When you send money between banks in different countries, both banks need an identifier that the international payment network understands. That is the BIC, also called the SWIFT code. Your IBAN identifies your account; the BIC identifies your bank.
BIC, BLZ, and IBAN
Germany uses three different codes, and they are easy to mix up. The BLZ (Bankleitzahl) is an eight-digit code for routing payments within Germany. The BIC is an eight- or eleven-character code used internationally, based on the SWIFT standard. The IBAN is the full account identifier. It contains the BLZ embedded inside it, but it does not contain the BIC.
When you need a BIC
For standard SEPA transfers inside the eurozone, the IBAN alone is enough. The banking network can find the BIC from the IBAN automatically. You only need to supply a BIC explicitly for non-SEPA international transfers, or when a form specifically asks for it alongside the IBAN.
How to look one up
Enter either the eight-digit BLZ or part of a bank name into the BIC finder. The tool searches the Bundesbank’s official directory and returns the BIC (or BICs, if the bank has both primary and branch codes), along with the full bank name and postal details.
Searching by name may return several results. Large German banks have regional offices with separate BLZs and sometimes separate BICs. Pick the one whose location matches your recipient’s account.
Coverage
The lookup covers German banks. Banks in other countries are not included. If you need a BIC for a non-German bank, your own bank can usually provide it, or you can find it on the recipient bank’s website.
TL;DR: Enter a German bank code or bank name in the BIC finder to get the SWIFT/BIC code.