UAE IBAN System — Understanding UAE Bank Account Numbers Guide 2026
UAE uses the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) system for all domestic and international bank transfers. Understanding how UAE IBANs work prevents payment errors and helps businesses set up correct banking details. This guide covers the UAE IBAN system for 2026.
In this guide:
UAE IBAN Format
- Structure: UAE IBANs are 23 characters long; format: AE + 2 check digits + 3-digit bank code + 16-digit account number
- Example: AE070331234567890123456
- AE: country code for United Arab Emirates
- 07: check digits (2 digits calculated from the bank code and account number)
- 033: bank code identifying the specific UAE bank (033 = Emirates NBD; 035 = ADCB; 020 = FAB; etc.)
- 1234567890123456: 16-digit individual account number
UAE Bank Codes (IBAN Bank Identifier)
- 020: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
- 033: Emirates NBD
- 035: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB)
- 040: Mashreq Bank
- 045: National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKBank)
- 055: Dubai Islamic Bank
- 060: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
- 065: United Arab Bank
- 030: HSBC UAE
- 034: Standard Chartered UAE
- 053: WIO Bank
How UAE IBANs Are Used
- Domestic UAE transfers: all AED transfers within UAE require the recipient’s IBAN; wire transfers on UAE banking portals ask for IBAN; UAEFTS (UAE Funds Transfer System) is the domestic payment backbone
- International transfers (SWIFT): when sending money internationally from your UAE account, you need your UAE IBAN + SWIFT code; the SWIFT code identifies your bank internationally
- UAE WPS (Wage Protection System): employee salary transfers use IBANs; your payroll SIF file contains employee IBANs
- UAE government payments (GIBAN): the UAE government issues Government IBANs (GIBANs) for specific payment purposes; e.g., EmaraTax (FTA) has a GIBAN for VAT and CT payments; use the specific GIBAN to ensure your payment is correctly allocated
UAE IBAN Validation
- Validate before transfer: always validate UAE IBANs before making large payments; UAE banking portals (Emirates NBD, FAB, ADCB) have IBAN validation tools; or use an IBAN validator website
- Common errors: wrong check digits (the 2-digit code after AE); wrong bank code; incorrect account number length; all of these cause payment rejection or misrouting
- IBAN rejection: if a UAE IBAN is wrong, the bank rejects the transfer (usually within minutes to hours) and returns the funds to your account; no permanent loss