Irish IBAN
aka IE IBAN
International Bank Account Number issued by Irish-based banks. 22 characters starting with IE, includes a 6-digit sort code and 8-digit account number. Required for SEPA payments.
Last reviewed April 2026
Definition
An Irish IBAN is a 22-character International Bank Account Number that uniquely identifies a bank account at an Ireland-based credit institution. The format is IE + 2 check digits + 4-letter bank code + 6-digit NSC sort code + 8-digit account number. IBANs replaced the older account-number-and-sort-code combination for all electronic payments under SEPA. Some neobanks operating in Ireland (Revolut, Wise, N26) issue Lithuanian, Belgian or other non-IE IBANs to Irish customers, which technically work for SEPA but historically caused issues with Revenue tax refunds, the Department of Social Protection, employer payroll rules, and some Irish supplier portals that pattern-matched on IE. The Payment Accounts Directive bars discrimination based on a SEPA IBAN's country of issuance, but practical IBAN-discrimination still surfaces, particularly with semi-state bodies and council systems.
Why it matters for software choice
If your accounting software, payroll system or bank feed integration assumes IE IBAN format only, an employee or supplier with a non-IE SEPA IBAN can fail validation. Software that accepts any valid SEPA IBAN, validates the check digits and stores the BIC/SWIFT code separately is the safer choice.
Authority sources
- Central Bank of Ireland: IBAN discrimination (www.centralbank.ie)
Software categories this affects
Vendors covered by this term
AIB Business
Ireland's largest business bank with branch network, lending, and merchant services
Bank of Ireland Business
Full-service Irish business banking with lending, merchant services, and SEPA bulk payments
Revolut Business
EU-licensed business banking with Irish IBANs, SEPA Instant, and multi-currency accounts
Wise Business
Multi-currency business account with mid-market FX rates and EU IBAN for Irish SMEs
N26 Business
German-licensed business account for Irish freelancers and sole traders with EU IBAN
Related terms
SEPA Credit Transfer
Standard EUR-denominated bulk payment scheme used to pay suppliers, salaries and Revenue liabilities from Irish business bank accounts. Settlement within one business day across SEPA.
SEPA Direct Debit
The standardised Euro pull-payment scheme covering all SEPA countries. A creditor with a Creditor Identifier and a signed mandate can debit the debtor's account in any participating bank using a pain.008 XML file.
Irish bank feeds
An automated daily connection between an Irish business bank account and accounting software, removing CSV uploads. Modern feeds run over PSD2 Open Banking APIs; older feeds use Yodlee or Plaid screen-scraping.