Postal Address formats: unstructured and structured

Postal Address formats

Postal Address can be in structured or unstructured format. In the structured format the Postal Address must contain mandatory fields Country and Town Name. The fields Street Name and Postal Code are optional. The unstructured format only contains optional fields Country, Address Line 1 and 2. 

If the Postal Address does not contain any mandatory elements required for the structured format, it is considered to be in the unstructured format. 

Some example cases

Street Name Postal Code Town Name Country Address Line1 Address Line 2 Format and used fields
included included included included included included

structured:

  • Street Name
  • Postal Code
  • Town Name
  • Country
included included   included included  

unstructured:

  • Country
  • Address Line 1
    included included included included

structured:

  • Town Name
  • Country
      included    

unstructured:

  • Country

Changes in the future

Until November 2025, Postal Address will be permitted in both structured or unstructured format. After that only structured format will be permitted. However there will be a years grace period and on November 2026 the unstructured addresses will be rejected by Swift and local RTGS.