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An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is the ISO 13616 international standard for identifying a single bank account when sending or receiving cross-border payments. It is up to 34 characters long.
Details
Structure: 2-letter ISO country code + 2 check digits + Basic Bank Account Number (BBAN, country-specific length and format). Example: DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00 (Germany, 22 characters).
IBAN length is fixed per country — Germany 22, France 27, UK 22, Saudi Arabia 24, etc. The two check digits validate the entire IBAN against MOD-97 to catch typos before the payment is sent.
IBAN is mandatory inside SEPA (the EU/EEA, plus Switzerland and the UK) and widely accepted in the Middle East. The US, Canada, Japan and most of Asia do NOT use IBANs — they use local routing numbers (e.g. ABA in the US) plus the BIC.
Key facts
Up to 34 characters, country-specific length
Begins with 2-letter ISO country code
2 check digits validate the whole IBAN
Mandatory in SEPA; not used in US/Canada/Japan
Frequently asked questions
IBAN vs account number — what is the difference?
An IBAN is an internationally formatted version of an account number, including country code and check digits, that lets foreign banks validate it before sending money.
Is an IBAN the same as a SWIFT code?
No. The IBAN identifies the account; the BIC/SWIFT code identifies the bank. International payments often need both.
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