An International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is a standardized code that identifies a UK bank account for international transfers. Every current UK account has one: it’s generated from your existing sort code and account number, plus a country code and two “check” digits that help to detect possible typos or transposed numbers. It follows the same International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 13616 format used across dozens of countries.

You won’t need an IBAN for a domestic payment, but the moment a eurozone customer or supplier wants to transfer money to or from your bank account, it’s the code they’ll ask for. It shows up on invoices, checkout pages, and other important sites for businesses operating across borders.

Below, we’ll discuss what an IBAN number in the UK looks like, how to find yours, and how it differs from the sort code and account number you already use day-to-day.

Key takeaways

• Every current UK account has an IBAN attached to it, generated from the existing sort code and account number.

• An IBAN is only needed for international transfers. UK domestic payments using Faster Payments, Bacs, or Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS) still rely on the sort code and account number.

• UK businesses typically only need to share their IBAN once an international customer or supplier, or a Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) partner informs a business that a transaction is pending.

What is an IBAN number?

An International Bank Account Number, or IBAN, is a standardized code that identifies a bank account across borders. It follows an international standard called ISO 13616, which allows banks in different countries to read an account code and gather the same information, rather than each country running its own format.

What does an IBAN number look like in the UK?

A UK IBAN is always 22 characters long. Each segment relays specific information. Take this example, based on a commonly published NatWest test account: GB29 NWBK 6016 1331 9268 19.

• GB: This two-letter code identifies the United Kingdom. It follows the ISO 3166 country code standard.

• 29: These two digits are derived from a checksum method called MOD-97. Banking systems use this to catch typos or transposed numbers before a payment goes through.

• NWBK: This four-letter code identifies the bank. Each UK bank has its own code; NWBK is used for NatWest.

• 601613: These six digits are the sort code, the same number as on a UK bank card and statement.

• 31926819: This is the eight-digit account number, which is the same as the business’s bank account number.

How do you find your UK IBAN?

Where you’ll find your IBAN depends on how you bank.

Here’s where to check:

• Online banking or mobile banking app: Log in and look near your account details or under a section called “International Payments” or “Receive Money.” Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Monzo, and Starling all display it this way.

• Your account statement: Many UK banks now print the IBAN directly on paper and PDF statements, alongside your sort code and account number.

• Telephone banking or a branch: If you can’t find it online, you can confirm your IBAN number by calling your bank or visiting a branch.

You can also work out the number yourself. A UK IBAN is just your sort code and account number rearranged, with “GB,” a four-letter bank code, and two check digits added to the front. An IBAN generator or checker will run the MOD-97 checksum for you, which is the same calculation your bank uses.

IBAN, sort code, and account number: What’s the difference?

IBANs, sort codes, and account numbers each do a different job and are required for different types of payments.

Your sort code and account number identify your account within the UK’s domestic payment system. They’re all you need for transfers through Faster Payments, Bacs, or Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS). Using your IBAN number won’t work with these systems.

Your IBAN wraps your existing sort code and account number inside a format that banks outside the UK can read, which matters for Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) transfers and other international payments. Most of continental Europe moved to IBAN-only account identification years ago, so providing your sort code or account number probably won’t work for transactions in these countries.

When do UK businesses need to use an IBAN?

Most UK businesses only need an IBAN number when money is going to cross a border.

Those scenarios include:

• Receiving SEPA credit transfers: If a eurozone customer or partner pays you directly from their bank instead of through a card network, or vice versa, then an IBAN is needed.

• Working with European suppliers or partners: If you’re paying someone in another European country, you’ll need their IBAN, and they’ll require one when paying you.

• Setting up international invoicing: Businesses billing overseas clients directly rather than through a payment provider usually list their IBAN on invoices alongside their sort code and account number.

UK business accounts typically generate an IBAN automatically, but it’s worth confirming with your bank if you plan to regularly trade with EU or other international customers.

IBAN vs. BIC or SWIFT: Which one do you need?

A Bank Identifier Code (BIC) identifies the bank itself rather than a specific account. You might also hear it called a Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) code, after the network that assigns and processes them. Where your IBAN points to your account, the BIC points to the bank managing it, sometimes down to the branch.

Your BIC is typically needed (along with your IBAN) when you’re making international transfers that are routed through the wider SWIFT network or coming from a bank that isn’t a direct SEPA participant. In general, providing the BIC along with your IBAN for payments from outside the EU can reduce the chance of delay. You don’t need your BIC for domestic SEPA transfers or payments between two SEPA-participating banks.

If you do need your BIC, most banks display it right next to your IBAN in online banking.

How does an IBAN work with Stripe?

UK businesses that accept payments via Stripe don’t typically need an IBAN just to receive a normal payout. Standard UK business bank accounts get paid out through the domestic sort code and account number system.

If your business bank account identifies itself primarily by IBAN (as with certain digital-first or European-affiliated banks operating in the UK), Stripe’s payout setup will ask for the IBAN directly. That’s the format your bank expects for incoming transfers. Stripe will also use IBANs as an identifier if you’re accepting SEPA payments from customers.

Stripe’s guide to payments in the United Kingdom covers the wider set of payment methods available alongside IBAN-based transfers, including cards, direct debit, and digital wallets.

How Stripe Payments can help

Stripe Payments provides a unified, global payments solution that helps any business—from scaling startups to global enterprises—accept payments online, in person, and around the world.

Stripe Payments can help you:

• Optimize your checkout experience: Create a frictionless customer experience and save engineering time with prebuilt payment user interfaces (UIs), access to 125+ payment methods, and Link, a wallet built by Stripe.

• Expand to new markets faster: Reach customers worldwide and reduce the complexity and cost of multicurrency management with cross-border payment options, available in 195 countries across 135+ currencies.

• Unify payments in person and online: Build a unified commerce experience across online and in-person channels to personalize interactions, reward loyalty, and grow revenue.

• Improve payments performance: Increase revenue with a range of customizable, easy-to-configure payment tools, including no-code fraud protection and advanced capabilities to improve authorization rates.

• Move faster with a flexible, reliable platform for growth: Build on a platform designed to scale with you, with 99.999% historical uptime and industry-leading reliability.

Learn more about how Stripe Payments can power your online and in-person payments, or get started today.

FAQs about International Bank Account Numbers (IBANs) in the UK