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Copy your IBAN from your bank statement or online banking portal.
Paste it into the field above — spaces are ignored automatically.
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An International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is a globally standardised format defined by ISO 13616 for identifying bank accounts across borders. Every IBAN consists of a 2-letter country code, 2 check digits, and a country-specific Basic Bank Account Number (BBAN). Using this free IBAN validator online before sending a wire transfer helps prevent costly rejected transactions caused by a single mistyped character.
IBAN = International Bank Account Number — defined by ISO 13616.
Length: 15 characters (Norway) to 34 characters (maximum allowed).
Structure: 2-letter country code + 2 check digits + BBAN (domestic account).
Validation: mod-97 checksum rearranges the IBAN and divides by 97 — result must equal 1.
Coverage: 70+ countries, including all 36 SEPA member states.
SEPA: within the Single Euro Payments Area, IBAN alone routes a payment.
IBANs do not expire — they are valid as long as the bank account remains open.
Cannot be used at a card checkout — IBAN is for bank transfers only.
When you check an IBAN number, three checks run in sequence. First, the two-letter prefix is matched against a registry of 70+ supported countries. Next, the total character count is compared to each country's fixed expected length. Finally, a mod-97 checksum is computed: the IBAN is rearranged, letters are replaced by numbers, and the result is divided by 97. A structurally valid IBAN always yields a remainder of 1.
Banks reject wire transfers with structurally invalid IBANs. Rejected transfers can incur fees, delays of several business days, and manual intervention. Client-side validation catches errors before they ever reach the banking network, saving both time and money. This is especially important in e-commerce checkouts, payroll systems, and B2B invoicing flows.
IBAN format in Germany
DECountry code
Identifies Germany — ISO 3166-1 alpha-2.
89Check digits
Two-digit mod-97 checksum.
37040044BLZ
Bankleitzahl — 8-digit German bank routing code.
0532013000Account number
10-digit domestic account number (Kontonummer).
Every IBAN embeds two key identifiers inside the BBAN: a bank code that pinpoints the financial institution, and an account number that pinpoints the individual account. The bank code goes by different names in each country — BLZ in Germany, sort code in the United Kingdom, clearing number in Sweden, and simply bank code in Lithuania and most other SEPA countries. Together, these components make the full IBAN structure self-contained: country, checksum, bank, and account in one validated string.
All examples below are structurally valid test IBANs.
Europe's largest SEPA market.
All Lithuanian banks are part of SEPA.
Sweden uses SEK but participates in SEPA.
UK retained IBAN post-Brexit for international payments.
Longest IBAN among major EU economies.
Includes a 10-digit domestic account (CCC).
One of the shorter IBANs in Europe.
Includes a 1-character check letter (CIN).
IBAN and SWIFT/BIC codes both appear in international wire transfers, but they serve completely different purposes. An IBAN identifies a specific bank account — it tells the receiving bank exactly where to deposit funds. A SWIFT code (also called a BIC, Bank Identifier Code) identifies the bank itself, not the account. Think of SWIFT as the postal code for the bank's headquarters, and IBAN as the full street address of the individual account. For a cross-border transfer you typically need both: the SWIFT/BIC to route the payment to the right institution, and the IBAN to credit the right account.
| IBAN | SWIFT / BIC | |
|---|---|---|
| Identifies | Individual bank account | The bank / branch |
| Length | 15–34 characters | 8 or 11 characters |
| Standard | ISO 13616 | ISO 9362 |
| Used for | Account-level routing (EU, SEPA) | Interbank messaging (global) |
| Example | DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00 | COBADEFFXXX |
An IBAN and a card number look superficially similar — both are long strings of digits — but they are entirely different instruments used in completely different payment flows. An IBAN identifies a bank account; a card number (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) identifies a payment card product. You cannot use an IBAN at a card checkout, and you cannot use a card number to make a bank transfer.
| IBAN | Card | |
|---|---|---|
| What it identifies | A bank account | A payment card product |
| Length | 15–34 characters | 15 digits (Amex) or 16 digits (Visa/MC) |
| Contains letters | Yes (country code + bank codes) | No — digits only |
| Has expiry date | No — account is open-ended | Yes — MM/YY printed on card |
Use an IBAN when making a bank transfer, setting up a direct debit, or receiving a salary payment. Use a card number when paying for goods or services at a checkout — online or in-store. Never mix the two: submitting an IBAN in a card payment field (or vice versa) will cause an immediate error.
Yes — IBAN is the primary routing mechanism for bank-to-bank payments across Europe and in 70+ countries worldwide. SEPA Credit Transfers, SEPA Direct Debits, and most international wire transfers rely on IBAN. However, IBAN cannot be used at a point-of-sale terminal or in an online card checkout. For those flows you need a payment card. In simple terms: IBAN moves money between bank accounts; cards move money between card accounts.
Sharing your IBAN is generally safe when done with a verified, trusted counterparty — for example, your employer, a client, or a utility company. IBAN alone cannot be used to initiate a debit or withdraw funds without a separate authorisation such as a signed direct-debit mandate. However, treat it with the same care you'd give your bank account number: avoid posting it publicly, and only provide it to parties who have a legitimate reason to send you money. Never share your IBAN alongside your online banking password, card details, or one-time passcodes.
When sending money across borders within SEPA (the Single Euro Payments Area, covering 36 European countries), an IBAN is all you need alongside the recipient's name. For transfers outside SEPA — for example, to the United States, Canada, or Australia — you will typically also need a SWIFT/BIC code, and sometimes a routing number or sort code depending on the destination country. Always verify the IBAN with a validator before initiating a transfer: banks charge return fees for rejected payments, and recovery of funds sent to a wrong IBAN can take weeks.
IBAN is used in 70+ countries, predominantly across Europe, the Middle East, and parts of the Caribbean. Below are the most commonly searched countries with their IBAN length and a structurally valid example.
SEPA (Єдина зона платежів у євро) — 36 європейських країн, де для здійснення платежу достатньо одного IBAN, без додаткових кодів.
The United States, Canada, Australia, China, India, Japan, and most of Asia and the Americas do NOT use IBAN. For transfers to these countries, use SWIFT/BIC alongside local routing identifiers — ABA routing number in the US, BSB in Australia, IFSC in India.
Even a single wrong character in an IBAN causes a rejection. These are the most frequent errors:
Transposed digits
Swapping two adjacent digits (e.g. '12' → '21') passes a human glance but fails the mod-97 checksum. Always copy-paste rather than typing manually.
Wrong country code
Using 'UK' instead of 'GB' for British IBANs is the single most common country-code error. The ISO 3166-1 code for the United Kingdom is GB, not UK.
Incorrect length
Each country's IBAN has a fixed length — Germany is always 22 characters, France is always 27. An IBAN with the wrong character count is structurally invalid.
Including spaces
IBANs are often printed with spaces every 4 characters for readability. These must be stripped before electronic submission. Our validator strips them automatically.
Confusing IBAN with account number
Your domestic account number is only part of your IBAN. A German account number is 10 digits; the full IBAN is 22 characters including country code, check digits, and bank code.
Using a closed account IBAN
Structural validity does not confirm the account is currently open. Always verify with the recipient that the IBAN is still active before sending funds.
Our validator runs three checks in sequence. A failure at any step means the IBAN is structurally invalid:
1. Unknown country code
The first two characters must match a country that uses IBAN. If they do not, validation stops immediately.
2. Wrong length
Each country's IBAN has a fixed expected length. An IBAN that is too short or too long fails here, regardless of its content.
3. Failed mod-97 checksum
The IBAN is rearranged (first 4 characters move to the end), letters are converted to numbers (A=10, B=11, …), and the result is divided by 97. A valid IBAN always leaves a remainder of exactly 1.
Passing all three checks confirms the IBAN is structurally correct. It does NOT confirm that the account exists or belongs to a specific person — only the receiving bank can verify account existence.
An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a standardised string of up to 34 alphanumeric characters that uniquely identifies a bank account in a participating country. It combines a 2-letter country code, 2 check digits, and the domestic account number (BBAN) into a single internationally recognised format defined by ISO 13616.
Paste the IBAN into the field at the top of this page. The validator instantly checks three things: the country code is recognised, the length matches the country's specification, and the mod-97 checksum equals 1. All three must pass for the IBAN to be structurally valid.
Yes. This tool is completely free, requires no registration, and validates IBANs from 70+ countries instantly in your browser. No data is stored or transmitted to any server.
No. Your account number (BBAN) is only one component of your IBAN. The IBAN also includes a 2-letter country code and 2 check digits. For example, a German account number is 10 digits; the full German IBAN is 22 characters.
Yes, with trusted parties. Sharing your IBAN allows others to send money to your account but does not allow anyone to withdraw funds. Treat it like your bank account number — share it only when necessary and never alongside your banking password or card details.
The bank will reject the transfer. You may be charged a rejection or recall fee (typically €5–€30). Recovering funds sent to a wrong but structurally valid IBAN belonging to someone else can take weeks and involves a formal recall process.
Within SEPA countries, IBAN is mandatory for all credit transfers. For transfers to countries that do not use IBAN (e.g. the US, Canada, Australia), you use alternative identifiers such as an ABA routing number or BSB, together with a SWIFT/BIC code.
No. The United States does not use the IBAN system. US domestic transfers use ABA routing numbers (9 digits) and account numbers. For international transfers to the US, the sender provides the bank's SWIFT/BIC code and the recipient's account number.
IBANs are between 15 and 34 characters long and contain both letters and digits — not digits only. The country code (2 letters) and check digits (2 digits) are present in all IBANs. For example, Norwegian IBANs are 15 characters; Maltese IBANs are 31 characters.
Partially. The BBAN section of an IBAN typically embeds a bank code that can be decoded to identify the institution. However, the mapping is not standardised internationally — you need a country-specific bank code register to look up the bank name.
IBAN identifies a specific bank account. SWIFT/BIC identifies the bank (or branch) that holds the account. For most international transfers you need both: SWIFT/BIC to route the payment to the correct bank, and IBAN to credit the correct account.
No. An IBAN identifies a bank account; a card number (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) identifies a payment card product. They operate on entirely different payment networks. You cannot use an IBAN at a card checkout, and you cannot use a card number to make a bank transfer.
Log into your online banking portal — your IBAN is typically shown on the account summary or account details page. It also appears on bank statements, in official correspondence from your bank, and often in your bank's mobile app.
No. IBAN is used in 70+ countries including all EU/EEA members, the UK, some Middle Eastern countries, and parts of the Caribbean. Major economies such as the USA, Canada, Australia, China, India, and Japan do not use IBAN.
Yes. Structural validation confirms the IBAN is correctly formatted, but it does not confirm that the account exists or is active. Only the recipient's bank can verify that. Always double-check IBANs with the recipient before sending funds.
BBAN stands for Basic Bank Account Number — the country-specific domestic portion of an IBAN. After the 2-letter country code and 2 check digits, every remaining character is the BBAN. In Germany (22-character IBAN) the BBAN is 18 characters: 8-digit BLZ (bank routing code) plus a 10-digit account number. In Lithuania (20-character IBAN) the BBAN is 16 characters: a 5-digit bank code plus an 11-digit account number. The BBAN format is defined by each country's national banking authority.
SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) is a European payment-integration project covering 36 countries. Within SEPA, you can send euro-denominated bank transfers using only an IBAN — no extra routing codes. SEPA Credit Transfers take 1 business day; SEPA Instant transfers settle in under 10 seconds around the clock. All 27 EU member states participate, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, the UK, and several other European states and territories.
Standard SEPA Credit Transfers (SCT) settle within 1 business day. SEPA Instant Credit Transfers (SCT Inst) settle within 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including weekends and holidays. Most major European banks now support instant payments; check with your bank whether your account is enrolled for SCT Inst.
Yes. An IBAN is a permanent identifier tied to your bank account — it does not change between transactions and does not expire. You can share it with multiple parties: your employer for salary, clients for invoices, utilities for direct debits. The IBAN only changes if you switch banks or close and reopen the account.
An IBAN is an internationally standardised account identifier used across 70+ countries. A routing number (ABA number in the US, BSB in Australia, IFSC in India) is a domestic bank-routing code used in countries that do not participate in the IBAN system. When sending money to the US, you provide the recipient's 9-digit ABA routing number and account number instead of an IBAN. For international wires, the bank also requires a SWIFT/BIC code.