German BLZ Code Checker
Validate any German Bankleitzahl (BLZ), decode the bank group and Bundesbank district, find the SWIFT code, and generate the IBAN from BLZ and account number.
Modern German transfers use IBAN, not BLZ. Since 2014, all SEPA transfers within Europe only need the IBAN. The BLZ is embedded inside the IBAN as digits 5-12. Use our IBAN Validator for most transfer needs.
8 digits, with or without spaces (e.g. 50070010 or 500 700 10)
Enter a BLZ and 10-digit account number to calculate the German IBAN.
8-digit Bankleitzahl
Up to 10 digits (padded with leading zeros)
Sending or receiving money in Germany? Wise uses the IBAN directly and charges the mid-market rate:
BLZ First Digit: Bundesbank District Decoder
The first digit of a German BLZ identifies the Deutsche Bundesbank district where the branch is located.
What Is a BLZ (Bankleitzahl) in Germany?
BLZ stands for Bankleitzahl, literally "bank routing number" in German. It is an 8-digit code assigned by the Deutsche Bundesbank that identifies a specific bank or savings institution branch within Germany's domestic payment system. The BLZ was introduced in 1970 to standardize interbank transfers across Germany and was used as the primary routing code for decades.
Since 2014, IBAN has been mandatory for all SEPA transfers within Europe, and the BLZ has been effectively replaced for most practical purposes. However, the BLZ still exists embedded within every German IBAN. A German IBAN is always 22 characters: the country code DE, two check digits, and then the 8-digit BLZ followed by a 10-digit account number. So when you look at a German IBAN like DE89370400440532013000, the BLZ is 37040044 at positions 5-12.
The BLZ is still relevant if you are working with older German systems, corporate ERP software, or international bank data that stores BLZ separately. Some German banks also still display the BLZ in their apps alongside the IBAN for legacy compatibility.
German Bank Groups: What the First BLZ Digit Means
The first digit of a German BLZ identifies one of eight Deutsche Bundesbank regional districts. This tells you broadly which part of Germany the bank branch is in. First digit 1 is the Bundesbank district covering Berlin and the immediate area. Digit 2 covers Hamburg and the northern/northwestern states. Digit 3 is the Dusseldorf/North Rhine-Westphalia area. Digit 4 is Hanover and Lower Saxony/Bremen. Digit 5 is Frankfurt and central Germany. Digit 6 is Stuttgart and Baden-Wurttemberg. Digit 7 is Munich and Bavaria. Digit 8 covers Berlin/eastern Germany and the new federal states.
Within each district, the structure encodes the bank type too. German banks are organized into groups: commercial banks (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank), savings banks (Sparkassen), cooperative banks (Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken), and specialist banks. The Sparkassen all share common BLZ patterns within each district, which is why searching for "Sparkasse Frankfurt" returns a recognizable BLZ like 50050201.
BLZ vs IBAN: When You Need Each
For any modern transfer within Germany or the rest of the SEPA zone (36 countries), you only need the IBAN. You do not need the BLZ separately. The IBAN contains the BLZ embedded within it, so the banking system can extract it automatically. If someone sends you a SEPA transfer, they only need your 22-character German IBAN.
For international wire transfers into Germany from outside the SEPA zone, the sender needs your IBAN and your bank's SWIFT/BIC code. Deutsche Bank's SWIFT code is DEUTDEDB or DEUTDEDBXXX. Commerzbank is COBADEFF. Sparkassen have individual SWIFT codes per institution. The IBAN alone may not be sufficient for wires originating from the US, UK (outside SEPA can vary), or other non-SEPA countries.
The BLZ still shows up in older contexts: some German direct debit mandates (Lastschriftmandate), corporate payroll systems, and legacy banking software still use BLZ alongside account numbers. If you are a developer working with German banking data, knowing how the BLZ maps into the IBAN is useful. This tool's IBAN builder tab shows exactly that calculation.
Check if your transfer qualifies for free SEPA with our SEPA Eligibility Checker. Validate a full German IBAN with our IBAN Validator. Compare fees with our Send Money to Germany comparison page.
BLZ data sourced from Deutsche Bundesbank BLZ-Datei (Bankleitzahlendatei). Data last updated: January 2025. BLZ numbers can be retired or reassigned when banks merge.
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Frequently Asked Questions
BLZ (Bankleitzahl) is an 8-digit bank routing code assigned by Deutsche Bundesbank. It was Germany's primary domestic routing number before IBAN became mandatory in 2014. Today the BLZ is embedded inside every German IBAN as digits 5-12 of the 22-character IBAN.
A German BLZ is always exactly 8 digits, sometimes written as XXX XXX XX. The first digit identifies the Bundesbank district (1-8). The remaining 7 digits identify the specific bank and branch.
Deutsche Bank has different BLZ codes per city: Frankfurt is 50070010, Berlin is 10070000, Hamburg is 20070000, Munich is 70070010, Dusseldorf is 30070010. The first digit identifies the Bundesbank district.
For all modern SEPA transfers, you only need the IBAN. The BLZ is embedded in the IBAN and no longer needs to be provided separately since 2014. Only older legacy systems still require the BLZ as a separate field.
Functionally yes. A German BLZ (8 digits), UK sort code (6 digits), and US ABA routing number (9 digits) all serve the same purpose of identifying a bank branch for domestic payments. They are not interchangeable across countries, but they serve the same role in their respective payment systems.
Your BLZ is digits 5-12 of your German IBAN. For example, IBAN DE89370400440532013000 has BLZ 37040044. You can also find it in your bank's app, on statements, or using the search tool above.
Each Sparkasse has its own BLZ since they are regional savings banks. Sparkasse Frankfurt: 50050201. Sparkasse Koln/Bonn: 37050198. Hamburger Sparkasse (Haspa): 20050550. Berliner Sparkasse: 10050000. Use the search tab to find your specific Sparkasse.