Which countries are in SEPA? IBAN country codes for SEPA credit transfers

SEPA covers 41 countries: the 27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and 11 non-EEA countries (Albania, Andorra, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Vatican City State), plus territories such as Guernsey or Guadeloupe that use another country’s IBAN code. Their IBANs start with one of 42 country codes (EPC409-09 v8.0). SEPA credit transfers are in euro only.

The EPC list of SEPA countries#

The European Payments Council publishes the countries and territories in the geographical scope of the SEPA schemes as EPC409-09. Version 8.0 (24 December 2025) lists 27 EU member states, 3 further EEA countries and 11 non-EEA countries, plus the non-EEA territories Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. BankLint’s IBAN country checks use this version.

For the non-EEA countries and territories, the list states that eligible local institutions are permitted to adhere to the SEPA schemes under the EPC adherence procedure. Whether a given payee’s bank can receive SEPA credit transfers is a question for your bank.

IBAN country codes#

Section 5 of the list gives the BIC and IBAN country code of each country and territory. Several territories have their own BIC country code but use the IBAN code of another country: Guadeloupe uses FR IBANs, Jersey uses GB IBANs. The last column is the group the list gives in its section 2.

Gibraltar (GI) appears in section 5 with its own codes but in neither group of section 2. BankLint follows the list: GI IBANs are accepted, and Gibraltar is not treated as a non-EEA country.

Euro only, also outside the euro area#

The list also gives each place’s currency, and many are not the euro: Sweden uses SEK, Switzerland CHF and the United Kingdom GBP. A SEPA credit transfer is still in euro only (EPC132-08 2025 v1.0, item 2.95). A payment in another currency is not a SEPA credit transfer, even between two SEPA countries; in a mixed file it belongs in its own payment information block (SEPA and non-SEPA payments in one file).

• SEPA-SCT-CCY-001BLOCKERCurrency must be EUR. SEPA credit transfers are denominated in euro only.

What BankLint checks#

• The debtor IBAN starts with a country code from the list (SEPA-SCT-IBAN-003) and so does every creditor IBAN (SEPA-SCT-IBAN-004). A code outside it, such as TR, is a blocker even when the check digits are valid.
• The check digits of both IBANs are correct (mod 97, SEPA-SCT-IBAN-001 and SEPA-SCT-IBAN-002). See IBAN and BIC in a SEPA pain.001.
• The IBAN length for each country is not checked.

• SEPA-SCT-IBAN-003BLOCKERDebtor IBAN is not from a SEPA country. The debtor IBAN starts with a country code that is not part of the SEPA schemes' geographical scope (EPC409-09, the list of SEPA countries and territories with the IBAN codes they use).
• SEPA-SCT-IBAN-004BLOCKERCreditor IBAN is not from a SEPA country. The creditor IBAN starts with a country code that is not part of the SEPA schemes' geographical scope (EPC409-09, the list of SEPA countries and territories with the IBAN codes they use).
• SEPA-SCT-IBAN-001BLOCKERDebtor IBAN check digits are wrong. The check digits of the debtor IBAN (characters 3 and 4) do not match the rest of the IBAN (ISO 13616, ISO 7064 MOD 97-10).
• SEPA-SCT-IBAN-002BLOCKERCreditor IBAN check digits are wrong. The check digits of the creditor IBAN (characters 3 and 4) do not match the rest of the IBAN (ISO 13616, ISO 7064 MOD 97-10).

Non-EEA SEPA countries and the debtor country#

For an unstructured debtor address (address lines only), the guidelines add: "The use of ‘Country’ is mandatory when either the Debtor Agent or Creditor Agent is located in a non-EEA SEPA country or territory" (item 2.23). The creditor address (item 2.118) has no such sentence. Structured and hybrid addresses always need the country (items 2.23 and 2.118).

BankLint reads the bank’s country from its BIC (characters 5 and 6) or, when the agent has no BIC, from the IBAN of the account. Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man use GB IBANs and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon uses FR IBANs, so without a BIC a bank in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon cannot be told apart from one in France.

• SEPA-SCT-ADDR-003BLOCKERDebtor country required for a non-EEA SEPA payment. The debtor's address is unstructured (address lines) without a Country, and the debtor agent or a creditor agent in this payment information block is in a non-EEA SEPA country or territory (such as Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Serbia; identified by the BIC or, without a BIC, by the IBAN). The finding points at that BIC or IBAN.
• SEPA-SCT-ADDR-002BLOCKERStructured or hybrid address needs Town Name and Country. A structured address (structured fields only) or hybrid address (structured fields plus Address Line) must contain Town Name and Country. Only a purely unstructured address (Address Line, optionally Country, nothing else) may omit them. The first failing address in each payment information block is reported.

More on address forms in structured and hybrid addresses.

Recent additions#

The United Kingdom remained in the SEPA scope after Brexit (EPC Board decision of 7 March 2019, as of 1 February 2020).

• Albania and Montenegro: admitted on 21 November 2024, with an earliest operational readiness date of 5 October 2025.
• North Macedonia and Moldova: approved on 6 March 2025, with the same date.
• Serbia: admitted on 22 May 2025, with an earliest operational readiness date of May 2026.

Questions

Is the United Kingdom still in SEPA?#

Yes, as a non-EEA SEPA country (EPC409-09 v8.0). GB IBANs pass the SEPA country check. With an unstructured debtor address, a payment to or from a UK bank needs the debtor country.

Is Switzerland in SEPA?#

Yes, as a non-EEA SEPA country; Swiss IBANs start with CH. A SEPA credit transfer to Switzerland is in euro, like every SEPA credit transfer.

Can a SEPA credit transfer be in SEK, CHF or another currency?#

No. SEPA credit transfers are in euro only, even when both accounts are in countries with another currency.

Which IBAN country codes does BankLint reject in a SEPA file?#

Every code that is not on the EPC list, for example TR. The IBAN may have valid check digits and is still reported by SEPA-SCT-IBAN-003 (debtor) or SEPA-SCT-IBAN-004 (creditor).

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More guides

• SEPA Credit Transfer rules for pain.001.001.09→
• IBAN and BIC in a SEPA pain.001→
• Structured, hybrid and unstructured addresses in SEPA pain.001→
• Remittance information in a SEPA pain.001 (Ustrd, Strd, RF)→
• Charge bearer SLEV in SEPA credit transfers→

All guides