What Is an IBAN? | BankCodeKit

Who this guide is useful for

People reviewing invoices, payment forms, international account details, and software fields that ask for an IBAN.

The main parts of an IBAN

An IBAN is an International Bank Account Number. It uses a standard structure so payment details can be checked before they are used. The exact length and local account structure vary by country.

Country code: the first two letters, such as DE for Germany or FR for France.
Check digits: two digits after the country code, used by the IBAN checksum.
BBAN: the country-specific Basic Bank Account Number part after the first four characters.

Digital format and print format

The digital format removes spaces and is normally used by software systems. The print format groups the same value in blocks of four characters so people can read and compare it more easily.

How an IBAN check helps

A format check can catch many obvious mistakes by checking the country code, expected length, allowed characters, and MOD97-10 checksum.

Practical IBAN example

A German example IBAN may be shown in both readable and digital forms. Treat examples as format examples, not as payment instructions.

Print format example: DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00
Digital format example: DE89370400440532013000
Country code: DE
Length: 22 characters in digital format

Important limitations

BankCodeKit validates format and reference data only. It does not confirm account existence, account ownership, bank connectivity, sanctions status, fraud risk, payment readiness, or payment success.

It does not confirm that the account exists.
It does not confirm that the account belongs to the intended recipient.
It does not confirm payment readiness or payment success.
It does not replace verification with a bank, payment provider, invoice issuer, or recipient.

FAQ

What does IBAN stand for?

IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number.

Are spaces part of an IBAN?

Spaces are common in print format, but digital validation removes spaces before checking the value.

Does a passed checksum confirm account existence?

No. A passed checksum means the format passes a structural check only.

Why do IBAN lengths differ by country?

Each country defines its own BBAN structure, so the total IBAN length is country-specific.

Sources and update note

BankCodeKit uses local IBAN reference data and browser-local format rules for country, length, character, and checksum checks. The official Swift IBAN information is used as a reference source, but BankCodeKit does not query Swift or any bank while you use the tool. Reference data is reviewed periodically and does not imply live accuracy.

Swift IBAN Registry Reference information for IBAN structure, country support, and format rules.