ISO 20022 adoption is entering a critical new phase with the introduction of mandatory structured postal address requirements for payment messages, effective November 2026.

The use of unstructured (free‑text) addresses will no longer be permitted beyond this date. Payments that do not meet the new address standards risk rejection or failure.

During a limited transition period, whilst the adoption of structured addresses expands, a hybrid address model will be allowed. This requires key structured address elements, at minimum Town Name and Country Code, while temporarily permitting free‑text for remaining details.

What is a structured address under ISO 20022?

Full Structured Address Hybrid Address

Each address component provided in a dedicated field:

  • Street Name
  • Building Number
  • Post Code
  • Town Name
  • Country

Mandatory structured fields:

  • Town Name (TwnNm)
  • Country Code (Ctry – ISO 3166-1 alpha 2)
  • Optional free text address lines for remaining details

 

Accepted as a stepping stone by Swift

 

Who is affected?

The change to Structured Addresses applies to all payments, including corporate, securities, trade, FX and funds.

Organizations that rely on legacy MT message formats, message translation services, or downstream enrichment face heightened operational and compliance risk, as these approaches are not sustainable under the new validation rules.

Read the datasheet to see more information.