your supplier file.

Integrate IBAN checks into your software

Try a validation, inspect the response, then connect your application through the API or an existing integration.

Explore the API workflow

Check a supplier file

Upload a CSV or Excel file and preview the findings for free. Purchase the annotated workbook if you need the full report. No account or subscription required.

Explore the file audit

Available bank information varies by country and source. These checks do not confirm the account holder or guarantee that a payment will succeed.