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GET
/
v1
/
bic
/
BIC validation
curl --request GET \
  --url https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/
{
  "bic": "DEUTDEFF500",
  "is_valid": true,
  "country_code": "DE",
  "country_name": "Germany",
  "bank_code": "DEUT",
  "bank_name": "Bank information not available",
  "location_code": "F",
  "branch_code": "500",
  "details": {
    "type": "BIC",
    "active": true,
    "institution_type": "Bank"
  }
}

​
Getting started

​
Base URL

https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/

​
Validation endpoint

The bic endpoint requires your API key and a BIC parameter to perform comprehensive validation of Business Identifier Codes. 
https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/
? api_key = YOUR_UNIQUE_API_KEY
& bic = DEUTDEFF500
This successful request validates a German BIC and returns detailed information: 
{
  "bic": "DEUTDEFF500",
  "is_valid": true,
  "country_code": "DE",
  "country_name": "Germany",
  "bank_code": "DEUT",
  "bank_name": "Bank information not available",
  "location_code": "F",
  "branch_code": "500",
  "details": {
    "type": "BIC",
    "active": true,
    "institution_type": "Bank"
  }
}

​
Request parameters

​
api_key
String
required
Your unique API key. Note that each user has unique API keys for each of Cleariflow APIs, so your Bank Validation API key will not work for your Exchange Rates API, for example.
​
bic
String
required
The Business Identifier Code to validate. Spaces are allowed and will be automatically removed during processing. The BIC should follow the ISO 9362 standard format.

​
Response parameters

The API response is returned in a universal and lightweight JSON format.
​
bic
String
The normalized BIC without spaces, returned in uppercase format.
​
is_valid
Boolean
Overall validation result indicating whether the BIC is valid according to all validation rules.
​
country_code
String
The two-letter ISO country code (e.g., DE for Germany, US for United States).
​
country_name
String
The full name of the country associated with the BIC.
​
bank_code
String
The 4-character bank identifier code (e.g., DEUT for Deutsche Bank).
​
bank_name
String
The name of the bank (currently shows “Bank information not available”).
​
location_code
String
The 2-character location code indicating the city or region (e.g., FF for Frankfurt).
​
branch_code
String
The 3-character branch code (optional, may be empty for 8-character BICs).
​
details
Object
Additional detailed information about the BIC type and status.
​
details.type
String
The type of identifier (typically “BIC”).
​
details.active
Boolean
Whether the BIC is currently active and in use.
​
details.institution_type
String
The type of financial institution (e.g., “Bank”, “Credit Union”).

​
Examples

​
Valid German BIC (8 characters)

Request: 
GET https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&bic=DEUTDEFF
Response: 
{
  "bic": "DEUTDEFF",
  "is_valid": true,
  "country_code": "DE",
  "country_name": "Germany",
  "bank_code": "DEUT",
  "bank_name": "Bank information not available",
  "location_code": "FF",
  "branch_code": "",
  "details": {
    "type": "BIC",
    "active": true,
    "institution_type": "Bank"
  }
}

​
Valid German BIC (11 characters with branch)

Request: 
GET https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&bic=DEUTDEFF500
Response: 
{
  "bic": "DEUTDEFF500",
  "is_valid": true,
  "country_code": "DE",
  "country_name": "Germany",
  "bank_code": "DEUT",
  "bank_name": "Bank information not available",
  "location_code": "FF",
  "branch_code": "500",
  "details": {
    "type": "BIC",
    "active": true,
    "institution_type": "Bank"
  }
}

​
Valid US BIC

Request: 
GET https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&bic=CHASUS33
Response: 
{
  "bic": "CHASUS33",
  "is_valid": true,
  "country_code": "US",
  "country_name": "United States",
  "bank_code": "CHAS",
  "bank_name": "Bank information not available",
  "location_code": "33",
  "branch_code": "",
  "details": {
    "type": "BIC",
    "active": true,
    "institution_type": "Bank"
  }
}

​
Valid UK BIC

Request: 
GET https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&bic=NWBKGB2L
Response: 
{
  "bic": "NWBKGB2L",
  "is_valid": true,
  "country_code": "GB",
  "country_name": "United Kingdom",
  "bank_code": "NWBK",
  "bank_name": "Bank information not available",
  "location_code": "2L",
  "branch_code": "",
  "details": {
    "type": "BIC",
    "active": true,
    "institution_type": "Bank"
  }
}

​
Invalid BIC

Request: 
GET https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&bic=INVALID
Response: 
{
  "bic": "INVALID",
  "is_valid": false,
  "country_code": "",
  "country_name": "",
  "bank_code": "",
  "bank_name": "Bank information not available",
  "location_code": "",
  "branch_code": "",
  "details": {
    "type": "BIC",
    "active": true
  }
}

​
Error handling

​
Missing BIC parameter

Request: 
GET https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
Response: 
{
  "error": {
    "message": "Missing bic",
    "code": "missing_bic"
  }
}

​
Missing API key

Request: 
GET https://bankvalidation.cleariflow.com/v1/bic/?bic=DEUTDEFF500
Response: 
{
  "error": {
    "message": "API key is required",
    "code": "missing_api_key"
  }
}

​
BIC Structure

The BIC consists of several components:
  1. Bank Code (4 characters): Unique identifier for the financial institution
  2. Country Code (2 characters): ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code
  3. Location Code (2 characters): City or region identifier
  4. Branch Code (3 characters): Optional branch identifier (XXX for main office)

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Format examples

  • 8-character BIC: DEUTDEFF (Deutsche Bank, Germany, Frankfurt)
  • 11-character BIC: DEUTDEFF500 (Deutsche Bank, Germany, Frankfurt, Branch 500)

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Common location codes

  • FF: Frankfurt, Germany
  • 33: New York, United States
  • 2L: London, United Kingdom
  • PP: Paris, France
  • MM: Milan, Italy

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Validation Rules

The API performs comprehensive validation including:
  1. Length Validation: Checks if the BIC is 8 or 11 characters long
  2. Format Validation: Verifies the BIC follows the ISO 9362 standard
  3. Character Validation: Ensures only alphanumeric characters are used
  4. Country Code Validation: Validates the country code format
  5. Bank Code Validation: Checks the bank identifier format

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BIC format requirements

  • Bank Code: 4 alphanumeric characters
  • Country Code: 2 alphabetic characters (ISO 3166-1)
  • Location Code: 2 alphanumeric characters
  • Branch Code: 3 alphanumeric characters (optional)

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BIC vs SWIFT

BIC (Business Identifier Code) and SWIFT are often used interchangeably:
  • BIC: The official ISO 9362 standard name
  • SWIFT: The messaging network that popularized the code
  • SWIFT Code: Alternative name for BIC
All BICs can be used for SWIFT messaging, but not all SWIFT codes are valid BICs.

​
Supported Countries

The API supports BIC validation for 50+ countries including:
  • Europe: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, UK, Poland
  • Americas: United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico
  • Asia: Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia
  • Africa: South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria
For a complete list of supported countries, see the Supported Countries page.

​
Use Cases

BIC validation is essential for:
  1. International Wire Transfers: Ensuring accurate routing information
  2. SEPA Payments: European payment system requirements
  3. Banking Applications: Customer account validation
  4. Financial Compliance: Regulatory reporting requirements
  5. Payment Processing: E-commerce and fintech applications