An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) identifies one bank account in a format that banks in many countries can read and check. When someone asks for your IBAN, they want the number that lets them send money to your account.
What an IBAN looks like
Here is a German IBAN, written the way banks print it:
DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00
It has three parts:
| Part | In the example | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Country code | DE |
Two letters from ISO 3166-1 |
| Check digits | 89 |
Two digits calculated from the rest of the IBAN |
| BBAN | 3704 0044 0532 0130 00 |
The national account number |
The country code tells software which national format to expect. The check digits catch typing mistakes: change a single digit and the check fails. How IBAN check digits work shows the calculation. The BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number) is the account number the country already used at home, usually a bank code, sometimes a branch code, and the account number itself.
Why IBANs have different lengths
Each country brought its own domestic account format into the IBAN, so the length depends on the country. Norwegian IBANs have 15 characters and Maltese ones 31, and the standard allows up to 34. IBAN formats by country shows the differences.
Electronic and print format
The same IBAN can be written in two ways. In electronic format there are no spaces, DE89370400440532013000, and letters are uppercase. This is what payment systems store and what most online forms expect.
In print format the IBAN is split into groups of four characters, DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00, which is easier to read aloud and check by eye. On paper it is sometimes preceded by the word "IBAN". The spaces are only for people: software removes them before checking or sending the number.
Where to find your IBAN
Banks show the IBAN in their app and online banking, usually in the account details, and print it on account statements. If you cannot find it, your bank can give it to you. Do not try to build your own IBAN from your account number: the check digits and the national format have to be exactly right.
Is it safe to share your IBAN?
Sharing your IBAN lets people pay money into your account; on its own it does not let anyone take money out. The main risk is fraud with direct debits, where someone uses your IBAN to set up payments you did not agree to. In the European Union you can ask your bank to refund an authorised direct debit within eight weeks, and an unauthorised one within thirteen months. Check your statements and report anything you do not recognise.
IBANs for testing
Software that handles payments needs IBANs to test with. The generator on this site creates IBANs that follow these rules exactly, with correct check digits, but no bank issued them. They are for testing forms and code, never for payments. Test IBANs for developers and QA explains how to use them, and the IBAN validator checks an IBAN you already have.
Sources
- ISO 13616-1:2020: the structure of the IBAN, including the electronic and print formats.
- SWIFT IBAN Registry: the national format of every country.
- Directive (EU) 2015/2366 (PSD2), Articles 71 and 76: the deadlines to report unauthorised payments and to ask for a direct debit refund.