IBAN · DE
IBAN format in Germany: structure, length and example
An IBAN in Germany is 22 characters long and always starts with DE. It is a SEPA country, so euro payments from other SEPA members arrive as ordinary domestic transfers. The details below come from the official IBAN registry maintained by SWIFT as registration authority for ISO 13616.
IBANs run from 15 to 33 characters worldwide, so at 22 this one sits below the average of 24. 9 other countries use the same length, which is why the two opening letters matter — they are what tells the sending bank where the money is going. There is no separate branch identifier: the number points at the bank and the account, not at a particular office. The format has been in force since July 2007.
Germany IBAN at a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| IBAN country code | DE |
| IBAN length | 22 characters |
| Domestic account number length | 18 characters |
| IBAN structure | DE2!n8!n10!n |
| SEPA member | Yes |
| Example (electronic) | DE89370400440532013000 |
| Example (printed) | DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00 |
How an IBAN in Germany breaks down
Taking the registry's own example, DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00:
| Part | Value | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Country code | DE | Always DE for Germany |
| Check digits | 89 | Calculated from the rest of the number (ISO 7064 mod-97) |
| Bank identifier | 37040044 | Positions 1–8 of the domestic account number |
| Account number | 0532013000 | Identifies the account at that bank |
Letters in the structure notation mean: n digits,
a uppercase letters, c letters or digits; ! means the length
is fixed.
How to send money to an account in Germany
- Ask for the IBAN in full — including the country code at the front. Spaces do not matter; banks strip them.
- Check the name matches the account. The check digits catch typing mistakes, not wrong recipients.
- Send — and keep the reference number until the recipient confirms arrival.
Common questions
How many characters is an IBAN in Germany?
22 characters, starting with the country code DE. Written on paper it is normally grouped in blocks of four, like DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00.
What does a Germany IBAN look like?
DE89 3704 0044 0532 0130 00 is the format example published in the official IBAN registry. The first two letters are the country code, the next two are check digits, and the rest identifies the bank and the account.
Do I need a BIC as well as the IBAN for Germany?
For payments inside SEPA the IBAN alone is enough. Outside SEPA, or when your bank asks for it, you also need the recipient bank's BIC/SWIFT code.
Can I check an IBAN before sending money?
The check digits let any bank detect a mistyped IBAN, but they cannot tell you whether the account belongs to the person you think. Confirm the name and the number with the recipient.
Where this data comes from
Structure, length and examples come from the official IBAN Registry published by SWIFT as registration authority for ISO 13616, snapshot of 2026-08-21. Worked examples are derived from the registry's own sample values. Whether a country is inside SEPA is taken from the European Payments Council list of countries in the SEPA schemes, not from the registry: the registry records the position at its own release date and lags behind admissions. Corrections: [email protected].
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