BIC: what is it, how is it formed and where can it be found?

If you at least once faced the need to fill out any payment documents of a particular bank, then you certainly had to fill out the field in which you need to specify the BIC of the respective bank. This props is included in the list of mandatory for all credit organizations and is indicated in the implementation of money transfers, execution of payment orders, letters of credit, etc. In most countries of the world, each bank being created is assigned its own unique BIC. What is, and how is formed, you learn by reading this article.

BIC: who appropriates it and for what purpose

The abbreviation of the props stands for "bank identification code" - it allows you to identify the organization by its territorial location, as well as obtain information about the time it was created. Thus, knowing the BIC of the bank, you can find out which federation entity it is located in and when it was opened.

The main bank of the country, the Central Bank of Russia, is responsible for registering all bank identification codes. He constantly maintains the classifier of BICs of the Russian Federation. At least monthly than the Central Bank updates information about these details, which is entered in a special directory. The procedure for its management, as well as the structure of the BIC, are defined by the RF Central Bank Regulation No. 225P of 2003.

Structure of the BIC: we disassemble in detail

Let's take a closer look at what the BIC consists of. What is a unique identifier and how is it formed for each credit institution. First of all it should be said that the constant sign of this props is the number of digits (more precisely, digits), which are always 9. It is for them to determine which territory belongs to a particular bank and a specific office (office) -Cash service of customers.

Bits bit value

BIC is always read from left to right. Consider what each digit means in the aggregate of the digits of the bank identification code:

1. The first two digits (1-2 digits) indicate the bank's ownership of a particular state (in which country it is registered). The BIC of Russian banks always begins with the figures "04".
2. The second two digits (3-4 digits) - the code of the territory of Russia, assigned according to the all-Russian classifier (OKATO), which separates objects according to the administrative-territorial character. This code indicates the subject of the Russian Federation in which the bank is registered. If the credit institution is located outside of Russia, then the value "00" is assigned.
3. The third two digits (5-6 digits) are the conditional number under which a particular banking unit operates in the Central Bank's settlement network. It changes from "00" to "99".
4. The last three digits (7-9 digits) are the number of the credit institution (or its branch) in the Bank of Russia subdivision in which its correspondent account is opened. It can take values from "050" to "999". For the cash settlement centers of the Central Bank of Russia for these categories (7, 8, 9) is assigned the number "000". For the main settlement center - "001". For all other units of the settlement network of the Bank of Russia - "002".

Thus, the bank identification code of each credit institution is unique and does not coincide with the corresponding requisites of other banks.

BIC Bank on the example of Sberbank of Russia

Let's take a look at how this props are formed. Most often, citizens of our country are interested in the BIC of the bank "Sberbank of Russia". We will consider it. Let it be the main branch located in Moscow. Its BIC is 044525225, where:

• 04 - the code of Russia;
• 45 - the code of Moscow;
• 25 - number of this department;
• 225 - conditional KO number in the subdivision of the settlement network of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. (It is important to note that this number must necessarily coincide with the last three digits of the client's correspondent account.)

Where and how can I get information about BIC

If you need a BIC of a bank to fill in the documents, then it will not be difficult to find it. Firstly, this requisite must necessarily be placed on the website of the credit organization itself. To do this, there is a corresponding section - "Requisites", access to which is open to all. Secondly, the specified requisites of all Russian banks are available on the official website of the Central Bank. This information can be obtained in the section "Information on credit institutions", selecting "Directory" and finding the bank you need.

When do we need a bank BIC?

Why is BIC useful? What is this code (in addition to the informer about the territorial affiliation of the credit institution) for the bank's clients? This is a mandatory requisite for all non-cash payments, as well as any transfer / receipt of funds and payments. Without it, you will not be able to fill out payment documents.

Thus, we have considered all the basic information concerning such an important bank requisite as the BIC. Now you should not have any difficulties if, when filling out the documents, you come across a field in which you need to enter your bank's BIC.