Do You Need An Iban Number To Transfer Money

What is an IBAN number?

IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number. It's an internationally-agreed code made up of up to 34 letters and numbers that helps banks to process transfers around the world.

Each set of characters represents a different detail for your bank account. You can see the breakdown of this IBAN below.

Example of an IBAN in the United Kingdom

gb Country code

12 Check digits

123*****

Bank account number

Where to find your IBAN

It's important that you use the right IBAN when sending money. If you get it wrong, your bank might send your money to the wrong destination, or it may charge you for an invalid payment.

You can usually find your IBAN by logging into your online banking, or checking your bank statement. You can also use the tools on this site.

It's important to remember that an IBAN being in the right format isn't guarantee that it exists. Or that it's the right IBAN for a particular account. You should always check it with your recipient or bank before sending or receiving a payment.

Calculate IBAN

IBAN examples by country

Each country had a different IBAN format. Find an example IBAN for your country here.

Country	SEPA	Length	IBAN example
The United Kingdom	Yes	22	GB29NWBK60161331926819
France	Yes	27	FR1420041010050500013M02606
Germany	Yes	22	DE89370400440532013000
Ireland	Yes	22	IE29AIBK93115212345678
Spain	Yes	24	ES9121000418450200051332
Poland	Yes	28	PL61109010140000071219812874
Italy	Yes	27	IT60X0542811101000000123456
The Netherlands	Yes	18	NL91ABNA0417164300
Romania	Yes	24	RO49AAAA1B31007593840000
Portugal	Yes	25	PT50000201231234567890154

Routing numbers, SWIFT codes, BIC and IBANs – what's the difference?

You'll need a few details to send or receive a transfer – either domestically or internationally.

IBANs (international bank account numbers) identify individual bank accounts. They're issued by many banks in Europe, but banks elsewhere in the world are starting to adopt them as well.

Routing numbers help identify banks when processing domestic ACH payments or wire transfers. But only in the United States. You don't need one to make a payment to your friend in France, for example.

SWIFT codes, like routing numbers, also identify banks and financial institutions. This time for international payments. They're sometimes known as BIC codes.

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