IBAN Checker

IBAN Checker

Check an IBAN

Enter a Swiss or Liechtenstein IBAN below to check that the format is correct.

 

Note: This check does not confirm the actual validity of the IBAN, but only its formal structure, i.e., the correct length, the check digit and the IID of the IBAN. More information.

What’s an IBAN?

An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a standardized way of representing account numbers internationally. It simplifies, speeds up, and secures cross-border payments. Unlike conventional account numbers, IBANs contain additional information, such as the country, a check digit, the financial institution's identification, and the account number itself. The standardized IBAN format considerably simplifies the recording, forwarding, and processing of payment data.

The IBAN was created by the ECBS (European Committee for Banking Standards) to simplify cross-border payments and has been described by the ISO standard 13616-1 since 2007. Swift administers the IBAN as "Registration Authority." 

Why Do You Need an IBAN?

Today, the IBAN is an essential part of the payment process. It is used for national and international transfers. It has long been the standard in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, not only for traditional bank transfers but also for credit and debit advices, account statements, QR-bills, card products and online banking. Thanks to its standardized structure, the IBAN significantly reduces the error rate in payment transfers, thus reducing time-consuming queries and corrections.

Format of an IBAN in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the IBAN is 21 digits long. A typical example looks like this: 

Definition of values in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Country code

The two-digit ISO country code for Switzerland is "CH," and for Liechtenstein it is "LI."

Check digit  Validating all the elements
IID (institute identification) The bank identifier in the IBAN consists of five digits. Three- and four-digit IIDs must be supplemented with leading zeros to form a five-digit number for the IBAN.
Account number The Swiss IBAN defines the account number as a twelve-digit alphanumeric value.

Swift provides a complete overview of all national IBAN formats. Complete IBAN country list from Swift

IBANs for customers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein are created and issued exclusively by their account-holding banks. Participation in the SIC system is a prerequisite for financial institutions that wish to issue IBANs for their customer accounts. Participation in the SIC system provides institutions with an IID (a three- to five-digit numeric institution identifier), which is an integral part of an IBAN.

The online tool "Inquiry IID" can easily determine the financial institution that holds an account using its IBAN or QR-IBAN. 

The IBAN always begins with a two-digit country code, followed by a two-digit check digit. This is followed by the so-called BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number). The BBAN is a country-specific account number containing a bank identifier, among other things.

The structure of the BBAN determines the overall length of the IBAN, which varies by country and can comprise up to 34 digits and letters.  Countries can adapt the structure to their national requirements. For example, they can define the length and position of the bank and account number within the BBAN. However, the position of the ISO country code and check digit, as well as the method used to calculate them (the modulo 97-10 method according to ISO/IEC 7064), remain unchanged.

To match invoices with payments, the QR-bill uses a 27-digit numeric reference, also known as the QR reference. For payments with a structured QR reference, the invoice issuer must specify the QR-IBAN as the credit account. The QR-IBAN corresponds to the formal structure of the Swiss or Liechtenstein IBAN. Financial institutions recognize the payment method with reference by means of a special identification: the QR-IID. Values in the range of 30000-31999 are reserved exclusively for the QR-IID. Each legally independent financial institution that participates in the procedure receives its own QR-IID. 

Verifying an IBAN

SIX offers two solutions for mathematically verifying Swiss and Liechtenstein IBANs, as well as QR-IBANs. The verification process checks the length and accuracy of the check digit, as well as the validity of the IID. However, it does not confirm an account relationship or the technical accuracy of an IBAN. Only the account-holding institution can do so.

IBAN Verifier

The online checker is suitable for individual queries to validate an IBAN  (technical verification of the IBAN including the validity of the IID)

IBAN Tool

Developers can integrate the IBAN tool into banking and accounting programs. This means that the system will automatically perform a mathematical check when a payment is entered. The IBAN tool is available for download in Windows and Java versions. 

Note: The current download versions of the IBAN tool include the conversion function (proprietary account number > IBAN for registered institutions) until 31 December 2025. After that date, only a mathematical check will be possible.

Frequently Asked Questions About IBAN