Bank Routing Numbers in Canada 2026 | Institution & Transit Numbers

Every Canadian bank and credit union has a 3-digit institution number, and every branch has a 5-digit transit number. This page lists the institution numbers, shows the two ways the numbers are written as a single “routing number”, and gives each bank’s SWIFT code. It is part of the routing number guides.

For what each number identifies and how a Canadian routing number differs from a US ABA number, see what a routing number is in Canada. To look up your own transit, see how to find your routing number.

Institution numbers for Canadian banks

The institution number is the same at every branch of a bank; only the transit number changes from branch to branch. Each bank name links to that bank’s page, which shows where its app and online banking display your transit.

Big Five banks

Other banks

Credit unions and caisses

Digital banks and fintech accounts

KOHO: N/A – KOHO has no institution number of its own; direct deposit details use Peoples Trust Company's institution number (621), the CDIC-member trust company that holds KOHO customer funds.

Some fintech accounts route deposits through a partner institution, so the number on your account can differ from the brand on your card. The account details screen in your app shows the numbers that apply to you.

Routing number formats: 8-digit and 9-digit EFT

The same two numbers are written in two ways, depending on the form.

The 8-digit cheque format puts the transit first, then the institution number: TTTTT-III. This is how most Canadian direct deposit and pre-authorized debit forms ask for it, usually in two separate boxes.

The 9-digit EFT format is used when a form has a single “routing number” box, as many US-built payroll and payment platforms do. It is built as a leading zero, then the institution number, then the transit:

0 + institution number (3 digits) + transit number (5 digits)

For example, a TD account at a branch with the illustrative transit 12345 would be written 12345-004 in the cheque format and 000412345 in the EFT format .

Two things trip up the 9-digit format. Some systems drop leading zeros, so an institution number that starts with 00 can be rejected or shortened; the payer’s payroll team can say which form their system accepts. And a few services want the 8 digits with no leading zero, so the form’s own instructions decide which version to enter.

SWIFT codes for Canadian banks

An international wire into a Canadian account uses the bank’s SWIFT/BIC code to identify the bank, together with your transit and account number. What else the sender needs, and what a wire costs, is covered in the guide to sending and receiving wire transfers.

Tangerine: N/A – Tangerine does not support incoming or outgoing international wire transfers and does not hold a SWIFT/BIC code.

Using the numbers safely

Your transit and institution numbers identify a branch, not you, and are printed on every cheque. Together with your account number they let someone deposit money or, with your signed authorization, set up a pre-authorized debit. The guide to voiding a cheque covers who typically asks for these details and the protections that apply, and the pre-authorized debit guide explains how to dispute a debit you didn’t authorize.