Home SWIFT/BIC code Kuwait
Kuwait SWIFT/BIC code validator
How the SWIFT/BIC code format works
- Format
- 8 or 11-character bank identifier code, country code KW in positions 5-6
- Example
- NBOKKWKW
Things to watch for
- Structure: 4-letter bank code + KW (country) + 2-character location code, plus an optional 3-character branch code
- An 8-character code (or one ending XXX) refers to the bank's head office in Kuwait City — Kuwait's major banks happen to repeat KW as the location code too, so the letters KW can appear twice in the same BIC
- No checksum digit — this is a format check only; it confirms positions 5-6 read KW, not that the bank or branch actually exists
^[A-Z]{4}KW[A-Z0-9]{2}([A-Z0-9]{3})?$A Kuwaiti SWIFT/BIC code identifies the bank on an international wire transfer into or out of Kuwait. Every Kuwaiti BIC has KW fixed at positions 5-6, right after the 4-letter bank code, and the country’s major banks register their SWIFT head office in Kuwait City — using KW again as the location code, so several banks’ 8-character codes end in the repeated pattern KWKW. Kuwait Finance House, one of the country’s largest lenders, was also one of the earliest Islamic banks established anywhere in the Gulf.
Major Kuwaiti bank BIC prefixes
| Bank | BIC | Location |
|---|---|---|
| National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) | NBOKKWKW | Kuwait City |
| Kuwait Finance House (KFH) | KFHOKWKW | Kuwait City |
| Gulf Bank | GULBKWKW | Kuwait City |
How this validator works
This tool checks that the code is 8 or 11 characters, the first 4 characters are letters, positions 5-6 read KW, and the location and optional branch segments use only letters and digits — entirely client-side, with nothing sent to a server.
What a pass doesn’t tell you
A pass confirms the code fits the Kuwaiti BIC pattern, not that NBOK, KFHO, or GULB still names an operating bank, or that the branch suffix is current. A BIC has no checksum digit, so a fabricated code that matches the shape still passes.
Scope: format validation only, and only for the SWIFT/BIC used on cross-border transfers — it does not check a domestic Kuwaiti account or IBAN entered alongside it.
SWIFT/BIC code FAQ
What's the SWIFT code format for a Kuwaiti bank?
A Kuwaiti BIC is 8 or 11 characters: a 4-letter bank code, KW fixed at positions 5-6, a 2-character location code, and an optional 3-character branch code — for example NBOKKWKW for the National Bank of Kuwait's head office.
Why does KW appear twice in a Kuwaiti BIC?
The country code (positions 5-6) and the location code (positions 7-8) are assigned separately, and for Kuwait's major banks both happen to read KW — one for the country, one for Kuwait City as the registered financial centre — so the repetition is a coincidence of how the codes were issued, not a rule.
Does an 8-character code work for a Kuwaiti bank?
Yes — the 8-character BIC and its 11-character form ending XXX both identify the same head office and are accepted interchangeably on international wire instructions.