IBAN (International Bank Account Number)

What is the IBAN?

It is a series of alphanumeric characters which identify a specific account of a financial entity anywhere in the world. i.e., each account has a single IBAN and this IBAN identifies the country, bank, branch and account. It is the standard (EBS204) of the European Committee on Banking Standards (www.ecbs.org), which meets the international ISO 13616 standard (www.iso.org).

What is the IBAN used for?

The aim of the IBAN is to simplify the automatic processing of cross-border payments and collections. This standard ensures correct transmission of the bank details of the issuer and receiver of cross-border payments and collections and reduces manual intervention. It therefore helps to avoid costs and the associated delays and minimises incorrect or insufficient transmission of bank details.

How is the IBAN in Andorra formed?

It consists of 24 alphanumeric characters. The first two are alphabetic and identify the country (AD). The next two are check digits and are the element which validates the entire IBAN. The rest are the account number and, in most cases, it identifies the bank and accountholder branch.