Cyprus IBAN Format (CY) — Structure, Length & Validator

The Cyprus IBAN is a 28-character format used for all bank transfers within Cyprus and across the SEPA zone. Cyprus joined the eurozone in 2008, and its IBAN structure, with a combined bank and branch code field and a 16-digit account number — follows a straightforward numeric-only BBAN pattern that is easy to validate once you understand the component layout.

Cypriot IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: CY
• Total length: 28 characters (always)
• Format: CYkk bbb sssss cccccccccccccccc
• BBAN length: 24 digits
• Currency: Euro (EUR)
• SEPA member: Yes (eurozone since 2008)

Cypriot IBAN Structure Explained

A Cypriot IBAN has four BBAN components within its 28-character body:

1. Country Code, CY (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Cyprus. Every Cypriot IBAN begins with CY.

2. Check Digits, kk (2 digits)

Two decimal digits calculated via the MOD-97 algorithm over the full BBAN. They protect against transcription errors and are fixed at account creation.

3. Bank Code, bbb (3 digits)

A 3-digit code assigned by the Central Bank of Cyprus that identifies the institution. Common Cypriot bank codes:

• 002, Bank of Cyprus
• 005, Hellenic Bank (acquired by Eurobank in 2024-2025)
• 009, Alpha Bank Cyprus
• 018, Eurobank Cyprus
• 008, AstroBank

4. Branch Code, sssss (5 digits)

A 5-digit branch identifier within the bank. The 5-digit branch field is longer than most European countries, reflecting Cyprus's branch-level routing system.

5. Account Number, cccccccccccccccc (16 digits)

The 16-digit account number that identifies the individual account at the branch. Cypriot account numbers are entirely numeric and left-padded with zeros when shorter than 16 digits.

Real Cypriot IBAN Example

CY17 0020 0128 0000 0012 0052 7600

• Country: CY
• Check digits: 17
• Bank code: 002 (Bank of Cyprus)
• Branch code: 00128
• Account number: 0000001200527600

Electronic format: CY17002001280000001200527600

How Cypriot IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code: First two characters must be CY.
2. Length: Exactly 28 characters after removing spaces.
3. Character types: All characters after CY are decimal digits, Cypriot IBANs contain no letters in the BBAN.
4. MOD-97: Move the first four characters to the end, convert letters to numbers (A=10…Z=35), compute modulo 97. Result must equal 1.

The ibanchecker.cash validator runs all four checks and decodes the bank code, branch code, and account number for any Cypriot IBAN.

Cyprus and SEPA

Cyprus joined the eurozone on 1 January 2008 and is a full SEPA member. For SEPA Credit Transfers within the SEPA zone, the IBAN alone is sufficient, no BIC is required. For payments outside SEPA, the BIC/SWIFT code must accompany the IBAN. Find any Cypriot bank's BIC with the ibanchecker.cash SWIFT directory.

Cyprus Banking Context

Cyprus has a compact but internationally active banking sector, particularly in fund administration, shipping finance, and real estate. Following the banking sector restructuring in 2013, Bank of Cyprus and Hellenic Bank emerged as the two dominant domestic retail banks. The Cypriot banking system is supervised by the Central Bank of Cyprus and the European Central Bank under the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM).

Common Cypriot IBAN Mistakes

Wrong Length (28 vs. 27)

Cypriot IBANs are 28 characters, the same length as Hungarian (HU) IBANs. Greek (GR) IBANs are 27 characters. Systems with a country-specific length table must correctly map CY to 28, not 27.

Mixing Bank Code and Branch Code

The 3-digit bank code and 5-digit branch code together occupy 8 digits at the start of the BBAN. Systems that expect a single 8-digit routing code must recognise that Cyprus splits this into separate 3+5 fields, not a unified 8-digit code like German BLZ.

Validating Cypriot IBANs in Bulk

Businesses working with Cypriot holding companies, fund managers, or shipping firms can validate multiple IBANs at once with the ibanchecker.cash bulk checker. Upload a CSV with up to 100 IBANs and get instant validation, bank names, and BIC codes per row.

Sources & References

• SWIFT IBAN Registry — Official IBAN country format specifications
• ISO 13616 — IBAN international standard
• Central Bank of Cyprus — National central bank, bank code registry, and SSM oversight
• EPC SEPA Participants — SEPA scheme participants register
• ECB TARGET2 — Eurozone payment system information

Last updated: June 2026