An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is your bank account number written in an international standard format, with a country code, check digits and a bank identifier added so a payment reaches the right account. In the UAE it is always 23 characters long and starts with AE, and the Central Bank of the UAE says customers must use an IBAN to make and receive both domestic and international electronic payments.
How an IBAN is built
Every IBAN follows the same pattern: a two-letter country code, two check digits, then the domestic account details, which the Central Bank of the UAE’s standard calls the BBAN. The BBAN holds a bank identifier and the account number, laid out under each country’s own rules, so IBAN length differs from country to country. In the UAE it is fixed at 23 characters.
The two check digits help banks’ systems spot many typing mistakes. They can’t tell you whether the account belongs to the person you mean to pay, so the name still matters.
UAE IBAN format (Central Bank of the UAE)
The Central Bank of the UAE’s IBAN standards set out the UAE format part by part. The last column uses the illustration shown below the table, not a real account.
| Part | Length | What it contains | In the illustration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country code | 2 letters | Always AE | AE |
| Check digits | 2 digits | Two check digits that validate the whole IBAN | 00 |
| Bank identifier | 3 digits | “The 3-digit institution identifier” for your bank | 000 |
| Account number | 16 digits | Your account number, with zeros added in front if it is shorter than 16 digits | 0000000123456789 |
| Total | 23 characters | AE followed by 21 digits | AE000000000000123456789 |
The Central Bank says the account-number part “can ONLY contain numbers (0 to 9)”, and its table lists the bank identifier and check digits as numeric too. So after AE, a UAE IBAN contains digits only. If you see letters after the first two characters, or a total other than 23, it isn’t a valid UAE IBAN as written; ask for it again.
UAE IBAN example (illustration only). The example below shows how the parts fit together. It is not a real account: the check digits (00) and bank identifier (000) are placeholders, and the hypothetical account number 123456789 has seven zeros added in front to reach 16 digits.
- Display form, in groups of four: AE00 0000 0000 0012 3456 789
- Electronic form, no spaces: AE000000000000123456789
Statements and letters may print an IBAN in groups of four so it is easier to read. When you paste or type it into a payment form, use the continuous form unless the form asks otherwise. Never use this example, or an IBAN worked out from an account number with an online tool, to make a payment: copy the IBAN from the bank’s own record.
How to find your IBAN number
Your IBAN is issued by your bank, so take it from the bank rather than a calculator:
- Your bank’s app or online banking, in the details of the account you want to be paid into.
- Your account statement.
- A letter or document from your bank showing your account details, if you need it in writing, for example for an employer or a landlord.
If you hold more than one account at the same bank, each has its own IBAN, because the account number is part of it. Check you have copied the right one.
Giving your IBAN to someone so they can pay you? Send your full name, as it appears on the account, with it. For a payment from abroad, the sender’s bank may also ask for your bank’s SWIFT/BIC code; you can look it up in our UAE bank SWIFT code finder.
When you need an IBAN in the UAE
The Central Bank’s rule is short: “Customers must use an IBAN to make and receive international and domestic electronic payments.” In everyday terms:
- Sending a local transfer to another UAE bank account: you add the recipient’s name and IBAN as a beneficiary. Our guide on how to transfer money between banks in the UAE covers timing, fees and limits.
- Receiving money from someone in the UAE or abroad: give them your name and IBAN.
- Paying through Aani: Al Etihad Payments says Aani allows transfers using a mobile number, email address or QR code, “eliminating the need for complex identifiers like IBANs”, so you may not have to type one. At present, Aani is limited to domestic transfers in AED.
- Sending abroad: your bank asks for the recipient’s account details in the form their country uses, and may also ask for a SWIFT/BIC code.
IBAN vs account number
Your IBAN contains your account number; it is not a different account. In a UAE IBAN, the last 16 digits are your account number (with zeros in front if it is shorter), and the country code, check digits and your bank’s 3-digit identifier come before it.
An account number on its own doesn’t identify the bank or the country. That is why transfer forms ask for the IBAN, and it is what the Central Bank requires for electronic payments.
IBAN vs SWIFT/BIC code
| IBAN | SWIFT/BIC code | |
|---|---|---|
| Identifies | A specific account | A bank (and sometimes a branch) |
| When it is used | Domestic and international electronic payments (Central Bank of the UAE) | International transfers, where your bank may ask for it alongside the IBAN |
| Where to find it | Your bank’s app, statement or a bank letter | Our SWIFT code finder, or your bank |
For a transfer between two UAE accounts, you need the recipient’s name and IBAN; the SWIFT/BIC question comes up when money crosses a border. For more, see what a SWIFT code is.
Getting the IBAN right
- Copy and paste the IBAN rather than retyping it, then compare the first four and last four characters with the recipient’s copy.
- For a UAE account, check it has 23 characters and starts with AE.
- Check the name as well. The check digits catch many typing mistakes, but a correctly formed IBAN can still belong to someone other than the person you mean to pay.
- If anything looks wrong, ask the recipient to confirm it. Don’t guess a missing digit.
An incorrect beneficiary detail can delay, reject or misdirect a transfer, and some payments can’t be pulled back: Habib Bank AG Zurich, for example, says IPI payments cannot be recalled. If something goes wrong, contact your bank straight away with the transfer reference; our UAE bank-transfer guide sets out the complaint steps and timelines.