What Is a Routing Number in Canada? Transit, Institution and Account Numbers Explained

Canada has no single “routing number” the way the United States does. When a Canadian form asks for one, it means two numbers used together: a transit number for your branch and an institution number for your bank. Your account number is a third, separate number that identifies your own account at that branch. This page explains what each one identifies and how they fit together; the other routing number guides cover finding yours and the numbers at each bank.

The transit number: your branch

The transit number (also called the branch number) is a 5-digit code for the branch that holds your account, usually the one where the account was opened.

• Each branch of a bank has its own transit number.
• Online banks with no branches, such as Tangerine and Simplii Financial, use a single transit number for all their accounts.
• If your branch closes or merges with another, the bank can move your account to a new transit and will tell you when it does.

The institution number: your bank

The institution number is a 3-digit code for the financial institution itself. It is the same at every branch of a bank: every RBC account shares RBC’s number, every TD account shares TD’s. Some brands share their parent’s number (Simplii uses CIBC’s), while others have their own (Tangerine does not use Scotiabank’s). The full list is on the page of institution numbers for Canadian banks.

The account number: your own account

The account number identifies your specific account, and its length depends on the bank, commonly 7 to 12 digits. Account numbers are unique within a bank (at some banks, only within a branch), so two banks can issue the same account number to different people. That is why the account number is never used on its own: the transit and institution numbers say where the account is, and the account number says which one it is.

A comparison often used: the routing number is the building’s address, and the account number is the apartment inside it.

Routing number vs account number

For a domestic payment the three numbers always travel as a set. The exception is an international wire, where the bank’s SWIFT/BIC code identifies the bank instead of the institution number.

How the numbers are written together

On a Canadian form the transit comes first, then the institution number: TTTTT-III, followed by your account number. For example, a TD account at a branch with the illustrative transit 12345 is 12345-004, plus the account number .

On a paper cheque the same numbers sit in the MICR line along the bottom edge, after the cheque number. The guide to reading the numbers on a cheque labels each one.

Canadian vs US routing numbers

US-built services (some payroll systems, payment processors and money-transfer apps) often have a single 9-digit “routing number” box. For a Canadian account they want the EFT format: a leading zero, then the institution number, then the transit. The page on Canadian routing number formats shows how to build it and what to do if a form rejects it.

When you switch banks or branches

Switching banks. All three numbers change. Each payer that deposits to the old account (an employer, the CRA, Service Canada) and each biller that debits it needs the new numbers separately. Leaving the old account open until the first deposit lands in the new one avoids a payment going to a closed account. The steps are in the guide on how to switch banks.

Moving your account to another branch of the same bank. The transit number changes. Whether the account number also changes depends on the bank and how the move is handled: TD’s own support guidance, for example, describes a branch transfer as closing the old account and opening a new one, which comes with a new account number. The bank can confirm before you update any direct deposit or pre-authorized debit.

Where the numbers get used

• Payroll and other direct deposits. An employer needs all three numbers, usually from a direct deposit form or a void cheque. The guide to setting up direct deposit covers the forms, and how to void a cheque covers the digital alternatives to a paper cheque.
• Tax refunds and benefits. The CRA takes the same three numbers through My Account or a form; see CRA direct deposit set-up.
• Pre-authorized debits. A biller that pulls payments needs the numbers and your signed authorization; the rules are in the pre-authorized debit guide.
• Wires. A domestic wire uses the three numbers; an incoming international wire also needs the bank’s SWIFT code. See how wire transfers work.
• Interac e-Transfers use an email address or phone number, not routing numbers.

To look up your own numbers, see how to find your transit and institution numbers.