Transit number lookup & validator

Canada does not use IBANs. Domestic payments — including Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT), pre-authorized debits, direct deposits and Interac e-Transfers — are routed using two numbers that work together. The institution number is a 3-digit code that identifies your bank (for example, 003 for Royal Bank of Canada), and the transit number is a 5-digit code that identifies the specific branch where your account is held.

When money moves between Canadian financial institutions, the institution number tells the system which bank to send funds to, and the transit number narrows it down to the exact branch. Combined with your account number, these three pieces of information are everything a payer needs to deposit money into your account. Interac e-Transfer hides this complexity behind an email address or phone number, but underneath the same routing still applies.

There are three reliable ways to find your numbers:

• On a cheque: Look at the row of magnetic characters along the bottom (the MICR line). The first 5 digits are your transit (branch) number, followed by the 3-digit institution number, then your account number. The order reads transit first, then institution.
• In online or mobile banking: Open your account details or look for a direct deposit / pre-authorized debit form. Most banks display the transit, institution and account numbers there, and many let you download a void cheque PDF.
• On a statement: Paper and PDF statements usually list the branch transit and institution number near your account information, or in the branch address block.

If the numbers shown differ slightly in format, remember the rule: 5 digits for the branch transit, 3 digits for the institution.

Canada uses two written forms of the same routing information, both defined by the Payments Canada Financial Institutions File (FIF):

• EFT (electronic) form: a 9-digit number made of a leading 0, the 3-digit institution number, then the 5-digit transit number. For example, institution 003 and transit 12345 become 003 12345 in EFT form, written as 9 digits with the leading zero.
• Paper / MICR form: written as XXXXX-YYY, meaning transit (5 digits) then institution (3 digits), separated by a hyphen — the order you see printed on a cheque.

The authoritative source for which institution numbers and transit numbers are valid is the Payments Canada Financial Institutions File (FIF), which lists every active financial institution and its branch transits.

Because Canada has no IBAN, an incoming international wire is routed differently from a domestic EFT. To receive money from abroad, give the sender:

• Your bank's SWIFT / BIC code (for example, ROYCCAT2 for Royal Bank of Canada) — this identifies your bank internationally.
• Your transit number (5-digit branch) and institution number (3-digit bank).
• Your account number.

Some banks ask the sender to combine these into a single routing string; the SWIFT/BIC code always identifies the receiving bank, while the transit, institution and account numbers direct the funds to your specific branch and account. Always confirm the exact format your bank requires for inbound wires.

Your transit number and institution number are public information. They identify a bank and a branch, not you, and they are printed on every cheque you write. It is completely safe to share them — together with your account number — when you need to receive a payment, set up a direct deposit, or arrange a pre-authorized debit.

What you must never share is your online-banking login, password, card numbers or PINs. Those credentials let someone move money out of your account; the transit and institution numbers alone do not. Treat a request for your login or PIN as a red flag for fraud, even if the caller claims to be your bank.