Gibraltar BIC, bank code and IBAN

Gibraltar uses the pound sterling (GBP) and runs a UK-style domestic banking system. For payments inside Gibraltar and to the UK, banks identify an account with a 6-digit sort code (often shown as three pairs, for example 12-34-56) together with an account number. The sort code identifies the bank and branch, while the account number identifies the individual account.

For international and SEPA-style transfers, Gibraltar uses the international standards: an IBAN (International Bank Account Number) to identify the account and a BIC (also called a SWIFT code) to identify the bank. A Gibraltar IBAN packages the bank identifier and the account details into a single machine-checkable string, which reduces routing errors when money crosses borders.

You can usually find all three of these details in the same places:

• Online or mobile banking: open your account details or the account summary screen. Most Gibraltar banks display the sort code, account number, IBAN and BIC there, often with a copy button.
• Bank statement: paper and PDF statements normally print the sort code and account number in the header, and many also show the IBAN and BIC for international use.
• Bank card or welcome letter: the sort code and account number may appear on a debit card carrier or the account-opening paperwork.

If you only have an IBAN, the bank code is the 4-letter section near the start, and you can paste the full IBAN into the checker on this page to confirm it and identify the bank.

A Gibraltar IBAN is 23 characters long. It is built as follows:

• GI — the country code for Gibraltar.
• 2 check digits — calculated under the ISO 13616 / ISO 7064 MOD-97-10 algorithm, which lets software detect typing errors.
• 4-letter bank code — derived from the institution's BIC (for example NWBK for NatWest International).
• 15-character account number — the domestic account identifier.

For example, GI75 NWBK 0000 0000 7099 453 is a correctly structured Gibraltar IBAN. The standard for IBAN structure is ISO 13616, and Gibraltar's banking framework is overseen by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (FSC); see the FSC Banking Guidance Note 7 for the relevant supervisory guidance.

To receive money from abroad, give the sender your IBAN and your BIC (SWIFT code). The BIC routes the payment to the correct bank, and the IBAN routes it to the correct account. Within the SEPA area, an IBAN plus BIC is normally all that is required, and many transfers settle quickly.

Gibraltar is a small banking centre with only a handful of licensed deposit-taking institutions, so the list of BICs you are likely to encounter is short. If you are unsure which bank a BIC belongs to, you can decode the 4-letter bank code from the IBAN using the checker on this page.

Because Gibraltar shares the UK sort code and account-number model, payments to and from the UK are typically handled like domestic transfers in GBP. Keep in mind that the small number of local banks means correspondent arrangements can matter for some currencies.

Security: your sort code, IBAN and BIC are public identifiers. They are safe to share with anyone who needs to send you money, the same way you would share a phone number. They cannot be used to take money out of your account on their own. What you must never share is your online-banking login, one-time passcodes, PINs, or full card details — these are the credentials that authorise payments, and a legitimate bank will never ask for them by phone or email.