Yemen IBAN Format & Validator (YE)

Yemen IBAN — Complete Banking Guide

The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) system is used in Yemen to uniquely identify bank accounts for domestic and international transfers. Every bank account in Yemen is assigned a 30-character IBAN that begins with the country code YE, followed by two mathematically calculated check digits, and then the local BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number) encoding 4 alpha bank, 4 digits branch, 18 digits account. The IBAN standard in Yemen is governed by ISO 13616 and administered through the SWIFT IBAN registry.

Unlike domestic account numbers which vary in format between banks, an IBAN provides a standardised, universally recognised account identifier. Any bank in the world that participates in the SWIFT network can process a payment to a Yemen IBAN without requiring additional routing information — the bank code and branch information is encoded directly in the IBAN itself.

International Transfers to Yemen — What You Need

Yemen is not a SEPA member, which means standard international wire transfer rules apply. When sending money to a Yemen bank account, you will need the following information:

• Yemen IBAN — 30 characters, starting with YE
• SWIFT/BIC code of the receiving Yemen bank — find it on BankZop's SWIFT Code Lookup
• Beneficiary's full name as registered with their bank
• Bank name and address — required by many sending banks for compliance
• Transfer purpose — required for RBI compliance when sending from India (family remittance, education fee, business payment, etc.)

International wire transfers to Yemen typically take 1–5 business days depending on the correspondent banking chain and any currency conversion required. Always verify the IBAN with the recipient before initiating a transfer — an incorrect IBAN will cause the payment to be rejected, and some banks charge fees for returned wires.

How to Read a Yemen IBAN — Digit by Digit

The 30-character Yemen IBAN is structured as follows: YEkk BBBB SSSS CCCC CCCC CCCC CCCC CC

• Positions 1–2 (YE): ISO 3166-1 country code for Yemen. This is always fixed and cannot change.
• Positions 3–4 (kk): Two numeric check digits calculated using the ISO 7064 modulo-97 algorithm. These verify the entire IBAN is correctly formed.
• Positions 5–30 (BBAN): The Yemen-specific BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number): 4 alpha bank, 4 digits branch, 18 digits account. This part encodes the bank, branch, and account number according to Yemen's national banking standards.

For example: YE15 CBYE 0001 2345 6789 1234 5678 90 is a structurally valid Yemen IBAN. When you paste any Yemen IBAN into the validator above and click Validate IBAN, BankZop instantly verifies the check digits using the modulo-97 algorithm — no internet connection required for the validation itself.

Finding Your Yemen IBAN

Your Yemen IBAN can be found in several places. The most reliable sources are:

1. Mobile or online banking app: Log in and navigate to Account Details or Account Summary. The IBAN is displayed alongside your account number and sort code.
2. Bank statement: Your monthly bank statement — whether paper or PDF — includes the IBAN in the account summary header, typically on the first page.
3. Cheque book: Some Yemen banks print the IBAN on the front page of the cheque book or inside the cover.
4. Bank counter or customer service: Call the number on the back of your debit card and ask for your full IBAN. You will need to verify your identity.
5. Welcome letter: When an account is first opened, banks typically send a welcome letter containing the IBAN and account details.

Once you have your IBAN, share it with anyone who needs to send you money from abroad. Never share your full IBAN publicly, but it is safe to share it with people or businesses you trust for legitimate payment purposes — an IBAN alone cannot be used to withdraw money from your account.

Common Yemen IBAN Errors to Avoid

• Wrong character count: A Yemen IBAN must be exactly 30 characters. Count carefully — even one extra or missing character will fail validation.
• Confusing IBAN with account number: Your IBAN is different from your local account number. The account number appears inside the IBAN but the two codes are not interchangeable.
• Spaces in the IBAN: IBANs are sometimes written with spaces for readability (e.g. YE15 CBYE 0001 2345 6789 1234 5678 90), but when entering an IBAN in a bank form, always remove all spaces. BankZop's validator accepts both formats.
• Using IBAN for domestic transfers: Within Yemen, some banks still use local account numbers for domestic transfers. Check with your bank whether IBAN is required or optional for domestic payments.
• Wrong country IBAN: Never use an IBAN from one country for an account in another country. The YE prefix specifically identifies this as a Yemen account.

Banking Codes for Yemen — Quick Reference

When dealing with Yemen bank transactions, you may encounter several different banking codes depending on the payment type:

• IBAN (this page): 30-character code for international and cross-border transfers. Format: YEkk...
• SWIFT/BIC Code: 8 or 11 characters identifying the specific Yemen bank. Required for all international wires.
• Local account number: Country-specific format used for domestic payments within Yemen.

For sending money to India from Yemen, the recipient's Indian bank will need their IFSC code (for domestic India transfers) or the bank's SWIFT code (for the international leg of the transfer).