Senegal IBAN Format (SN) — Structure, Length & Example

The Senegal IBAN is 28 characters long and follows the ISO 13616 standard administered by the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO). Senegal is a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA/WAEMU), which includes seven other nations sharing the West African CFA franc (XOF). The IBAN format mirrors the BCEAO-zone structure used by Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Benin, and Guinea-Bissau. Senegal is not a SEPA country; all international transfers use the SWIFT network.

Senegal IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: SN
• Total length: 28 characters (always)
• Format: SNkk pp bbbbb nnnnn aaaaaaaaaaa c
• BBAN length: 24 characters
• Character types: 2-letter country prefix + 5-digit bank code + 5-digit branch code + 11-character account number + 1-digit national check key
• Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)

Senegal IBAN Structure Explained

1. Country Code, SN (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Senegal. Every Senegalese IBAN begins with SN.

2. Check Digits, kk (2 digits)

Two decimal digits computed using the MOD-97 algorithm. They detect entry errors before the payment is processed across the correspondent banking network.

3. Country Prefix, pp (2 letters)

A 2-letter prefix embedded within the BBAN that carries the ISO country code of the account's home country. For Senegalese accounts this field will always be SN. This embedded prefix is a characteristic feature of BCEAO-zone IBAN structures and distinguishes them from most other IBAN formats.

4. Bank Code, bbbbb (5 digits)

A 5-digit numeric code identifying the receiving bank within Senegal. The BCEAO assigns and publishes these codes for licensed banks operating in member countries. Common bank codes for major Senegalese institutions:

• 10015, Societe Generale Senegal
• 10025, Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Senegal (BICIS)
• 10045, Compagnie Bancaire de l'Afrique Occidentale (CBAO)
• 10003, Caisse Nationale de Credit Agricole du Senegal (CNCAS)

5. Branch Code, nnnnn (5 digits)

A 5-digit numeric code identifying the specific branch within the bank. This must match the branch code on the account holder's bank documents exactly.

6. Account Number, aaaaaaaaaaa (11 characters)

An 11-character alphanumeric account number. In practice the majority of Senegalese accounts use all-numeric characters in this field, but the format specification permits letters. Account numbers shorter than 11 characters are left-padded with zeros.

7. National Check Key, c (1 digit)

A 1-digit national check key appended at the end of the BBAN, computed from the other BBAN fields. This domestic check provides an additional layer of error detection beyond the 2-digit IBAN check digits.

Senegal IBAN Example Explained

SN08 SN01 0015 2000 0485 0000 3035

• Country code: SN
• Check digits: 08
• Country prefix (BBAN): SN
• Bank code: 10015 (Societe Generale Senegal)
• Branch code: 20000
• Account number: 48500003035 (with check key embedded)

How Senegalese IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code check: First two characters must be exactly SN.
2. Length check: Total character count with spaces removed must be exactly 28.
3. Character type check: Positions 5–6 are uppercase letters (embedded country prefix); positions 7–11 are digits (bank code); positions 12–16 are digits (branch code); positions 17–27 are alphanumeric (account number); position 28 is a digit (check key).
4. MOD-97 check: Move the first four characters to the end, replace each letter with its numeric equivalent (A=10 to Z=35), then divide by 97. The remainder must equal 1.

The ibanchecker.cash validator handles Senegalese IBANs correctly, including the 2-letter BBAN prefix, and displays the bank code and branch breakdown for valid IBANs.

Senegal Is Not a SEPA Country

Senegal is not a member of the Single Euro Payments Area. All international transfers to Senegalese accounts route via the SWIFT network. Practical implications:

• Processing times of 2–5 business days via SWIFT correspondent banking
• Correspondent bank fees applied by intermediate institutions
• The BIC/SWIFT code of the Senegalese bank must be provided alongside the IBAN
• The West African CFA franc (XOF) is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of 655.957 XOF per EUR, which simplifies EUR-denominated transfers to and from Senegal

The fixed XOF-EUR peg means that euro payments to Senegalese accounts can be priced in euros with predictable exchange, but SEPA clearing is not available and SWIFT fees still apply. Use the ibanchecker.cash SWIFT directory to look up any Senegalese bank's BIC code.

Common Senegalese IBAN Mistakes

Omitting the Embedded Country Prefix

The BCEAO-zone IBAN structure includes a 2-letter country code (SN) as the first two characters of the BBAN. This is distinct from the outer country code and is easy to miss when manually transcribing an IBAN. Omitting these two letters produces a 26-character string that fails both the length check and the MOD-97 algorithm.

Confusing BCEAO-Zone IBANs

IBAN formats for other BCEAO members such as Cote d'Ivoire (CI), Togo (TG), Benin (BJ), and Burkina Faso (BF) use the same 28-character format with the same BBAN structure. The only difference between a Senegalese and a Togolese IBAN of the same length is the outer country code and the embedded 2-letter prefix. Using the wrong country code will misdirect the payment. See also the IBAN format page for a comparison of all BCEAO-zone country IBANs.

Wrong Length

Senegalese IBANs are exactly 28 characters. A length of 26 or 30 is invalid. Remove all spaces before counting.

Sources & References

• SWIFT IBAN Registry — Official country IBAN format specifications
• ISO 13616 — International standard for IBAN
• BCEAO — Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, UEMOA zone central bank
• European Payments Council — SEPA scheme documentation and IBAN reference

Last updated: June 2026