An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is the standard identifier for your bank account when sending or receiving money across borders. Wherever you are in Europe, or moving money between SEPA countries, your IBAN ensures payments land in the right account, with no ambiguity about which bank or account is involved.

What is an IBAN?

IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number. It's a standardized way of writing your account number so that banks and payment systems everywhere can recognize and route it correctly. An IBAN contains up to 34 characters, always starting with a 2-letter country code, followed by 2 check digits, and then the bank and account identifiers in a format specific to each country.

For example, a Dutch IBAN looks like: NL91 ABNA 0417 1643 00. NL identifies the Netherlands, the check digits confirm the number is valid, and the remaining characters pinpoint the specific bank and account.

IBAN vs. BIC/SWIFT code: what's the difference?

An IBAN identifies your specific bank account. A BIC/SWIFT code identifies the bank itself. When someone sends you money from abroad, they typically need your IBAN to find your account and, for transfers outside Europe, your bank's BIC to find the right institution. For most SEPA transfers within Europe, your IBAN alone is enough.

When do you need an IBAN?

You'll need to share your IBAN whenever someone sends you money: salary payments, transfers from friends or family, and cross-border payments all rely on it. You'll also need the recipient's IBAN when you send money to another account, whether that's at the same bank or a different one.

Your IBAN is on your bank statement, in your banking app, or available by logging into online banking. At bunq, you can find it instantly under your Bank Account details and share it with a single tap.

Local IBANs: bank like a local in Europe

One common challenge for expats and frequent movers is holding a foreign IBAN when living in another country. Some employers, landlords, and local services hesitate to send payments to an account from a different country.

bunq solves this with Local IBANs, real IBANs from supported European countries, linked directly to your bunq account. You can receive a salary, pay rent, or set up Direct Debits using a local IBAN, even if you're originally from somewhere else.

Common questions

Is my IBAN the same as my account number?

Your IBAN contains your account number, but it's longer. It wraps a country code and check digits around your account number so that international payment systems can process it correctly. For cross-border transfers, always use the full IBAN.

How long is an IBAN?

IBANs vary by country, Dutch IBANs are 18 characters, German IBANs are 22, and UK IBANs are 22. The format is always: country code (2 letters) + check digits (2 numbers) + bank and account identifiers. The maximum length across all countries is 34 characters.

Can I use the same IBAN for payments across all of Europe?

Your IBAN works for sending and receiving money across all SEPA countries. However, some local services may prefer a local-country IBAN. With bunq, you can get Local IBANs in supported countries so you're never turned away because of a foreign account number.