Qatar IBAN Format (QA) — Structure, Length & Validator

The Qatar IBAN is 29 characters long and follows the ISO 13616 standard adopted by the Qatar Central Bank. Qatar introduced IBANs to facilitate international transfers within the growing Gulf financial system. Qatar is not a SEPA country, all international transfers use the SWIFT network, and the receiving bank's BIC code is required alongside the IBAN for wire transfers.

Qatar IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: QA
• Total length: 29 characters (always)
• Format: QAkk bbbb ccccccccccccccccccccccc
• BBAN length: 25 characters
• Character types: 4-letter bank code + 21-character alphanumeric account

Qatar IBAN Structure Explained

1. Country Code, QA (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Qatar. Every Qatari IBAN begins with QA.

2. Check Digits, kk (2 digits)

Two decimal digits computed using the MOD-97 algorithm. They detect common transcription errors before the payment is routed.

3. Bank Code, bbbb (4 letters)

A 4-letter bank identifier derived from the first four characters of the bank's BIC/SWIFT code. Common codes for major Qatari banks:

• QNBA, Qatar National Bank (QNB)
• CBQA, Commercial Bank of Qatar
• DOHB, Doha Bank
• QISB, Qatar Islamic Bank
• MAFR, Masraf Al Rayan
• ABQQ, Ahli Bank Qatar

4. Account Number, ccccccccccccccccccccc (21 characters)

A 21-character account field that may be numeric or alphanumeric. Most Qatari banks use numeric-only account numbers, but the IBAN specification permits letters in this field. Validation systems must accept both.

Qatar IBAN Example Explained

QA58 DOHB 0000 1234 5678 90AB CDEFG

• Country: QA
• Check digits: 58
• Bank code: DOHB (Doha Bank)
• Account number: 00001234567890ABCDEFG

Second Example, Qatar National Bank

QA95 QNBA 0000 0000 0000 0123 4567 8

• Country: QA
• Check digits: 95
• Bank code: QNBA (Qatar National Bank)
• Account number: 000000000000012345678

How Qatari IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code check: First two characters must be exactly QA.
2. Length check: Total character count (spaces removed) must be exactly 29. Qatar's IBAN is one character shorter than Kuwait (30) and five characters longer than Saudi Arabia (24).
3. Character type check: Positions 5–8 must be uppercase letters; positions 9–29 must be alphanumeric (letters or digits).
4. MOD-97 check: Rearrange, replace letters with numerals (A=10 … Z=35), divide by 97. Remainder must be 1.

The ibanchecker.cash validator validates Qatari IBANs and displays the bank code and institution name. Use the IBAN format checker tool to inspect the BBAN breakdown character by character.

Qatar Is Not a SEPA Country

Qatar is not part of SEPA. All international transfers to Qatari accounts travel via the SWIFT network. This means:

• Processing times of 1–5 business days (not same-day SEPA)
• Higher fees including correspondent bank charges
• The BIC/SWIFT code of the Qatari bank is required alongside the IBAN
• Currency is the Qatari riyal (QAR), pegged to the US dollar, with no automated euro conversion at SEPA rates

Look up any Qatari bank's BIC for SWIFT payments using the ibanchecker.cash SWIFT directory.

Common Qatari IBAN Mistakes

Wrong Length, 27 or 31 Characters

Qatari IBANs are exactly 29 characters. Confusing Qatar (29) with Kuwait (30) or the UAE (23) is a common error. Always count after removing all spaces.

Missing BIC for SWIFT Transfers

SWIFT transfers to Qatar require both the IBAN and the receiving bank's BIC. Omitting the BIC causes the transfer to be held for manual processing.

Rejecting Alphanumeric Account Fields

Some payment systems incorrectly reject Qatari IBANs when the account field contains letters. The IBAN specification permits alphanumeric characters in this position, do not strip or reject uppercase letters from positions 9–29.

Validating Qatari IBANs in Bulk

Finance teams processing Gulf payments can validate Qatari IBANs alongside UAE, Saudi, Bahraini, and Kuwaiti ones using the ibanchecker.cash bulk checker. Upload a CSV with up to 100 IBANs and receive per-row validation with bank code and error details.

Sources & References

• SWIFT IBAN Registry — Official IBAN country format specifications
• ISO 13616 — IBAN international standard
• Qatar Central Bank — Official payment regulations and IBAN adoption

Last updated: June 2026