• An ISIN is a code that uniquely identifies a specific securities issue.
• The numbers are allocated by a country’s respective national numbering agency (NNA).
• An ISIN is not the same as the ticker symbol, which identifies the stock at the exchange level. The ISIN is a number assigned to a security that is universally recognizable.
• ISINs are used for numerous reasons including clearing and settlement. The numbers ensure a consistent format so that holdings of institutional investors can be tracked consistent across markets worldwide.

All internationally traded securities issuers are urged to use the ISIN numbering scheme, which is now the accepted standard by virtually all countries. The United States and Canada primarily use a similar scheme known as a CUSIP number.2 3

ISIN codes have a total of 12 characters consisting of both letters and numbers. These include the country in which the issuing company is headquartered (first two digits), along with a number specific to the security (middle nine digits), and a final character, which acts as a check. An example of an ISIN number for a US company’s stock certificate could look like this: US-000402625-0 (dashes incorporated for simplicity). On the other hand, a theoretical Namibian company could have an ISIN, which appears as NA-000K0VF05-4. The middle nine digits of the ISIN are computer-generated in a complex formula. These are critical in helping protect against counterfeiting and forgery.