IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a standard format for writing a bank account number so that a payment can be addressed to any participating country. A Ukrainian IBAN has 29 characters and starts with the letters UA.
In plain words
Think of it as the address of your account, written by an international rule (ISO 13616). After UA come two check digits (they help catch typing mistakes), then a six-digit bank code (formerly called MFO, now the NBU ID code) and the account number itself. An IBAN is not the same as the 16-digit card number: look for yours in your bank app or account agreement. Transfers from abroad and in euro usually require exactly this number.
Sources
- National Bank of Ukraine: IBAN — “IBAN” section. Checked 14.10.2026.
Example. A freelancer asks a foreign client to pay an invoice and sends them their IBAN (29 characters beginning with UA) and the name of the bank. One wrong digit can make the payment fail or send it to someone else’s account.