IBAN · LY
IBAN format in Libya: structure, length and example
An IBAN in Libya is 25 characters long and always starts with LY. Payment routing, charges and any currency conversion depend on the sending and receiving banks. Confirm the route and the charges before you send. The details below come from the official IBAN registry maintained by SWIFT as registration authority for ISO 13616.
IBANs run from 15 to 33 characters worldwide, so at 25 this one sits above the average of 24. 2 other countries use the same length, which is why the two opening letters matter — they are what tells the sending bank where the money is going. The number carries a separate branch identifier, so it points at one specific office rather than the bank as a whole. The format has been in force since January 2021.
Libya IBAN at a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| IBAN country code | LY |
| IBAN length | 25 characters |
| Domestic account number length | 21 characters |
| IBAN structure | LY2!n3!n3!n15!n |
| SEPA member | No |
| Example (electronic) | LY83002048000020100120361 |
| Example (printed) | LY83 002 048 000020100120361 |
How an IBAN in Libya breaks down
Taking the registry's own example, LY83 002 048 000020100120361:
| Part | Value | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Country code | LY | Always LY for Libya |
| Check digits | 83 | Calculated from the rest of the number (ISO 7064 mod-97) |
| Bank identifier | 002 | Positions 1–3 of the domestic account number |
| Branch identifier | 048 | Positions 4–6 of the domestic account number |
| Account number | 000020100120361 | Identifies the account at that bank |
Letters in the structure notation mean: n digits,
a uppercase letters, c letters or digits; ! means the length
is fixed.
How to send money to an account in Libya
- Ask for the IBAN in full — including the country code at the front. Spaces do not matter; banks strip them.
- Check the name matches the account. The check digits catch typing mistakes, not wrong recipients.
- Send — and keep the reference number until the recipient confirms arrival.
Common questions
How many characters is an IBAN in Libya?
25 characters, starting with the country code LY. Written on paper it is normally grouped in blocks of four, like LY83 002 048 000020100120361.
What does a Libya IBAN look like?
LY83 002 048 000020100120361 is the format example published in the official IBAN registry. The first two letters are the country code, the next two are check digits, and the rest identifies the bank and the account.
Do I need a BIC as well as the IBAN for Libya?
It depends on the route and on the sending bank. Ask whether a BIC/SWIFT code is needed alongside the IBAN before you send.
Can I check an IBAN before sending money?
The check digits let any bank detect a mistyped IBAN, but they cannot tell you whether the account belongs to the person you think. Confirm the name and the number with the recipient.
Where this data comes from
Structure, length and examples come from the official IBAN Registry published by SWIFT as registration authority for ISO 13616, snapshot of 2026-08-21. Worked examples are derived from the registry's own sample values. Whether a country is inside SEPA is taken from the European Payments Council list of countries in the SEPA schemes, not from the registry: the registry records the position at its own release date and lags behind admissions. Corrections: [email protected].
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