Seychelles IBAN Format (SC) — Structure, Length & Example

The Seychelles IBAN is 31 characters long, making it one of the longest IBANs in the world. Administered by the Central Bank of Seychelles, the format follows ISO 13616 and includes, like Mauritius, an embedded ISO 4217 currency code in the BBAN. The Seychelles financial sector serves both domestic transactions and an international offshore banking segment, and IBANs are required for all formal transfers.

Seychelles IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: SC
• Total length: 31 characters (always)
• Format: SCkk bbbb bb ss aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ccc
• BBAN length: 27 characters
• Character types: 4-letter bank code + 2-digit bank number + 2-digit branch + 16-digit account + 3-letter currency

Seychelles IBAN Structure Explained

1. Country Code, SC (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Seychelles. Every Seychellois IBAN begins with SC.

2. Check Digits, kk (2 digits)

Two decimal digits computed using the MOD-97 algorithm (ISO 7064). They detect transcription errors at the point of entry, before the transfer is submitted.

3. Bank Code, bbbb (4 letters)

A 4-letter uppercase code derived from the first four characters of the bank's SWIFT BIC. Examples from Seychellois institutions:

• SSCB, Seychelles Savings Bank
• MCBL, MCB Seychelles
• HBAU, Habib Bank (Seychelles)
• BARB, Barclays Bank Seychelles

4. Bank Number, bb (2 digits)

A 2-digit numeric bank identifier used internally by the Central Bank of Seychelles payment infrastructure.

5. Branch Code, ss (2 digits)

A 2-digit numeric branch identifier within the bank.

6. Account Number, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (16 digits)

A 16-digit numeric account number. This is longer than many comparable systems, providing capacity for the offshore sector's multi-currency account range.

7. Currency Code, ccc (3 letters)

An ISO 4217 3-letter currency code embedded in the BBAN. Common values are SCR (Seychellois rupee), USD, and EUR. As with Mauritius, the currency code is an integral part of the IBAN, the same account holder will have different IBANs for SCR and USD accounts.

Seychelles IBAN Example

SC18 SSCB 1101 0000 0000 0000 1497 USD

(Example only, not a real account)

• Country: SC
• Check digits: 18
• Bank code: SSCB (Seychelles Savings Bank)
• Bank number: 11
• Branch code: 01
• Account number: 0000000000001497
• Currency: USD

How Seychellois IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code check: First two characters must be exactly SC.
2. Length check: Total character count (spaces removed) must be exactly 31.
3. Character type check: Positions 5–8 must be uppercase letters; positions 9–10, 11–12, 13–28 must be digits; positions 29–31 must be uppercase letters.
4. MOD-97 check: Move the first four characters to the end, replace each letter with its numeric value (A=10 … Z=35), then confirm the remainder divided by 97 equals 1.

Use the ibanchecker.cash validator to verify any Seychellois IBAN. The result displays the embedded currency code and bank identifier.

Seychelles Banking Context

The Seychelles operates a dual banking model: a domestic retail sector serving the local population, and an offshore international banking centre attracting foreign investment. The Central Bank of Seychelles regulates both sectors. Key points for international transfers:

• Seychelles is not a SEPA member, all international transfers use SWIFT
• The BIC code is required alongside the IBAN for cross-border payments
• Multi-currency accounts (USD, EUR, GBP) are widely available in the offshore sector
• Processing time for international SWIFT transfers: 2–5 business days depending on correspondent routing
• Seychelles rupee (SCR) accounts are used for domestic transactions; USD accounts are common in trade and offshore investment

Limited International IBAN Adoption

While IBANs are the official standard in Seychelles, acceptance by international banks varies. Some overseas payment systems may not recognize the 31-character SC IBAN, particularly systems that enforce a maximum IBAN length of 30 characters. In such cases, coordinate with your bank to ensure the payment is routed correctly using the SWIFT network with BIC and account number.

Common Seychelles IBAN Mistakes

Mismatching Currency Code

Sending a payment to an SCR IBAN when the intended recipient account is denominated in USD will result in either a currency conversion at unfavourable rates or a payment return. Always confirm the 3-letter currency suffix with the beneficiary before initiating the transfer.

Length Errors, 28 or 30 Characters

At 31 characters, the SC IBAN is the longest currently registered in the SWIFT IBAN registry. Any count below 31 indicates a missing field, typically the currency code.

Bulk Validation for African and Island Market Payments

Finance teams managing Indian Ocean region supplier payments can validate Seychellois IBANs alongside Mauritian, Réunion, and Maldivian accounts using the ibanchecker.cash bulk checker. The tool handles multi-currency BBAN formats and flags length and character-type errors per row.

Sources & References

• SWIFT IBAN Registry — Official IBAN country format specifications
• ISO 13616 — IBAN international standard
• Central Bank of Seychelles — Banking regulation and IBAN format authority
• ISO 4217 — Currency codes standard (used in Seychelles IBAN BBAN)

Last updated: June 2026