ISO 3166-1 alpha-2

ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes are two-letter country codes in the ISO 3166-1 standard to represent countries and dependent territories. They are published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as part of its ISO 3166 standard. They are the most widely used of the country codes published by ISO, and are used most prominently for the Internet's country code top-level domains (with a few changes). They were first included as part of the ISO 3166 standard in its first edition in 1974.

1 Uses and applications
- 1.1 Perfect implementations
- 1.2 Imperfect implementations
2 Current codes
3 Other withdrawn codes
4 Sources and external links

Uses and applications

The codes are used in different environments and are also part of other standards. In some cases they are not perfectly implemented.

Perfect implementations

The two-letter ISO 3166-1 codes are used in:

ISO 3901 — International Standard Recording Code
ISO 4217 — Currency codes
ISO 6166 — International Securities Identifying Number (ISIN) system
ISO 7372 — Trade data interchange (Trade data elements directory)
ISO 9362 — SWIFT codes (Bank Identifier Codes)
ISO 9375
ISO 13616 — International Bank Account Numbers
UN/LOCODE — United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations, implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
IETF language tags

Imperfect implementations

Starting in 1985, two-letter codes have been used in the domain name system as country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Currently, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority assign the ccTLDs, mostly following the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes, but with a few exceptions (e.g., the United Kingdom requested an exceptional reservation of .uk for their ccTLD instead of their native .gb).^[1]

The WIPO coding standard ST.3 uses ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes for encoding states, other entities and intergovernmental organizations, but includes a number of additional codes for international intellectual property organizations. For these additional codes, see the section Codes currently agreed not to use.

NATO country codes are also based on ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes.

The European Commission uses ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes with two exceptions: EL (not GR) is used for Greece, and UK (not GB) is used for the United Kingdom.^[2] This notwithstanding, Commission Regulation (EC) No 2645/98 of 9 December 1998 on the nomenclature of countries and territories for the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States specified GB for the United Kingdom and GR for Greece.^[3]

The United Nations uses a combination of ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 and alpha-3 codes, along with codes that pre-date the creation of ISO 3166, for international vehicle registration codes, the codes on the oval stickers used to identify foreign road vehicles.

Current codes

Decoding table

Below is a color-coded decoding table of all ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code elements. Click on a cell to see the corresponding entry.

Map of ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes
`AA`	`AB`	`AC`	`AD`	`AE`	`AF`	`AG`	`AH`	`AI`	`AJ`	`AK`	`AL`	`AM`	`AN`	`AO`	`AP`	`AQ`	`AR`	`AS`	`AT`	`AU`	`AV`	`AW`	`AX`	`AY`	`AZ`
`BA`	`BB`	`BC`	`BD`	`BE`	`BF`	`BG`	`BH`	`BI`	`BJ`	`BK`	`BL`	`BM`	`BN`	`BO`	`BP`	`BQ`	`BR`	`BS`	`BT`	`BU`	`BV`	`BW`	`BX`	`BY`	`BZ`
`CA`	`CB`	`CC`	`CD`	`CE`	`CF`	`CG`	`CH`	`CI`	`CJ`	`CK`	`CL`	`CM`	`CN`	`CO`	`CP`	`CQ`	`CR`	`CS`	`CT`	`CU`	`CV`	`CW`	`CX`	`CY`	`CZ`
`DA`	`DB`	`DC`	`DD`	`DE`	`DF`	`DG`	`DH`	`DI`	`DJ`	`DK`	`DL`	`DM`	`DN`	`DO`	`DP`	`DQ`	`DR`	`DS`	`DT`	`DU`	`DV`	`DW`	`DX`	`DY`	`DZ`
`EA`	`EB`	`EC`	`ED`	`EE`	`EF`	`EG`	`EH`	`EI`	`EJ`	`EK`	`EL`	`EM`	`EN`	`EO`	`EP`	`EQ`	`ER`	`ES`	`ET`	`EU`	`EV`	`EW`	`EX`	`EY`	`EZ`
`FA`	`FB`	`FC`	`FD`	`FE`	`FF`	`FG`	`FH`	`FI`	`FJ`	`FK`	`FL`	`FM`	`FN`	`FO`	`FP`	`FQ`	`FR`	`FS`	`FT`	`FU`	`FV`	`FW`	`FX`	`FY`	`FZ`
`GA`	`GB`	`GC`	`GD`	`GE`	`GF`	`GG`	`GH`	`GI`	`GJ`	`GK`	`GL`	`GM`	`GN`	`GO`	`GP`	`GQ`	`GR`	`GS`	`GT`	`GU`	`GV`	`GW`	`GX`	`GY`	`GZ`
`HA`	`HB`	`HC`	`HD`	`HE`	`HF`	`HG`	`HH`	`HI`	`HJ`	`HK`	`HL`	`HM`	`HN`	`HO`	`HP`	`HQ`	`HR`	`HS`	`HT`	`HU`	`HV`	`HW`	`HX`	`HY`	`HZ`
`IA`	`IB`	`IC`	`ID`	`IE`	`IF`	`IG`	`IH`	`II`	`IJ`	`IK`	`IL`	`IM`	`IN`	`IO`	`IP`	`IQ`	`IR`	`IS`	`IT`	`IU`	`IV`	`IW`	`IX`	`IY`	`IZ`
`JA`	`JB`	`JC`	`JD`	`JE`	`JF`	`JG`	`JH`	`JI`	`JJ`	`JK`	`JL`	`JM`	`JN`	`JO`	`JP`	`JQ`	`JR`	`JS`	`JT`	`JU`	`JV`	`JW`	`JX`	`JY`	`JZ`
`KA`	`KB`	`KC`	`KD`	`KE`	`KF`	`KG`	`KH`	`KI`	`KJ`	`KK`	`KL`	`KM`	`KN`	`KO`	`KP`	`KQ`	`KR`	`KS`	`KT`	`KU`	`KV`	`KW`	`KX`	`KY`	`KZ`
`LA`	`LB`	`LC`	`LD`	`LE`	`LF`	`LG`	`LH`	`LI`	`LJ`	`LK`	`LL`	`LM`	`LN`	`LO`	`LP`	`LQ`	`LR`	`LS`	`LT`	`LU`	`LV`	`LW`	`LX`	`LY`	`LZ`
`MA`	`MB`	`MC`	`MD`	`ME`	`MF`	`MG`	`MH`	`MI`	`MJ`	`MK`	`ML`	`MM`	`MN`	`MO`	`MP`	`MQ`	`MR`	`MS`	`MT`	`MU`	`MV`	`MW`	`MX`	`MY`	`MZ`
`NA`	`NB`	`NC`	`ND`	`NE`	`NF`	`NG`	`NH`	`NI`	`NJ`	`NK`	`NL`	`NM`	`NN`	`NO`	`NP`	`NQ`	`NR`	`NS`	`NT`	`NU`	`NV`	`NW`	`NX`	`NY`	`NZ`
`OA`	`OB`	`OC`	`OD`	`OE`	`OF`	`OG`	`OH`	`OI`	`OJ`	`OK`	`OL`	`OM`	`ON`	`OO`	`OP`	`OQ`	`OR`	`OS`	`OT`	`OU`	`OV`	`OW`	`OX`	`OY`	`OZ`
`PA`	`PB`	`PC`	`PD`	`PE`	`PF`	`PG`	`PH`	`PI`	`PJ`	`PK`	`PL`	`PM`	`PN`	`PO`	`PP`	`PQ`	`PR`	`PS`	`PT`	`PU`	`PV`	`PW`	`PX`	`PY`	`PZ`
`QA`	`QB`	`QC`	`QD`	`QE`	`QF`	`QG`	`QH`	`QI`	`QJ`	`QK`	`QL`	`QM`	`QN`	`QO`	`QP`	`QQ`	`QR`	`QS`	`QT`	`QU`	`QV`	`QW`	`QX`	`QY`	`QZ`
`RA`	`RB`	`RC`	`RD`	`RE`	`RF`	`RG`	`RH`	`RI`	`RJ`	`RK`	`RL`	`RM`	`RN`	`RO`	`RP`	`RQ`	`RR`	`RS`	`RT`	`RU`	`RV`	`RW`	`RX`	`RY`	`RZ`
`SA`	`SB`	`SC`	`SD`	`SE`	`SF`	`SG`	`SH`	`SI`	`SJ`	`SK`	`SL`	`SM`	`SN`	`SO`	`SP`	`SQ`	`SR`	`SS`	`ST`	`SU`	`SV`	`SW`	`SX`	`SY`	`SZ`
`TA`	`TB`	`TC`	`TD`	`TE`	`TF`	`TG`	`TH`	`TI`	`TJ`	`TK`	`TL`	`TM`	`TN`	`TO`	`TP`	`TQ`	`TR`	`TS`	`TT`	`TU`	`TV`	`TW`	`TX`	`TY`	`TZ`
`UA`	`UB`	`UC`	`UD`	`UE`	`UF`	`UG`	`UH`	`UI`	`UJ`	`UK`	`UL`	`UM`	`UN`	`UO`	`UP`	`UQ`	`UR`	`US`	`UT`	`UU`	`UV`	`UW`	`UX`	`UY`	`UZ`
`VA`	`VB`	`VC`	`VD`	`VE`	`VF`	`VG`	`VH`	`VI`	`VJ`	`VK`	`VL`	`VM`	`VN`	`VO`	`VP`	`VQ`	`VR`	`VS`	`VT`	`VU`	`VV`	`VW`	`VX`	`VY`	`VZ`
`WA`	`WB`	`WC`	`WD`	`WE`	`WF`	`WG`	`WH`	`WI`	`WJ`	`WK`	`WL`	`WM`	`WN`	`WO`	`WP`	`WQ`	`WR`	`WS`	`WT`	`WU`	`WV`	`WW`	`WX`	`WY`	`WZ`
`XA`	`XB`	`XC`	`XD`	`XE`	`XF`	`XG`	`XH`	`XI`	`XJ`	`XK`	`XL`	`XM`	`XN`	`XO`	`XP`	`XQ`	`XR`	`XS`	`XT`	`XU`	`XV`	`XW`	`XX`	`XY`	`XZ`
`YA`	`YB`	`YC`	`YD`	`YE`	`YF`	`YG`	`YH`	`YI`	`YJ`	`YK`	`YL`	`YM`	`YN`	`YO`	`YP`	`YQ`	`YR`	`YS`	`YT`	`YU`	`YV`	`YW`	`YX`	`YY`	`YZ`
`ZA`	`ZB`	`ZC`	`ZD`	`ZE`	`ZF`	`ZG`	`ZH`	`ZI`	`ZJ`	`ZK`	`ZL`	`ZM`	`ZN`	`ZO`	`ZP`	`ZQ`	`ZR`	`ZS`	`ZT`	`ZU`	`ZV`	`ZW`	`ZX`	`ZY`	`ZZ`
Color legend
		Officially assigned: code element of a country or territory
		User-assigned: code element that can be assigned by users
		Exceptionally reserved: code element reserved on request for restricted use
		Transitionally reserved: code element deleted from ISO 3166-1
		Indeterminately reserved: code element used in other coding systems associated with ISO 3166-1
		Not used at present stage: code element currently not used in ISO 3166-1
		Un-assigned: code element free for assignment by ISO 3166/MA only

Officially assigned code elements

Below is a complete list of the current officially assigned ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes, with three columns:

Alpha-2 – 2-letter country code (with link to each country's ISO 3166-2 geocodes)
Country name – English short country name officially used by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency (ISO 3166/MA)
Notes – Any unofficial notes

Alpha-2	Country name	Notes
`AD`	Andorra
`AE`	United Arab Emirates
`AF`	Afghanistan
`AG`	Antigua and Barbuda
`AI`	Anguilla	`AI` previously represented French Afar and Issas
`AL`	Albania
`AM`	Armenia
`AN`	Netherlands Antilles
`AO`	Angola
`AQ`	Antarctica	Consisting of all territory south of latitude 60°S Code taken from name in French: Antarctique
`AR`	Argentina
`AS`	American Samoa
`AT`	Austria
`AU`	Australia
`AW`	Aruba
`AX`	Aland Islands Åland Islands
`AZ`	Azerbaijan
`BA`	Bosnia and Herzegovina
`BB`	Barbados
`BD`	Bangladesh
`BE`	Belgium
`BF`	Burkina Faso	Previous ISO country name: Upper Volta (coded `HV`)
`BG`	Bulgaria
`BH`	Bahrain
`BI`	Burundi
`BJ`	Benin	Previous ISO country name: Dahomey (coded `DY`)
`BL`	Saint Barthelemy Saint Barthélemy
`BM`	Bermuda
`BN`	Brunei Darussalam
`BO`	Bolivia
`BR`	Brazil
`BS`	Bahamas
`BT`	Bhutan
`BV`	Bouvet Island
`BW`	Botswana
`BY`	Belarus	Previous ISO country name: Byelorussian S.S.R. Code taken from former name: Byelorussia
`BZ`	Belize
`CA`	Canada
`CC`	Cocos (Keeling) Islands
`CD`	Congo, the Democratic Republic of the	Previous ISO country name: Zaire (coded `ZR`)
`CF`	Central African Republic
`CG`	Congo
`CH`	Switzerland	Code taken from name in Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica
`CI`	Cote d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire	Previous ISO country name: Ivory Coast
`CK`	Cook Islands
`CL`	Chile
`CM`	Cameroon
`CN`	China
`CO`	Colombia
`CR`	Costa Rica
`CU`	Cuba
`CV`	Cape Verde
`CX`	Christmas Island
`CY`	Cyprus
`CZ`	Czech Republic
`DE`	Germany	Previous ISO country name: Germany, Federal Republic of Code taken from name in German: Deutschland
`DJ`	Djibouti	Previous ISO country name: French Afar and Issas (coded `AI`)
`DK`	Denmark
`DM`	Dominica
`DO`	Dominican Republic
`DZ`	Algeria	Code taken from name in Berber: Ledzayer
`EC`	Ecuador
`EE`	Estonia	Code taken from name in Estonian: Eesti
`EG`	Egypt
`EH`	Western Sahara	Previous ISO country name: Spanish Sahara Code taken from former name in Spanish: Sahara español
`ER`	Eritrea
`ES`	Spain	Includes Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla Code taken from name in Spanish: España
`ET`	Ethiopia
`FI`	Finland
`FJ`	Fiji
`FK`	Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
`FM`	Micronesia, Federated States of	Previous ISO country name: Micronesia
`FO`	Faroe Islands
`FR`	France	Includes Clipperton Island
`GA`	Gabon
`GB`	United Kingdom	Code taken from part of official name: Great Britain (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) `UK` also exceptionally reserved on request of the United Kingdom
`GD`	Grenada
`GE`	Georgia	`GE` previously represented Gilbert and Ellice Islands
`GF`	French Guiana	Code taken from name in French: Guyane française
`GG`	Guernsey
`GH`	Ghana
`GI`	Gibraltar
`GL`	Greenland
`GM`	Gambia
`GN`	Guinea
`GP`	Guadeloupe
`GQ`	Equatorial Guinea	Code taken from name in French: Guinée équatoriale
`GR`	Greece
`GS`	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
`GT`	Guatemala
`GU`	Guam
`GW`	Guinea-Bissau
`GY`	Guyana
`HK`	Hong Kong
`HM`	Heard Island and McDonald Islands
`HN`	Honduras
`HR`	Croatia	Code taken from name in Croatian: Hrvatska
`HT`	Haiti
`HU`	Hungary
`ID`	Indonesia
`IE`	Ireland
`IL`	Israel
`IM`	Isle of Man
`IN`	India
`IO`	British Indian Ocean Territory	Includes Diego Garcia
`IQ`	Iraq
`IR`	Iran, Islamic Republic of
`IS`	Iceland	Code taken from name in Icelandic: Ísland
`IT`	Italy
`JE`	Jersey
`JM`	Jamaica
`JO`	Jordan
`JP`	Japan
`KE`	Kenya
`KG`	Kyrgyzstan
`KH`	Cambodia	Previous ISO country name: Kampuchea Code taken from former name: Kampuchea
`KI`	Kiribati
`KM`	Comoros	Code taken from name in Comorian: Komori
`KN`	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Previous ISO country name: Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla
`KP`	Korea, Democratic People's Republic of	i.e., North Korea
`KR`	Korea, Republic of	i.e., South Korea
`KW`	Kuwait
`KY`	Cayman Islands
`KZ`	Kazakhstan	Previous ISO country name: Kazakstan
`LA`	Lao People's Democratic Republic
`LB`	Lebanon
`LC`	Saint Lucia
`LI`	Liechtenstein
`LK`	Sri Lanka
`LR`	Liberia
`LS`	Lesotho
`LT`	Lithuania
`LU`	Luxembourg
`LV`	Latvia
`LY`	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
`MA`	Morocco	Code taken from name in French: Maroc
`MC`	Monaco
`MD`	Moldova	Previous ISO country name: Moldova, Republic of
`ME`	Montenegro
`MF`	Saint Martin (French part)
`MG`	Madagascar
`MH`	Marshall Islands
`MK`	Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of	Designated as such due to naming dispute Code taken from name in Macedonian: Makedonija
`ML`	Mali
`MM`	Myanmar	Previous ISO country name: Burma (coded `BU`)
`MN`	Mongolia
`MO`	Macao	Previous ISO country name: Macau
`MP`	Northern Mariana Islands
`MQ`	Martinique
`MR`	Mauritania
`MS`	Montserrat
`MT`	Malta
`MU`	Mauritius
`MV`	Maldives
`MW`	Malawi
`MX`	Mexico
`MY`	Malaysia
`MZ`	Mozambique
`NA`	Namibia
`NC`	New Caledonia
`NE`	Niger
`NF`	Norfolk Island
`NG`	Nigeria
`NI`	Nicaragua
`NL`	Netherlands
`NO`	Norway
`NP`	Nepal
`NR`	Nauru
`NU`	Niue
`NZ`	New Zealand
`OM`	Oman
`PA`	Panama
`PE`	Peru
`PF`	French Polynesia	Code taken from name in French: Polynésie française
`PG`	Papua New Guinea
`PH`	Philippines
`PK`	Pakistan
`PL`	Poland
`PM`	Saint Pierre and Miquelon
`PN`	Pitcairn
`PR`	Puerto Rico
`PS`	Palestinian Territory, Occupied	Consisting of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
`PT`	Portugal
`PW`	Palau
`PY`	Paraguay
`QA`	Qatar
`RE`	Reunion Réunion
`RO`	Romania
`RS`	Serbia	Code taken from official name: Republic of Serbia
`RU`	Russian Federation
`RW`	Rwanda
`SA`	Saudi Arabia
`SB`	Solomon Islands	Code taken from former name: British Solomon Islands
`SC`	Seychelles
`SD`	Sudan
`SE`	Sweden
`SG`	Singapore
`SH`	Saint Helena	Includes Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha
`SI`	Slovenia
`SJ`	Svalbard and Jan Mayen	Consisting of Svalbard and Jan Mayen
`SK`	Slovakia	`SK` previously represented Sikkim
`SL`	Sierra Leone
`SM`	San Marino
`SN`	Senegal
`SO`	Somalia
`SR`	Suriname
`ST`	Sao Tome and Principe
`SV`	El Salvador
`SY`	Syrian Arab Republic
`SZ`	Swaziland
`TC`	Turks and Caicos Islands
`TD`	Chad	Code taken from name in French: Tchad
`TF`	French Southern Territories	Covers the current jurisdiction of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands except Adélie Land. Code taken from name in French: Terres australes françaises
`TG`	Togo
`TH`	Thailand
`TJ`	Tajikistan
`TK`	Tokelau
`TL`	Timor-Leste	Previous ISO country name: East Timor (coded `TP`)
`TM`	Turkmenistan
`TN`	Tunisia
`TO`	Tonga
`TR`	Turkey
`TT`	Trinidad and Tobago
`TV`	Tuvalu
`TW`	Taiwan, Province of China	Covers the current jurisdiction of the Republic of China except Kinmen and Lienchiang Designated as such due to its political status within the UN
`TZ`	Tanzania, United Republic of
`UA`	Ukraine	Previous ISO country name: Ukrainian S.S.R.
`UG`	Uganda
`UM`	United States Minor Outlying Islands	Consisting of Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island
`US`	United States
`UY`	Uruguay
`UZ`	Uzbekistan
`VA`	Holy See (Vatican City State)	Administered by the Holy See Previous ISO country name: Vatican City State (Holy See)
`VC`	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
`VE`	Venezuela
`VG`	Virgin Islands, British
`VI`	Virgin Islands, U.S.
`VN`	Viet Nam
`VU`	Vanuatu	Previous ISO country name: New Hebrides (coded `NH`)
`WF`	Wallis and Futuna
`WS`	Samoa	Code taken from former name: Western Samoa
`YE`	Yemen	Previous ISO country name: Yemen, Republic of
`YT`	Mayotte
`ZA`	South Africa	Code taken from name in Dutch: Zuid-Afrika (official language until 1925)
`ZM`	Zambia
`ZW`	Zimbabwe	Previous ISO country name: Southern Rhodesia (coded `RH`)

User-assigned code elements

The following alpha-2 codes can be user-assigned: AA, from QM to QZ, from XA to XZ, and ZZ. These code elements are at the disposal of users who need to add further names of countries, territories or other geographical entities to their in-house application of ISO 3166-1, and the ISO 3166/MA will never use them in the updating process of the standard. For example:

UN/LOCODE assigns XZ to Installations in International Waters.^[4]
The Directorate General of Customs of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of China assigns their own codes for statistic needs, such as:^[5]
- XA – Ryukyu Islands, which are never recognized as Japanese territories by the Republic of China
- XB – Nevis
- XC – Tahiti
- ZZ – Other countries

Reserved code elements

Reserved code elements are codes which have recently become obsolete, or are in use for some applications in conjunction with the official ISO 3166-1 codes. The ISO 3166/MA therefore reserves them, so that they are not used for new official codes during a limited or indeterminate period of time, thereby avoiding any transitional problems or conflicts between the ISO 3166-1 standard and those applications. The list of ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 reserved code elements is divided into the following four categories.

Exceptional reservations

Exceptionally reserved code elements are reserved permanently at the request of national ISO member bodies, governments and international organizations because they are needed for particular purposes. ISO 3166/MA only authorizes their use for the particular purpose for which they were established. The following alpha-2 codes are currently exceptionally reserved:

Alpha-2	Country name	Notes
`AC`	Ascension Island	Reserved on request of UPU Used for the Internet ccTLD .ac
`CP`	Clipperton Island	Reserved on request of ITU
`DG`	Diego Garcia	Reserved on request of ITU
`EA`	Ceuta and