Kuwaiti IBAN Format & IBAN Structure Example

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The Kuwait IBAN format consists of a two-letter country code, two check digits and a Basic Bank Account Number (BBAN). The BBAN includes information about the domestic bank and account number. Below you'll find examples for Kuwaiti IBAN numbers, format, structure, bank account breakdown, and the Kuwait IBAN technical specification.

IBAN example in Kuwait

Standard IBANKW81CBKU0000000000001234560101
IBAN print formatKW81 CBKU 0000 0000 0000 1234 560101
Country codeKW
Checksum digits81
Bank codeCBKU
Account number0000000000001234560101
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IBAN structure in Kuwait

A Kuwaiti IBAN consists of 30 alpha-numeric characters:

  • 2 letter country code
  • 2 digit checksum number
  • 4 characters from the bank's SWIFT / BIC or bank identification number
  • 22 digit code for the bank account number

Kuwaiti IBAN codes contain all the country, bank, and account details required to send or receive money internationally.

Kuwaiti banks assign IBAN codes to each individual account to make sure that international transfers are processed correctly.

IBAN codes are used throughout Europe, and also accepted in some areas of the Middle East, North Africa and the Caribbean.

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Kuwaiti IBAN Technical Specification

Data ElementDescription - Pattern - Example
Name of countryKuwait
IBAN prefix country code (ISO 3166)KW
Country code includes other countries/territoriesN/A
SEPA countryNo
SEPA country also includesN/A
Domestic account number example1234560101
BBAN
BBAN structure4!a22!c
BBAN length26
Bank identifier position within the BBAN1-4
BBAN exampleCBKU0000000000001234560101
IBAN
IBAN structureKW2!n4!a22!c
IBAN length30
Effective dateJan-11
IBAN electronic format exampleKW81CBKU0000000000001234560101
IBAN print format exampleKW81 CBKU 0000 0000 0000 1234 560101
Contact Details
OrganisationCentral Bank of Kuwait
DepartmentInformation Technology and Banking Operations Sector
Street AddressP.O. Box 526 Safat
City / Postcode13006 Safat
Department (generic) Emailbito@cbk.gov.kw
Central Bank Websitehttps://www.cbk.gov.kw/
Updates
Last update dateAug-16

IBAN specification conventions

Character representations:
  • n - Digits (numeric characters 0 to 9 only)
  • a - Upper case letters (alphabetic characters A-Z only)
  • c - Upper and lower case alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z and 0-9)
  • e - Blank space
Length indications:
  • nn! - Fixed length
  • nn - Maximum length
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ISO 13616-compliant national Kuwaiti IBAN breakdown

IBAN (print format)KW81 CBKU 0000 0000 0000 1234 560101
IBAN (electronic format)KW81CBKU0000000000001234560101
ISO Country CodeKW (Kuwait)
IBAN CheckSum Digits81
IBAN Length30
BBANCBKU0000000000001234560101
BBAN Length26
Bank IdentifierCBKU
Account Number0000000000001234560101
SEPA MemberNo
CurrencyKWD (Kuwaiti dinar)
Organization NameCentral Bank of Kuwait

Terms and definitions

IBAN: stands for International Bank Account Number: The expanded version of the basic bank account number (BBAN), intended for use internationally. The IBAN uniquely identifies an individual account, at a specific financial institution, in a particular country and generally has a lenght of up to 34 alphanumeric characters. It is the ISO 13616 international standard for numbering bank accounts.

IBAN Structure: The IBAN structure is defined in ISO 13616-1 and consists of a two-letter ISO 3166-1 country code, followed by two check digits and up to thirty alphanumeric characters for a BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number) which has a fixed length per country and, included within it, a bank identifier with a fixed position and a fixed length per country. The check digits are calculated based on the scheme defined in ISO/IEC 7064 (MOD97-10).

Bank identifier: The identifier that uniquely identifies the financial institution and, when appropriate, the branch of that financial institution servicing an account. The branch identifier format is shown specifically, where present.

BBAN: basic bank account number: The identifier that uniquely identifies an individual account, at a specific financial institution, in a particular country. The BBAN includes a bank identifier of the financial institution servicing that account.

Checksum: The check digits enable validation of the bank account number at source to confirm its integrity before submitting a transaction.

Print format: The IBAN print format adds one space after every four characters whereas the electronic format contains no spaces.