A Comprehensive Guide to ISO Currency Codes

What are ISO Currency Codes?

ISO currency codes, commonly used synonymously as country codes, are unique alphanumeric codes assigned to each currency used in international transactions. These codes were established by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to improve the accuracy and efficiency of global payments.

It looks a little like this: USD, GBP, EUR

Each country code is made up of three letters — the first two letters represent the country and the third represents the currency. Taking USD for instance, the initial letters “US” constitutes the country, while the “D” indicates its local currency, the dollar.

This structure helps banks and financial institutions from different countries standardise their messaging and avoid confusion or errors. It’s also especially important in the global economy today where trillions of dollars are transacted globally on a daily basis.

What is the ISO 4217 standard?

ISO 4217 is an official document that contains all the ISO currency codes. Like a single source of truth for ISO codes. This standard, which was first established in 1978, ensures that each currency has a unique three-letter currency symbol, accompanied by a three-digit numeric code.

To illustrate, USD has an equivalent numeric code of 840. This numeric code is not intended for general use, so it’s unlikely to come across in a day-to-day transaction. Instead, according to ISO 4217:2015, it is used in applications of trade, commerce, and banking, where the funds are required to be described.

On top of these, there is also ISO 3166, which governs the country codes and agreed alphanumeric codes for each currency used in international trading.

Here’s the full list of ISO 4217 currency codes:

Country 

Currency code 

Numeric code 

Currency 

United Arab Emirates 

AED 

784 

AFN 

971 

ALL 

008 

AMD 

051 

ANG 

532 

AOA 

973 

ARS 

032 

AUD 

036 

AWG 

533 

AZN 

944 

BAM 

977 

BBD 

052 

BDT 

050 

BGN 

975 

BHD 

048 

BIF 

108 

BMD 

060 

Bermudian dollar (commonly known as Bermuda dollar) 

BND 

096 

BOB 

068 

BRL 

986 

BSD 

044 

BTN 

064 

BWP 

072 

BYR 

974 

BZD 

084 

CAD 

124 

CDF 

976 

CHF 

756 

CLP 

152 

Mainland China  

CNY 

156 

COP 

170 

COU 

970 

CRC 

188 

CUC 

931 

CUP 

192 

CVE 

132 

CZK 

203 

DJF 

262 

DKK 

208 

DOP 

214 

DZD 

012 

EEK 

233 

EGP 

818 

ERN 

232 

ETB 

230 

EUR 

978 

FJD 

242 

FKP 

238 

GBP 

826 

GEL 

981 

GHS 

936 

GIP 

292 

GMD 

270 

GNF 

324 

GTQ 

320 

GYD 

328 

HKD 

344 

HNL 

340 

HRK 

191 

HTG 

332 

HUF 

348 

IDR 

360 

ILS 

376 

INR 

356 

IQD 

368 

IRR 

364 

ISK 

352 

JMD 

388 

JOD 

400 

JPY 

392 

KES 

404 

KGS 

417 

KHR 

116 

KMF 

174 

KPW 

408 

KRW 

410 

KWD 

414 

KYD 

136 

KZT 

398 

LAK 

418 

LBP 

422 

LKR 

144 

LRD 

430 

LSL 

426 

LTL 

440 

LVL 

428 

LYD 

434 

MAD 

504 

MDL 

498 

MGA 

969 

MKD 

807 

MMK 

104 

MNT 

496 

MOP 

446 

MRU 

478 

MUR 

480 

MVR 

462 

MWK 

454 

MXN 

484 

MYR 

458 

MZN 

943 

NAD 

516 

NGN 

566 

NIO 

558 

NOK 

578 

NPR 

524 

NZD 

554 

OMR 

512 

PAB 

590 

PEN 

604 

PGK 

598 

PHP 

608 

PKR 

586 

PLN 

985 

PYG 

600 

QAR 

634 

RON 

946 

RSD 

941 

RUB 

643 

RWF 

646 

SAR 

682 

Solomon Islands 

SBD 

090 

SCR 

690 

SDG 

938 

SEK 

752 

SGD 

702 

SHP 

654 

SLL 

694 

SOS 

706 

SRD 

968 

STD 

678 

SYP 

760 

SZL 

748 

THB 

764 

TJS 

972 

TMT 

934 

TND 

788 

TOP 

776 

TRY 

949 

TTD 

780 

Taiwan  

TWD 

901 

TZS 

834 

UAH 

980 

UGX 

800 

USD 

840 

UYU 

858 

UZS 

860 

VEF 

937 

VND 

704 

VUV 

548 

WST 

882 

YER 

886 

ZAR 

710 

ZMK 

894 

Zimbabwe 

ZWL 

932 

 

 

In addition to the standard codes for major currencies, ISO 4217 also includes codes for precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum, as well as codes for currencies used in intergovernmental organisations such as the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Here’s the list of non-national ISO 4217 codes:

Currency 

Code 

Num 

XAG 

961 

XAU 

959 

XBA 

955 

European Monetary Unit (E.M.U.-6)  

XBB 

956 

XBC 

957 

XBD 

958 

XPD 

964 

XPT 

962 

Special drawing rights (International Monetary Fund)  

XDR 

960 

 

Special Considerations for Geo Country Codes

Even though the typical code consists of three letters, certain countries or territories may have multiple codes due to political factors. For instance, the United Kingdom has separate codes for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Additionally, certain codes may not constitute independent countries, such as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

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