International Securities Identification Numbering (ISIN) system, uniquely identifies a security. The ISIN is an international standard formed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), for the purpose of numbering specific securities.
The ISIN number is administered by the corresponding National Numbering Agency present in the respective country. A typical ISIN code consists of 12 alphanumeric characters. The first two are assigned by the country of origin and by the head office of the issuing company respectively. The 9 characters between the first and the last, are utilized for unique identification of the security. The last digit acts as a check digit to prevent errors and ensure authenticity of the code.
Points to remember:
The ISIN code is a 12 digit (alphanumeric) numbering system for unique representation of securities such as stocks and bonds.
It is issued by the National Numbering Agency, present in each respective country.
It is structured in a way that it includes the country code where the headquarters of the issuing company are present, the specific security identification number, and a check digit.
Example Apple, Inc.: ISIN US0378331005. Here, the country code is US for the United States, the identification number CUSIP is 037833100 and the check digit is 5. Reliance : INE002A01018