What is an IBAN code?
IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number, and is the European standard for international payments. Replacing the need to include account numbers and branch codes when instructing international money transfers, an IBAN contains all this information, making payment instructions across Europe simpler and more consistent. You cannot send an international payment to most European countries without an IBAN and also a BIC or Swift code.
For international payments to any country in Europe, if you fill in your details in the form at the top of the page we will put you in touch with an FSA-Authorised currency company for a free quote on your transfer.
What is the IBAN format I need?
This varies by country, but all IBANs start with a 2-letter country code, followed by a specific number of characters, which can be a combination of letters and numbers. The following table shows the most common European countries where IBANs are required, although many other countries around the world will also have their own similar IBAN format for their payments. The columns show the country, the country code which always forms the beginning of the IBAN, and the total number of characters (including the country code).
| Country |
Code |
Characters |
| Austria |
AT |
20 |
| Belgium |
BE |
16 |
| Bulgaria |
BG |
22 |
| Czech Republic |
CZ |
24 |
| Cyprus |
CY |
28 |
| Denmark |
DK |
18 |
| Finland |
FI |
18 |
| France |
FR |
27 |
| Germany |
DE |
22 |
| Greece |
GR |
27 |
| Hungary |
HU |
28 |
| Ireland |
IE |
22 |
| Italy |
IT |
27 |
| Luxembourg |
LU |
20 |
| Malta |
MT |
31 |
| Netherlands |
NL |
18 |
| Norway |
NO |
15 |
| Portugal |
PT |
25 |
| Slovakia |
SK |
24 |
| Slovenia |
SI |
19 |
| Spain |
ES |
24 |
| Switzerland |
CH |
21 |
| Turkey |
TR |
26 |
How do I find the IBAN?
If you are paying a supplier or third party (eg a lawyer) in Europe, they will almost certainly be able to supply the IBAN for you. If you are sending money to your own account, your bank should easily be able to give you the information too. There are online IBAN generators, which can be used to create an IBAN from your bank account number, branch code and so on, but they are not 100% reliable so you should always check directly to ensure your payment is not delayed.
What if I make a mistake with my IBAN?
The IBAN system has a built-in check, which means that if you get any digits wrong when giving your IBAN, your currency company or bank will not physically be able to make your payment and will inform you that the details are not correct. This obviously saves time and hassle compared to a payment being sent with incorrect details. Your IBAN must correspond with the correct beneficiary (ie - the name of the account you are sending to must also be correct), otherwise your payment may be returned to you.