What is the Vatican City IBAN format?

Vatican City IBANs start with VA, followed by 2 check digits, then a 18-character BBAN encoding the bank code, branch code, and account number.

Is Vatican City in SEPA?

Vatican City is a SEPA member. Transfers from other SEPA countries are fast and low-cost.

VA SEPA Member

Vatican City IBAN Format

Q: How long is a Vatican City IBAN?

A Vatican City IBAN is 22 characters long.

22-character IBAN · EUR Euro · SEPA zone

A Vatican City IBAN is 22 characters long and always begins with the country code VA, followed by two check digits. The next 3 characters are the Bank Code. The remaining 15 characters identify the individual account number. The Vatican City IBAN uses the EUR (Euro) and is a <strong>SEPA member</strong>, meaning euro transfers from other SEPA countries are fast and low-cost.

Length

characters

Country Code

ISO 3166-1

Currency

EUR

Euro

SEPA

Yes

SEPA member

Example IBAN

VA59 0011 2300 0012 3456 78

VA Country

59 Check Digits

001 Bank Code

123000012345678 Account Number

IBAN Structure

Position	Length	Field	Type	Example Value
1–2	2	Country Code	a	VA
3–4	2	Check Digits	n	59
5–7	3	Bank Code	n	001
8–22	15	Account Number	n	123000012345678

n = numeric only (0–9) a = alphabetic only (A–Z) c = alphanumeric (0–9, A–Z)

Vatican City uses the Italian banking system.

Validate a Vatican City IBAN

Paste a Vatican City IBAN below to check it.

Vatican City IBAN Regex Pattern

^VA\d{2}\d{3}\d{15}$

Pattern validates length, country code, check digit positions, and field character types. Does not verify the MOD-97 checksum (use the validator above for full validation).

PHP

$iban = strtoupper(str_replace(' ', '', $input));
if (!preg_match('/^VA\\d{2}\\d{3}\\d{15}$/', $iban)) {
    // Invalid Vatican City IBAN format
}

JavaScript

const iban = input.replace(/\s+/g, '').toUpperCase();
const pattern = /^VA\d{2}\d{3}\d{15}$/;
if (!pattern.test(iban)) {
  // Invalid Vatican City IBAN format
}

Python

import re
iban = input_str.replace(' ', '').upper()
pattern = r'^VA\d{2}\d{3}\d{15}$'
if not re.fullmatch(pattern, iban):
    # Invalid Vatican City IBAN format

These snippets check format only. For full IBAN validation including MOD-97 checksum, use a dedicated IBAN library or the validator on this page.

How to Find Your Vatican City IBAN

Vatican City accounts are traditionally identified using: Bank Code (3n) + Account Number (15n). Your IBAN encodes these same components in the standardised international format.

1
Mobile banking app — Open your bank's app, navigate to account details or "Account Info." Your IBAN is usually displayed alongside your account number. Look for a field labelled "IBAN" or "International Account Number."
2
Bank statement — Your Vatican City IBAN appears in the account header of your printed or PDF bank statement, typically near the top of the first page.
3
Online banking — Log in to your bank's website and go to "Account Details," "Account Summary," or "Profile." Most Vatican City banks display the IBAN prominently in account settings.
4
Bank branch or helpline — Call your bank's customer service or visit a branch with your ID. They can provide your full IBAN instantly.

Once you have your IBAN, use the validator above to confirm it is correctly formatted before sharing it.

Sending Money to Vatican City

Vatican City is a SEPA member. From any other SEPA country, you only need the recipient's IBAN — no BIC/SWIFT required. Transfers settle within 1 business day (or instantly via SEPA Instant Credit Transfer). Fees cannot exceed what your bank charges for a domestic payment.

What to provide

Recipient's full name
IBAN (22 characters, starts with VA)

Typical transfer time

0–1 day

SEPA Credit Transfer (1 day) or SEPA Instant (<10 seconds if both banks support it)

Vatican City uses EUR and participates in SEPA via its banking relationship with Italy. IBAN is used for all transfers. The Vatican Bank (IOR) is the primary financial institution.

Compare transfer services for Vatican City

Specialist services typically charge significantly less than high-street banks for international transfers.

Wise — Low fees, real exchange rate ↗ Revolut — Fast transfers ↗

Central Bank

Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See

https://www.vatican.va ↗

← United Kingdom

Quick Facts

IBAN Length: 22 chars
Country Code: VA
Currency: EUR
SEPA: Yes
BBAN Format: 18n
IBAN Required: mandatory
Adopted: 2013