What is an IBAN Number?

What is an IBAN number?

IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number. It’s used to identify bank accounts across borders, helping global transfers arrive at the right place. If you’re sending money from the U.S. to a bank account overseas, you may need the recipient’s IBAN.

DE-IBAN-illustration

Components of an IBAN

An IBAN can be up to 34 characters long and follows a standard format across countries. The first two letters are the country code, followed by two control numbers. The remaining characters include the bank’s code, branch information, and the individual account number. Here’s an example IBAN format:

1 – Country code
The first two letters represent the country where the bank is located. For example, “GR” for Greece or “FR” for France.

2 – Check digits
The next two digits are calculated with an algorithm and used to validate the correctness of the IBAN.

3 – Bank code
This section identifies the specific financial institution that holds the account.

4 – Branch code
Some countries include a branch identifier to route the payment within the bank.

5 – Account number
The final part is the individual’s bank account number, padded with leading zeros if needed to meet the country’s required length.

Which countries use IBAN

IBANs are widely used across Europe and adopted by many countries worldwide. The table below shows which countries follow the IBAN format, along with the standard length of account numbers used in each.

A – E

F – M

N – T

U – Y

Country
Length
First 2 characters (letters)

Albania*
28 an
AL

Algeria
24 an
DZ

Andorra*
24 an
AD

Angola
25 an
AO

Austria**
20 an
AT

Azerbaijan*
28 an
AZ

Bahrain*
22 an
BH

Belarus*
28 an
BY

Belgium**
16 an
BE

Benin
28 an
BJ

Bosnia and Herzegovina
20 an
BA

Brazil
29 an
BR

British Virgin Islands
24 an
VG

Bulgaria**
22 an
BG

Burkina Faso
27 an
BF

Burundi
16 an
BI

Cameroon
27 an
CM

Cape Verde
25 an
CV

Central African Republic
27 an
FR

Congo
27 an
CG

Costa Rica
21 an
CR

Croatia**
21 an
HR

Cyprus**
28 an
CY

Czech Republic**
24 an
CZ

Denmark**
18 an
DK

Dominican Republic
28 an
DO

Egypt
29 an
EG

Estonia**
20 an
EE

* IBAN is mandatory in cross border payments in these countries.
** IBAN-only principle applies to these IBAN mandatory countries. Additional information other than that which is ascertained by the IBAN will be ignored

Country
Length
First 2 characters (letters)

Faroe Islands*
18 an
FO

Finland**
18 an
FI

France**
27 an
FR

French Guiana
27 an
FR

French Polynesia
27 an
FR

Gabon
27 an
GA

Georgia*
22 an
GE

Germany**
22 an
DE

Gibraltar**
23 an
GI

Greece**
27 an
GR

Greenland*
18 an
GL

Guadeloupe
27 an
FR

Guatemala
28 an
GT

Guernsey**
22 an
GG

Hungary**
28 an
HU

Iceland**
26 an
IS

Iraq*
23 an
IQ

Ireland**
22 an
IE

Isle of Man**
22 an
IM

Israel*
23 an
IL

Italy**
27 an
IT

Ivory Coast
28 an
CI

Jersey**
22 an
JE

Jordan*
30 an
JO

Kazakhstan
20 an
KZ

Kosovo
20 an
XK

Kuwait*
30 an
KW

Latvia**
21 an
LV

Lebanon*
28 an
LB

Liechtenstein**
21 an
LI

Lithuania**
20 an
LT

Luxembourg**
20 an
LU

North Macedonia
19 an
MK

Madagascar
27 an
MG

Mali
28 an
ML

Malta**
31 an
MT

Martinique
27 an
FR

Mauritania*
27 an
MR

Mauritius
30 an
MU

Moldova*
24 an
MD

Monaco**
27 an
MC

Montenegro
22 an
ME

Mozambique
25 an
MZ

* IBAN is mandatory in cross border payments in these countries.
** IBAN-only principle applies to these IBAN mandatory countries. Additional information other than that which is ascertained by the IBAN will be ignored

Country
Length
First 2 characters (letters)

Netherlands**
18 an
NL

New Caledonia
27 an
FR

Norway**
15 an
NO

Pakistan*
24 an
PK

Palestine, State of*
29 an
PS

Poland**
28 an
PL

Portugal**
25 an
PT

Qatar*
29 an
QA

Réunion
27 an
FR

Romania**
24 an
RO

Saint Lucia
32 an
LC

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
27 an
FR

San Marino**
27 an
SM

Sao Tome and Principe
25 an
ST

Saudi Arabia*
24 an
SA

Senegal
28 an
SN

Serbia
22 an
RS

Seychelles
31 an
SC

Slovakia**
24 an
SK

Slovenia**
19 an
SI

Spain**
24 an
ES

Sweden**
24 an
SE

Switzerland**
21 an
CH

Timor-Leste
23 an
TL

Tunisia*
24 an
TN

Turkey*
26 an
TR

* IBAN is mandatory in cross border payments in these countries.
** IBAN-only principle applies to these IBAN mandatory countries. Additional information other than that which is ascertained by the IBAN will be ignored

Country
Length
First 2 characters (letters)

Ukraine
29 an
UA

United Arab Emirates*
23 an
AE

United Kingdom**
22 an
GB

Vatican City State/the Holy See
24 an
VA

Wallis and Futuna
27 an
FR

* IBAN is mandatory in cross border payments in these countries.
** IBAN-only principle applies to these IBAN mandatory countries. Additional information other than that which is ascertained by the IBAN will be ignored

Where to find your IBAN

You’ll usually find your IBAN on your bank statement or in your online banking profile. Since accuracy matters, some banks also offer IBAN calculators to help you generate the correct format.

What’s the difference between IBAN and SWIFT codes?

Both IBAN and SWIFT codes help route international payments, but they serve different purposes.

IBAN

An IBAN identifies a specific bank account in a specific country. It’s used mostly in Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia and the Caribbean.

SWIFT/BIC Code

A SWIFT/BIC code identifies the bank itself, not the account. It’s used globally and helps banks communicate securely during a transfer.

Routing Numbers

The U.S. uses routing numbers for domestic transfers. These local codes work within a country but don’t replace IBAN or SWIFT for international payments.

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Frequently asked questions about IBAN

Do banks in the US use IBANs?

How do I find an IBAN number?

Are IBAN and SWIFT code the same thing?

When do I need an IBAN when sending money?