IBAN Format by Country: Complete List of IBAN Lengths and Examples

The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) follows a standardized structure defined by ISO 13616, but each country implements its own specific format within this framework. Understanding these country-specific variations is essential for building payment systems, validating user input, and ensuring cross-border transactions process correctly. This comprehensive guide covers IBAN formats across all participating countries, including length specifications, BBAN structures, and practical examples.

Every IBAN begins with a two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code, followed by two check digits calculated using the MOD-97 algorithm. The remaining characters form the Basic Bank Account Number (BBAN), which varies significantly between countries. For example, German IBANs (22 characters total) use an 8-digit bank code and 10-digit account number in their BBAN, while French IBANs (27 characters) include a 5-digit bank code, 5-digit branch code, 11-digit account number, and 2-digit national key. These differences reflect each nation's domestic banking infrastructure and regulatory requirements.

European countries represent the largest group of IBAN users. Germany (DE) uses 22 characters, Spain (ES) uses 24 characters with a bank code, branch code, control digits, and account number structure, France (FR) extends to 27 characters, Italy (IT) includes a unique CIN (Control Internal Number) letter at the start of its BBAN, and the United Kingdom (GB) employs 22 characters combining bank code, sort code, and account number. The Netherlands (NL) uses a compact 18-character format, while Belgium (BE) requires 16 characters. Portugal (PT) and Ireland (IE) both use 25 characters but with different BBAN structures.

Nordic countries have their own distinctive formats. Sweden (SE) uses one of the longer formats at 24 characters with a 3-digit bank code and 17-digit account number, Norway (NO) has one of the shortest at just 15 characters, Finland (FI) uses 18 characters with a 6-digit bank identifier, Denmark (DK) requires 18 characters including a final checksum digit, and Iceland (IS) uses 26 characters with a unique account type indicator embedded in the BBAN. These variations reflect the different ways Nordic countries organize their domestic banking systems.

Eastern European countries have largely adopted IBAN standards as part of EU integration and financial modernization. Poland (PL) uses 28 characters with an 8-digit bank code, Czech Republic (CZ) and Slovakia (SK) both use 24 characters with a 4-digit bank prefix, Hungary (HU) employs 28 characters with dual checksum digits, Romania (RO) uses 24 alphanumeric characters, and the Baltic states each have distinct formats: Estonia (EE) with 20 characters, Latvia (LV) with 21 characters, and Lithuania (LT) with 20 characters. Bulgaria (BG), Croatia (HR), Slovenia (SI), and Serbia (RS) also maintain unique BBAN structures reflecting their national banking systems.

Mediterranean and other European countries show considerable variety in their IBAN implementations. Greece (GR) uses 27 characters, Cyprus (CY) and Malta (MT) both reach the maximum 31 characters with extended alphanumeric account identifiers, Luxembourg (LU) requires 20 characters, Switzerland (CH) uses 21 characters, Austria (AT) employs 20 characters, and smaller nations like Andorra (AD) with 24 characters and Liechtenstein (LI) with 21 characters maintain their own specifications. Turkey (TR) uses 26 characters with an account type indicator in its BBAN structure.

Middle Eastern countries have increasingly adopted IBAN standards to facilitate international trade and investment. Saudi Arabia (SA) uses 24 characters with a 2-digit bank code and 18-digit alphanumeric account number, United Arab Emirates (AE) employs 23 characters, Qatar (QA) uses 29 characters with a 4-letter bank code and 21-digit alphanumeric account, and Israel (IL) requires 23 characters with distinct bank and branch identifiers. These implementations help integrate regional financial markets with global payment networks.

A small but growing number of countries outside Europe and the Middle East have adopted IBAN standards. Brazil (BR) uses 29 characters including bank code, branch, account, and additional identifiers, Costa Rica (CR) employs 22 characters, and Dominican Republic (DO) uses 28 characters. As international payment standards continue to evolve, more countries may adopt IBAN formatting to simplify cross-border transactions. For developers and QA teams, our <a href="/" class="text-primary-600 hover:text-primary-700">IBAN generator</a> supports all these country formats and automatically creates valid test IBANs with correct check digits and BBAN structures. You can also verify any IBAN's format using our <a href="/validator" class="text-primary-600 hover:text-primary-700">validation tool</a>.