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How to Find IBAN Number and When You Need It

IBANs are widely used for transfers to and within Europe. Here, we discuss how can you locate your IBAN, when you might need it, and more.
Idil Woodall
Author: 
Idil Woodall
Alice Leetham
Editor: 
Alice Leetham
Hristina Nikolovska
Fact Checker: 
Hristina Nikolovska
12 mins
October 20th, 2023
Advertiser Disclosure

IBAN, the International Bank Account Number, is an international numbering system used to identify an overseas bank account. The code allows international identification and is unique to an individual bank account. In the US, it is exclusively used for international money transfers to countries that use international bank account numbers as it's not in use domestically.

The system aims to simplify and improve inter-bank communications, and it is a globally recognized standard — but not applicable in all cases. Scroll down to find out how to find your IBAN, what it is, and why it is used.

Here is how you can find your IBAN number
  1. Bank statements: More often than not, IBAN numbers can be found on the bank statements.

  2. Online banking: Some banks, most notably digital banks like Revolut, provide IBAN numbers in the banking app. Check your account details on your online banking application to see whether it's readily available.

  3. IBAN calculators: You can use the official IBAN calculator by entering your country, bank code, and account number. Note that this service is only available for accounts that are based in countries included in the IBAN registry (and the US isn’t).

  4. Contact your bank: You can ask your bank, or may have to visit a branch, to generate an IBAN number.

  5. Money transfer services: Remittance providers like Wise allow users to set up global accounts with IBAN codes. This way, you can also save on transfer fees on the transfer.

What Is an IBAN Number?

European banks introduced IBAN to simplify international transactions by standardizing foreign account identification. However, they can also be used for domestic transfers. The number consists of a two-letter country code, two check digits, and up to 35 alphanumeric characters. This covers the country, the bank, and the individual account.

Why Was IBAN Created?

The idea behind IBAN was to reduce errors by improving the verification system.

The code ensures that the transfer details are correct while identifying the correct bank account. This way, the IBAN standard aims to minimize the costs and delays associated with fixing rejected payments. Though a globally recognized system, major economies like the US and China don’t use IBAN for domestic transfers. In such cases, an IBAN is only used for sending a transfer to a country that uses it.

Anatomy of an IBAN Code

Here’s the anatomy and some examples of an IBAN code;

[AA][BB][CCCC][DDDDDD][EEEEEEEE]

  • Costa Rica: [CR][23][0151][084100][26012345]

  • Denmark: [DK][95][2000][012345][6789]

  • Iceland: [IS][75][0001][1212][345631][08962099]

Two check digits [BB] are calculated based on a scheme called ISO 3166-1, a set standard to define codes for the names of countries and territories. The remaining characters are referred to as BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number).

BBAN, involving the last three components of an IBAN, has a fixed length for each country, and it identifies core account details:

1. the individual account,

2. the bank or financial institution,

3. and the countries.

Namely,

  • [CCCC] — refers to the bank code and identifies the bank

  • [DDDDDD] — identifies the bank branch

  • [EEEEEEEE] — refers to the account number, which can be 8 digits or fewer.

IBAN numbers are easily recognizable due to the country codes at the start, as none of the other bank identifiers have it at the start.

Which Countries Use the IBAN Number?

IBAN was developed to be used across the Eurozone region. Today, it is adopted by over 70 countries in and outside of the area, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Guernsey, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most of these countries use IBANs to verify and facilitate both domestic and international transfers. This means that any transfers including these countries will require the recipient's IBAN number.

Major countries, including the USA, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand; and emerging markets like India or Mexico have not integrated it into their systems. In those cases, and also in the case of developing nations like Nigeria, banks generally generate IBAN codes for international transfers that require an IBAN code. IBANs sometimes, like in the case of Nigeria, link a foreign currency account only to receive international payments rather than a local currency account.

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How Long Do IBAN Transfers Take?

IBAN transfers take between one to five days. Because an IBAN transfer is a bank transfer that includes at least one bank within the IBAN registry, it's not the fastest way to send money.

More often than not, the funds will be withdrawn from your account immediately, but that doesn’t mean that they will arrive at your recipient’s account right away. Unless your transfer is a domestic one or is within the SEPA region, it’s not likely to be instantaneous. It’s also worth noting that international money transfers are processed within business hours only. For faster transfers, you should make sure that you complete the transfer before your bank’s cut-off time.

What happens if I get the IBAN number wrong on my transfer?

There are three possible outcomes if you get the IBAN number wrong:

  1. The number that you typed in doesn’t exist for any account in the world. In such cases, your payment will simply bounce back to you, but you may get a small fine.

  2. The receiving bank recognizes that the name of the account holder and the IBAN number don’t match, and they will revert the payment back to you.

  3. If you type in a number that does exist but is not the one of your recipients, and the bank hasn’t recognized the name on the account is different, then your payment will end up in a stranger’s account. You should contact your bank and the recipient bank as soon as you realize it’s the wrong number – but the likely scenario is that it could not be reverted without the accidental recipient’s permission.

If you need to type in an IBAN instead of copying and pasting it, type in on a verification tool first, and copy it from there when transferring money to avoid putting in the wrong number.

How Do I Find My IBAN Number?

More often than not, you can find your IBAN code on your bank statement, but if not, customers can check the bank’s website to request or generate one. You can also opt for an IBAN calculator, which generates your account’s code from other account information. Note that this service is only applicable to accounts in countries included in the IBAN registry.

For those who are not in the registry, like in the US, banks may ask customers to visit branches to arrange an IBAN payment. Alternatively, customers can opt for international money transfer services like Wise or VertoFX to open global accounts with IBAN codes. You’ll find that banks in countries that have not adopted the IBAN standard typically don’t generate the codes because it’s simply not necessary as they can accept payments with the account code and SWIFT code.

You can verify an IBAN and find the bank and potentially the branch associated with the individual account by an online IBAN checker. While they share the same information, IBAN differs from SWIFT codes and other bank-identifying codes and doesn’t replace them.

Also note that IBANs refer to the specific bank accounts, not the banks, though they identify the banks. So different bank accounts will have different IBANs.

How do you find out someone else's IBAN number?

The best way to find out someone else’s IBAN number is simply to ask – you would need a lot of account details to work it out yourself. If your recipient is also unsure, you can ask them to contact their bank and use a verification tool to ensure that it’s correct.

When Will You Need to One?

Countries in the IBAN registry use IBAN numbers for both domestic and international transfers, like those in the SEPA region, while others only use IBAN when an international transaction involves a country that uses it. You will need the IBAN number of the account you wish to transfer money to a beneficiary in one of those countries, regardless of the method of transfer, but may receive from those countries using SWIFT and account codes only. Note that requesting an IBAN code is a free-of-charge service, but not all banks offer it.

IBAN vs Other Bank and Account Identifiers

As we discussed previously, there are other bank identifiers like your account number, routing number, and your bank’s SWIFT/BIC codes. While some overlap and are used in tandem, they serve different purposes.

IBAN Number vs Account Number

The account number is a unique 8-digit number representing your domestic account. IBAN, on the other hand, is an extended code allowing international identification of your account, which also includes the account code along with other country and bank identifiers.

  • How are they different: IBAN identifies your account in an international network, whereas the account number identifies it within a domestic network.

  • You can find your account number through your IBAN: the last 8 digits of your IBAN is your unique account number.

IBAN Number vs SWIFT/BIC Code

SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) number, much like IBAN, is a globally recognized standard — but they both identify different information.

  • How are they different: IBAN identifies your account for international transfers, whereas a SWIFT/BIC code identifies your bank only. Both are required for international transfers that include a country within the IBAN registry.

  • You can’t find the SWIFT code through your IBAN: IBAN includes digits from the SWIFT number but not the whole code. They both are required for a smooth transaction and are not interchangeable. Both codes are usually displayed together while viewing account information.

Banks also widely use the bank identifier code (BIC) instead of the SWIFT code; they are interchangeable and both involve between 8-11 alphanumeric characters.

IBAN Number vs Routing Number

The routing number system was developed by the American Bankers Association in 1910 and is still commonly used to identify US banks. The 9-digit code is unique to the bank’s location where it was issued and is separate from IBAN and SWIFT numbers. Only accounts from federally and state-chartered US banks are eligible to get a routing number, and it is necessary to send money to and within the United States.

  • How are they different: The routing number identifies a bank account within the network of registered US banks and is exclusively used for domestic transfers, as opposed to IBAN which is used across countries included in the registry for both international and domestic transfers among participating countries.

  • You can’t find your routing number through your IBAN: Routing numbers and IBANs are completely separate and different and don’t include any information about each other.

How to Find an IBAN Number from Your Bank?

Not every bank may offer IBAN codes, especially if the country they are located in doesn’t use the system. When accepting payments from countries that are in the IBAN registry, you do not have to supply one and will only need a SWIFT code and account number.

FAQs

How do I get an IBAN number?
Is it safe to give out IBAN?

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Contributors

Idil Woodall
Idil is a writer with interests ranging from arts and politics to history and finance. She spent several years in publishing before becoming a full-time writer, and learning the inner workings of an industry she loved ignited her interest in economics. As an English graduate, she cultivated valuable research and storytelling abilities that she now applies to make complex matters accessible and understandable to many. When she’s not writing, she can be found climbing or watching a movie.
Alice Leetham
Alice first discovered a passion for all things finance while studying for a degree in mathematics. Over the last several years, she's been building her knowledge of trading and investing through courses and first-hand experience, as well as honing her writing and editing skills while crafting content for innovative companies in the FinTech space. When she's not working on financial content, Alice enjoys foraging, ringing church bells, and creating the puzzle page for a regional magazine.
Hristina Nikolovska
Hristina Nikolovska, a graduate of the University of Lodz, is a skilled finance writer for MoneyZine.com. With a knack for simplifying intricate financial topics, her articles provide readers with clear and actionable insights.
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