Germany IBAN Format — DE, 22 Characters (Example & Structure)
Every Germany IBAN has 22 characters and starts with DE. Below: the structure, a checksum-valid format example and a free checker that runs in your browser.
Germany IBAN example, broken down
DE43 1234 5678 9012 3456 78
Format example only — a filler account body with correctly computed IBAN check digits. It is not a real account; national check digits inside the BBAN (if any) are not computed.
| Positions | Part | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Country code | DE (fixed) |
| 3–4 | Check digits | 2 digits, ISO 7064 MOD-97-10 |
| 5–12 | BBAN field 1 | 8 digits |
| 13–22 | BBAN field 2 | 10 digits |
Check a Germany IBAN
How a Germany IBAN is built
A Germany IBAN is always exactly 22 characters long. It opens with the ISO country code DE, followed by two check digits and an 18-character Basic Bank Account Number (BBAN). In SWIFT IBAN Registry notation the BBAN is 8n10n — that is 2 fields: 8 digits and 10 digits. The BBAN carries the national bank identifier and the account number, so the same account keeps its domestic details inside the IBAN.
The BBAN is purely numeric: after the leading DE, every one of the remaining 20 characters is a digit. A Germany IBAN that contains any letter after position 2 is therefore mistyped.
IBAN lengths range from 15 to 31 characters across the 62 countries we cover; at 22, Germany sits on the shorter side. Other countries whose IBANs are also 22 characters long: Bulgaria, Bahrain, United Kingdom, Georgia, Ireland, Montenegro, Serbia, Vatican City. Length alone therefore cannot tell them apart — always compare the country code too.
The check digits (43 in the example) follow ISO 7064 MOD-97-10. Move the first four characters to the end — 123456789012345678DE43 — then replace each letter with two digits (A = 10 … Z = 35), giving 123456789012345678131443. Divided by 97 this leaves a remainder of 1; any correctly typed Germany IBAN gives 1, while a typo or two swapped characters almost always produce a different remainder.
On paper and in banking apps the IBAN is usually printed in groups of four (DE43 1234 5678 9012 3456 78); in payment files and APIs it is sent without spaces. Germany is part of SEPA, so euro payments to a DE IBAN can be sent as SEPA credit transfers or collected as SEPA direct debits.
IBAN formats of related countries
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IBAN Validator & Generator →SWIFT / BIC codesWhat is an IBAN?Frequently asked questions
How many characters is a Germany IBAN?
A Germany IBAN always has exactly 22 characters: the country code DE, two check digits and an 18-character Basic Bank Account Number (BBAN). Spaces are only added for readability and are not counted.
What is the structure of a Germany IBAN?
It is DEkk followed by the BBAN, where kk are the check digits. In SWIFT IBAN Registry notation the BBAN is 8n10n — 8 digits and 10 digits. A format example is DE43 1234 5678 9012 3456 78.
Does a Germany IBAN contain letters?
No. Apart from the country code DE at the start, a Germany IBAN contains only digits — its 18-character BBAN is purely numeric (8n10n).
How do I check that a Germany IBAN is valid?
Check that it starts with DE, has 22 characters, that the BBAN matches 8n10n, and that the ISO 7064 MOD-97 remainder equals 1. The checker on this page does all four in your browser; the IBAN Validator also handles bulk lists. A pass means the format is valid — not that the account exists.
Is Germany part of SEPA?
Yes. Germany is in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), so euro credit transfers and direct debits to a DE IBAN can be made under the SEPA schemes.