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Poland SWIFT/BIC code validator
How the SWIFT/BIC code format works
- Format
- 8 or 11-character bank identifier code, country code PL in positions 5-6
- Example
- BPKOPLPW
Things to watch for
- Structure: 4-letter bank code + PL (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, usually in Warsaw
- No checksum digit — this is a format check only; it confirms positions 5-6 read PL, not that the bank or branch actually exists
^[A-Z]{4}PL[A-Z0-9]{2}([A-Z0-9]{3})?$A Polish SWIFT/BIC code identifies the bank on an international wire transfer, paired with the 28-character Polish IBAN for the account itself. Every Polish BIC has PL fixed at positions 5-6, right after the 4-letter bank code, and Warsaw anchors the SWIFT head office of nearly every major Polish bank. Poland has one genuinely confusing quirk worth flagging here: PKO Bank Polski and Bank Pekao are two entirely separate institutions with historically overlapping names, and their BIC prefixes — BPKO and PKOP — are easy to swap by mistake.
Major Polish bank BIC prefixes
| Bank | BIC | Location |
|---|---|---|
| PKO Bank Polski | BPKOPLPW | Warsaw |
| Bank Pekao | PKOPPLPW | Warsaw |
| mBank | BREXPLPW | Warsaw |
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 PL, and the location and optional branch segments use only letters and digits — entirely in your browser, with nothing sent to a server.
What a pass doesn’t tell you
A pass confirms the code fits the Polish BIC pattern, not that BPKO, PKOP, or BREX 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 validates.
Scope: format validation only. Polish accounts also carry a 28-character IBAN with its own mod-97 checksum — a separate check from the BIC.
SWIFT/BIC code FAQ
What's the SWIFT code format for a Polish bank?
A Polish BIC is 8 or 11 characters: a 4-letter bank code, PL fixed at positions 5-6, a 2-character location code, and an optional 3-character branch code — for example BPKOPLPW for PKO Bank Polski's Warsaw head office.
How do I read a Polish BIC?
In PKOPPLPW, PKOP identifies Bank Pekao — not to be confused with the similarly named PKO Bank Polski, whose own code starts BPKO. The two names come from overlapping abbreviations of Polish state-banking history, but they're separate banks with separate BICs.
Does an 8-character code work for a Polish bank?
Yes — the 8-character BIC and its 11-character form ending XXX both point to the same head office and are accepted the same way.