Information Booklet
1. What is International Bank Account Number (IBAN)?
IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number. An IBAN is not a new account number, but simply a new format for an existing bank account number that will be recognized internationally. It has been based on ISO 13616 to improve the efficiency of cross-border payments with regard to speed, quality and cost. Currently the IBAN is used in European Union and many other countries.
2. Is there any regulation in Turkey regarding IBAN?
Unofficial English translation of the amended version of Regulation(*) on International Bank Account Number (IBAN) which is published in the Official Journal on 10.10.2008 is available on the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey's web page.
3. Procedure of the use of IBAN
1. The bank holding the beneficiary's account provides the IBAN to the beneficiary.
2. The beneficiary communicates the IBAN to the ordering customer (sender).
3. The sender submits a money transfer order, which includes the beneficiary's IBAN.
4. The sender's bank validates the IBAN and sends the money to the beneficiary's bank.
4. IBAN formats in Turkey and in some countries
- IBAN Format in Turkey
The IBAN to be assigned by the banks to the customers is made up of 26 alphanumeric characters that refer to a single account. Turkey's IBAN format is also available on the web page of SWIFT (www.swift.com).
| TR | XX | YYYYY | 0 | ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ |
| Country Code | Check Digits | Bank Code | Reserved Field | Bank account number which is made up of 16 digits |
- IBAN Formats in Some Countries
| Country | IBAN Length | IBAN Format |
| Germany | 22 | DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00 |
| France | 27 | FR14 20041 01005 0500013M026 06 |
| Belgium | 16 | BE68 5390 0754 7034 |
| Great Britain | 22 | GB29 NWBK 6016 1331 9268 19 |
| Austria | 20 | AT61 1904 3002 3457 3201 |
| Netherlands | 18 | NL91 ABNA 0417 1643 00 |
| Bulgaria | 22 | BG80 BNBG 9661 1020 3456 78 |
| Romania | 24 | RO49 AAAA 1B31 0075 9384 0000 |
5. Transition period of IBAN in Turkey
According to the Regulation on International Bank Account Number (IBAN) ;
- Effective from 10.10.2008, all banks in Turkey shall generate and communicate the IBAN for each bank account of the customer which is subject to money transfer.
- Effective from 01.01.2009, all banks in Turkey shall validate and use the beneficiary's IBAN in cross-border money transfers towards European Economic Area (EEA).
- Effective from 01.01.2010, both in domestic transfers and cross-border transfers towards EEA, banks shall validate the beneficiary's IBAN for incoming money transfers and use the sender's IBAN for outgoing money transfer.
This Regulation shall not apply to the transactions conducted between and on behalf and account of banks and the institutions executing cross-border payments and to the transactions containing the customer's declaration indicating that the beneficiary's IBAN will not be notified though it is demanded.
6. Towards which countries IBAN is mandatory?
Effective from 01.01.2009, IBAN is mandatory while sending money towards European Economic Area, which includes European Union members and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
(*) Amended with the Communiques published in the Official Gazettes No.27437, 28150 and 28504 dated December 19, 2009, December 22, 2011 and December 21,2012.