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The French IBAN in 60 seconds
Format
- 27 characters, always starting with FR.
- BBAN = bank code (5) + branch (5) + account (11) + RIB key (2).
- One IBAN per account: your current and savings accounts have different IBANs.
Use
- Required for SEPA transfers across 36 countries.
- Since 2016, the BIC is no longer needed inside SEPA.
- Sharing your IBAN is safe: it lets people pay you, not debit you without a mandate.
What is an IBAN?
An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a standardised account identifier used to send and receive transfers across borders. It encodes the country, the bank, the branch and the specific account in one string. The IBAN does not replace your domestic account number, it wraps it inside a format that any European bank can read.
Each bank account has one unique IBAN. If you hold a current account and a Livret A at the same bank, you have two IBANs. The IBAN is printed on your Relevé d'Identité Bancaire (RIB), which is the slip you give to employers, landlords and utilities to set up payments.
As of 2026, 82 countries have adopted the IBAN standard, including all 27 EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, Norway and most of the Middle East. Inside the SEPA zone (36 countries), the IBAN alone is enough to make a transfer in euros.
What does a French IBAN look like?
A French IBAN is always 27 characters long. It starts with the country code FR, followed by 2 check digits and a 23-character BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number). The check digits are calculated from the BBAN using a mod-97 algorithm; in France the result is often 76 but can be any number from 02 to 98 depending on the account.
Banks usually print the IBAN in groups of 4 for readability, like this:
FRXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXX
Character-by-character breakdown
Each block in a French IBAN has a precise role. Once you know the structure you can read your own IBAN like a postal address.
| Position | Length | Element | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 2 letters | Country code | Always FR for France. |
| 3-4 | 2 digits | Check digits | Calculated to validate the IBAN; often 76, but varies. |
| 5-9 | 5 digits | Bank code (code banque) | Identifies the bank (e.g. 30003 for Société Générale). |
| 10-14 | 5 digits | Branch code (code guichet) | Identifies the local branch managing the account. |
| 15-25 | 11 chars | Account number | The account-specific identifier inside the bank. |
| 26-27 | 2 digits | RIB key (clé RIB) | Domestic check key, separate from the IBAN check digits. |
Source: AFB & ECBS IBAN registry, FR specification.
The BBAN is the legacy French RIB
The 23 characters after FR + check digits are exactly the same digits that French banks have used since the 1970s on paper RIBs. The IBAN simply wraps that legacy number with a country code and a checksum so it can be read by any European bank.
Validate a French IBAN
Paste any IBAN below to check its format and the mod-97 checksum. The check runs entirely in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere. The validator confirms that the structure is mathematically valid; it cannot confirm the account is open or holds a balance.
- Country
- Check digits
- Bank code
- Branch
- Account
- RIB key
Where to find your French IBAN
Your French IBAN is printed on your RIB (Relevé d'Identité Bancaire), the bank-account ID slip every French bank issues. You can pull a fresh RIB at any time from your online banking app, your bank's website, or a paper cheque book. None of these channels charge for it.
In your banking app
Every French bank app has a "Mon RIB" or "My account details" button, usually one tap from the account screen. The app exports the RIB as a PDF you can email, AirDrop or save to your wallet. Save a screenshot too: a French IBAN does not change once issued.
On paper documents
If you still receive paper statements, the IBAN appears on every monthly statement and on the inside cover of any French cheque book. Branches will print one for free if you ask, traditionally on a small slip with the bank's contact stamp.
Your IBAN is not your card number
The 16 digits embossed on your debit card identify the card, not the account. They cannot be used to receive a transfer, only for card payments. Always send people your IBAN, never your card number.
How to get a French IBAN
The only way to get a real French IBAN (one starting with FR) is to open an account at a bank licensed in France. Every traditional bank, every online bank registered with the ACPR, and a handful of neobanks issue French IBANs. Foreign neobanks like Revolut or N26 will give you a Lithuanian or German IBAN, which works for SEPA but is not technically French.
Where you get a real FR IBAN
All banks supervised by the French regulator (the ACPR) issue FR IBANs. That covers traditional, online and pro categories alike.
- Traditional banks: BNP Paribas, Société Générale, LCL, CIC, Crédit Agricole, Crédit Mutuel, La Banque Postale, CCF.
- Online banks: Boursobank, Fortuneo, Hello Bank, Monabanq, BforBank.
- French neobanks: Nickel (BNP-owned, IBAN issued at any tobacconist), Lydia, Pixpay (for minors).
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What about Revolut, N26 and Wise?
These are popular with expats but they do not provide a true French IBAN by default. Revolut issues a Lithuanian (LT) IBAN, N26 a German (DE) IBAN, and Wise a Belgian (BE) IBAN for the EUR account. They all work for SEPA payments and salary deposits, but a few French utilities and CAF (welfare) offices still refuse non-FR IBANs despite the law forbidding it (the IBAN discrimination rule).
The IBAN paradox at signup
Most French online banks ask for a French IBAN to open your first account, since they need to debit your existing account for the initial deposit. The simplest workaround: open Nickel at a tobacconist (10 minutes, ID + €25), get a French IBAN immediately, then open the cheaper online bank you actually want.
French IBAN examples by bank
Inside one bank, every IBAN starts with the same 9 characters: FR, the 2 check digits, and the 5-digit bank code. Only the branch, account number and RIB key change. The table below shows the bank-code prefix for the largest French banks.
| Bank | Bank code | IBAN prefix |
|---|---|---|
| BNP Paribas | 30004 | FR76 30004 |
| Société Générale | 30003 | FR76 30003 |
| LCL | 30002 | FR76 30002 |
| La Banque Postale | 20041 | FR76 20041 |
| CCF (formerly HSBC France) | 30056 | FR76 30056 |
| Boursobank | 40618 | FR76 40618 |
| AXA Banque | 12548 | FR76 12548 |
| Crédit Agricole & Crédit Mutuel | Multiple | Regional codes |
Crédit Agricole and Crédit Mutuel use one bank code per regional caisse, so the prefix changes by region.
How French IBANs compare to other countries
IBANs are not all the same length: each country sets its own format. France is on the long end at 27 characters, on par with Italy. Knowing the expected length helps you spot a typo before you send a transfer.
- 27 characters: France (FR), Italy (IT), Monaco (MC), San Marino (SM).
- 24 characters: Spain (ES), Portugal (PT), Switzerland (CH).
- 22 characters: Germany (DE), United Kingdom (GB), Ireland (IE).
- 16 characters: Belgium (BE), the Netherlands (NL is 18).
IBAN vs BIC vs RIB: what is the difference?
These three terms are used interchangeably in France but they are not the same. The RIB is the slip of paper that lists everything; the IBAN is the international account number on that slip; the BIC is the international bank code. Inside the SEPA zone, you only need the IBAN since 2016.
| Term | What it is | Format | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBAN | Account number, internationally readable. | 27 chars (FR) | SEPA transfers, direct debit (e.g. for your French insurance contracts)s, salary. |
| BIC (SWIFT) | Bank identifier, points to the bank itself. | 8 or 11 chars | Transfers outside the eurozone. |
| RIB | The paper/PDF that lists IBAN + BIC. | Document | Given to employers, landlords, utilities. |
How to read a French BIC
A French BIC is 8 or 11 characters. The first 4 are the bank's shortcode (SOGE for Société Générale, BNPA for BNP Paribas, CCFR for CCF, formerly HSBC). The next 2 are the country code FR, then 2 location characters, with optional 3-character branch suffix.
Using your French IBAN
Your French IBAN is the universal entry point to your account. It receives your salary, hands utilities your direct-debit mandate, and lets anyone in the SEPA zone send you euros instantly. You can share it without risk: an IBAN alone cannot be used to debit you, only to pay you.
Receiving and sending SEPA transfers
Inside the SEPA zone, a transfer in euros is treated as domestic: free of charge and settled within 1 business day for SEPA Standard, or 10 seconds for SEPA Instant (24/7). You only need the recipient's IBAN; the BIC is no longer required since 2016. Outside the eurozone, you usually need the BIC and a SWIFT-fee schedule.
Direct debits (prélèvements)
When you set up an automatic payment for rent, energy, mobile or insurance, you sign a SEPA mandate with your IBAN. The biller can then debit you on the agreed dates. You can cancel any unauthorised debit within 13 months by simply asking your bank, no justification needed.
Is sharing your IBAN safe?
Yes. An IBAN alone gives someone the ability to send you money, not to take it. To debit your account, a biller needs a signed SEPA mandate, which you actively provide. Even then, French banks must let you cancel any unrecognised debit within 13 months at no cost.
An employer or utility cannot refuse a non-French SEPA IBAN
A French company that asks for a French IBAN and refuses your DE, IE or LT IBAN is breaking EU regulation 260/2012. You can report it to the DGCCRF (consumer-protection authority) or the ACPR. Most large utilities now accept any SEPA IBAN; the holdouts tend to be small landlords and a few welfare offices.