An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a standardized format used in over 80 countries to identify bank accounts for cross-border and domestic transactions. Validating an IBAN before initiating a wire transfer helps you catch typos, incorrect country codes, or invalid check digits — preventing costly payment rejections and delays. Paste any IBAN below to verify it instantly.
IBAN Details
Country Explorer & Example Generator
Supported Countries (80+)
This tool validates IBANs for all major IBAN-using countries worldwide.
How to Use This IBAN Validator
An IBAN, or International Bank Account Number, is a standardized way to identify bank accounts across international borders. Developed under ISO 13616, the IBAN system is used in over 80 countries to facilitate reliable cross-border payments and reduce errors in international money transfers. Whether you are sending money abroad, receiving payments from overseas clients, or verifying account details before a wire transfer, validating an IBAN before you use it is a critical step to avoid costly mistakes and payment delays.
What This Tool Does
This IBAN validator performs a complete structural and mathematical verification of any IBAN you enter. It checks the country code against a database of over 80 IBAN-issuing countries, verifies that the total length matches the expected format for that country, and runs the official mod-97 check digit algorithm defined in ISO 7064. If the IBAN is valid, you will see a green confirmation along with a full breakdown of its components. If it is invalid, the tool explains exactly what is wrong, whether the country code is unrecognized, the length is incorrect, or the check digits do not pass mathematical verification.
Understanding IBAN Structure
Every IBAN follows the same basic structure, though the total length varies by country. The first two characters are the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code, such as DE for Germany or GB for the United Kingdom. The next two characters are check digits, calculated using the mod-97 algorithm, which serve as a mathematical error-detection mechanism. The remaining characters form the BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number), which contains the domestic bank identifier and account number in a format defined by each country. For example, a German IBAN is always 22 characters long and includes an 8-digit bank code followed by a 10-digit account number.
How to Validate an IBAN
Simply paste or type your IBAN into the input field above. The tool automatically formats the number with spaces every four characters for readability. Click the Validate button or press Enter, and results appear instantly. You can also use the country selector below the input to explore the IBAN format for any country and generate example IBANs for testing purposes. All processing happens entirely in your browser — your data is never sent to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security for sensitive financial information. The tool works offline once loaded, so you can use it even without an internet connection.
Common IBAN Errors and How to Fix Them
The most frequent IBAN errors are simple typos: a swapped digit, a missing character, or a letter confused with a number. If validation fails, first check that you have copied the full IBAN without accidentally cutting off any characters. Verify the country code is correct and matches the country where the bank account is held. If the length is wrong, compare it against the expected length shown in the results. Remember that spaces and dashes are purely for readability and are stripped during validation, so formatting differences will not affect the result. When in doubt, ask your bank to confirm the correct IBAN for your account.
FAQ
What is an IBAN and why is it used?
An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a standardized international numbering system developed to identify bank accounts across national borders. It was originally adopted by the European Committee for Banking Standards (ECBS) and later became an international standard under ISO 13616. IBANs reduce the risk of transcription errors and failed international payments by including a country code, check digits, and the domestic bank account number in a single, verifiable format. Over 80 countries now use IBANs for cross-border and domestic transactions.
How does IBAN validation work?
IBAN validation uses a mathematical check called the mod-97 algorithm, as defined in ISO 7064. First, the IBAN is rearranged by moving the first four characters (country code and check digits) to the end. Then every letter is replaced by a two-digit number (A=10, B=11, through Z=35). The resulting large number is divided by 97 — if the remainder is exactly 1, the IBAN is valid. This process catches virtually all single-character errors and most transposition errors, making it extremely reliable for verifying account numbers before sending payments.
Are all IBANs the same length?
No, IBAN lengths vary by country. Each country defines a fixed length for its IBANs. For example, Norwegian IBANs are 15 characters long, British IBANs are 22 characters, German IBANs are 22 characters, and Maltese IBANs are 31 characters. The minimum IBAN length is 15 characters and the maximum is 34 characters. This validator checks the expected length for each country automatically.
Can I use this tool to generate valid IBANs for testing?
Yes, this tool includes an example IBAN generator that creates correctly formatted, structurally valid IBANs for any supported country. These example IBANs pass the mod-97 check digit validation and have the correct length and format for the selected country. However, they are intended for testing and development purposes only — they do not correspond to real bank accounts and should never be used for actual financial transactions.
Is my IBAN data safe when using this tool?
Absolutely. This IBAN validator runs entirely in your web browser using client-side JavaScript. Your IBAN is never sent to any server, stored in any database, or transmitted over the internet. All validation, parsing, and formatting happens locally on your device. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet and using the tool — it will continue to work perfectly. Your financial data remains completely private.