# France IBAN format

Source: https://veriport.io/iban-format/fr (published 2026-10-28)

An IBAN from France is 27 characters long: the country code FR, two check digits, then 5 digits (bank code), 5 digits (branch code), 11 alphanumeric characters (account number), 2 digits (national part (check key or type)). France is in SEPA. Length and structure from the SWIFT IBAN Registry (ISO 13616), transcribed 2026-10-24; the SEPA flag from the EPC list.

## Structure

27 characters in all. Registry notation of the BBAN: `5!n5!n11!c2!n` (`n` digits, `a` upper-case letters, `c` alphanumerics, `!` fixed length).

| Position | Length | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 2 | letters | country code FR |
| 3–4 | 2 | digits | check digits (ISO 7064 mod 97-10) |
| 5–9 | 5 | digits | bank code |
| 10–14 | 5 | digits | branch code |
| 15–25 | 11 | alphanumeric characters | account number |
| 26–27 | 2 | digits | national part (check key or type) |

## Example

`FR48 1234 5678 9012 3456 7890 123` is a synthetic example: placeholder characters in every part, with the check digits computed so that the mod-97 test passes. It is not a real account and no bank issued it; use it to test an input field, not to pay.

## SEPA

France is in the geographical scope of the SEPA schemes: a euro credit transfer to this IBAN costs the same as a domestic one and arrives within one business day (seconds with SCT Inst).

## Check one

The API checks the characters, the country, the length (27), the mod-97 check digits and the BBAN pattern, and returns the bank and branch identifier.

```bash
curl "https://veriport.io/api/v1/iban/validate?iban=FR4812345678901234567890123"
```

## Questions

### How long is an IBAN from France?

27 characters, written in groups of four on paper (FR48 1234 5678 9012 3456 7890 123 as a synthetic example).

### Can I find the bank from the IBAN?

The bank identifier is the 5 characters at positions 5–9; the bank’s name and BIC are in SWIFT’s licensed directory, which the API does not resolve.

### Does a valid IBAN mean the account exists?

No. The check digits and the structure say the IBAN is well formed; existence and ownership are known to the bank only, at payment time.

## Read next

- [IBAN formats of all 88 countries](https://veriport.io/iban-format)
- [Free IBAN checker](https://veriport.io/tools/iban-checker)
- [The IBAN validation API](https://veriport.io/iban-validation-api)
- [France VAT number format](https://veriport.io/vat-number-format/fr)
- [VAT rates in France](https://veriport.io/vat-rates/fr)

## Sources

- IBAN Registry (ISO 13616) — country lengths, BBAN structures, SEPA membership — https://www.swift.com/standards/data-standards/iban-international-bank-account-number (2026-10-24)
- ISO 13616-1:2020 — Financial services — International bank account number (IBAN): structure and mod 97-10 check (ISO/IEC 7064) — https://www.iso.org/standard/81090.html (2026-10-24)
- EPC list of SEPA scheme countries (geographical scope of the SEPA schemes) — https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/document-library/other/epc-list-sepa-scheme-countries (2026-10-24)