Frequently Asked Questions
General questions about the BIS
What is the BIS?
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is an international organisation which fosters international monetary and financial cooperation and serves as a bank for central banks. About BIS gives you more detailed information.
Can I open an account at the BIS?
No. The BIS does not accept deposits from, or provide financial services or advice to, private individuals or corporate entities.
Does the BIS offer investment services to organisations other than its members?
Yes, but it offers banking services only to central banks and international financial institutions. For more information, see Banking services for central banks.
I think I've received communication that is using the BIS's name fraudulently. How can I check?
Read our notice advising caution against fraudulent schemes. If you are still unsure, contact the BIS's Global Media and Public Relations team.
How can I contact your Hong Kong or Mexico office?
The details for the BIS representative offices in Hong Kong and Mexico are listed on the contact page.
What is the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision?
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision provides a forum for regular cooperation on banking supervisory matters. Its objective is to enhance understanding of key supervisory issues and improve the quality of banking supervision worldwide. The Basel Committee pages give you more detailed information.
When is the next Basel Committee on Banking Supervision meeting?
For information on upcoming Basel Committee meetings, see the list of events.
Can I have access to press releases under embargo?
Embargoed material is only available to pre-registered journalists. If you are a journalist who would like to register, please contact the BIS's Global Media and Public Relations team.
Using the BIS website
There is a search box in the top right-hand corner of every page. Just type in the word or phrase you're searching for and hit "Enter" or click the magnifying glass. This searches the entire website. Alternatively, on this search page you can filter results by category and language, and/or choose to match any words, all words or the exact phrase.
Can I be notified about new information on the BIS website?
Yes, via the BIS email alert. Select the type(s) of alert(s) you would like to receive and click on "subscribe". You can edit your profile at any time by logging into your account using your email address and password. This is a free service. Alternatively, you can use RSS feeds to subscribe to updates to the site.
I signed up for an email alert but haven't received any emails from you since then. What could be wrong?
We use Mailchimp as an external email service to send out newsletters and publication alerts. We make every technical effort to signal that the email is from the BIS, but sometimes your IT department's email spam policies may be too strict. Please ensure that your IT department white-lists the appropriate IP addresses as specified in this help note.
What browser is best for viewing your site?
Our website can be viewed with any standard browser, such as Internet Explorer (version 9.0 or higher), Chrome or Firefox. Using older browser versions can lead to graphic anomalies. Please note that you need to have JavaScript activated in order to use our website.
Can I browse BIS web pages on my mobile device?
Our website is optimised for browsing on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, using standard mobile browsers, such as Android stock browser, Chrome, Firefox or Safari. The website includes responsive design technology and automatically adapts to fit the screen size of various mobile devices. Using older browser versions can lead to graphic anomalies. Please note that you need to have JavaScript activated in order to use our website.
BIS publications
Can I reproduce material from a BIS publication?
Yes. Read copyright and permissions for details.
Statistics
How can I use BIS statistics?
For help using BIS statistics, please visit the statistics video tutorials and FAQs pages.
When are the statistical data sets updated?
You can see when the various BIS data sets will be updated in the statistical release calendar.
How can I use the statistical data available in CSV files?
CSV (comma-separated values) format files can be read into most spreadsheet packages and word processors. In order to maximise portability, CSV files contain only the values (numeric or text) of the table cells, no formatting such as information about column widths, cell merging, fonts or line breaks. Most web browsers can be configured to view CSV files with a spreadsheet application of your choice.