Your UAE IBAN is the 23-character account number starting with AE that your bank shows in its app under account details — you can also find it on statements, via your bank’s IBAN generator, or on a cheque leaf. Give your employer the IBAN (not just the account number) so your salary arrives through the Wage Protection System without delays.
Quick facts
- Cost: Free — finding and sharing your IBAN costs nothing
- Time needed: Under 2 minutes in your banking app
- Where: Your UAE bank’s app or online banking, account statement, or cheque book
- Format: AE + 21 digits (23 characters total), grouped as AE00 0000 0000 0000 0000 000
Step-by-step: how to find your UAE IBAN
- Open your bank app and select the account. Choose the AED current or salary account you want paid into — most residents have more than one account, so pick deliberately.
- Tap account details / share details. Every major UAE bank (Emirates NBD, FAB, ADCB, Mashreq, Dubai Islamic Bank and others) shows IBAN alongside account number and SWIFT/BIC in this screen.
- Copy it exactly. Use the app’s copy or share button rather than typing it. One wrong digit sends the payment to a failed or wrong account. The IBAN contains a check digit that catches most typos, but do not rely on it.
- Cross-check on your statement. Your monthly statement header prints the same IBAN. If app and statement differ, call the bank before sharing anything.
- Share it securely with your employer. Send it through your company’s HR portal or official email, with your full name as on the bank account and your employee ID if HR asks for it.
- For international transfers, add the SWIFT/BIC. The sender abroad needs your IBAN plus the bank’s SWIFT/BIC code, your full name and the bank name. All are on the same details screen.
IBAN vs account number — why employers insist on IBAN
Your short account number works inside your own bank, but UAE salary payments through the Wage Protection System (WPS) and interbank transfers use the IBAN. The IBAN embeds the bank code, your account number and check digits, so payroll systems can validate it automatically. If you give HR only the account number, many payroll teams will ask again — and a manual workaround can delay your first salary. If you have just opened the account for a new job, confirm with the bank that the account is active and WPS-ready before your first pay run.
Using your IBAN for transfers
To receive money from another UAE bank, the sender needs only your IBAN and name. Local AED transfers between UAE banks are often instant or same-day and commonly free or a few dirhams through apps — check your bank’s fee schedule. To send money yourself, paste the beneficiary’s IBAN into your app’s transfer screen; the app will show the beneficiary bank name for you to confirm before you pay. Never send to an IBAN shared in a social media message without verifying it by a separate call — IBAN-change fraud, where a scammer substitutes their IBAN on an invoice, is a known UAE scam. For rent, school fees and large payments, confirm the IBAN on the official invoice or portal, not just in a forwarded message.
Common mistakes to avoid
Typing the IBAN by hand. Copy and paste, then check the first two letters are AE and the total length is 23 characters with no spaces in the system field.
Sharing a savings or foreign-currency IBAN for salary. Salaries are normally paid in AED to a current/salary account. Check with HR and your bank which account type they expect.
Using an old IBAN after switching banks. When you change banks, update HR in writing before payroll cut-off, or your salary goes to the closed or old account and takes days to recover.
Posting your IBAN publicly. An IBAN alone cannot be used to take money from you in most cases, but sharing it openly still invites fraud attempts. Share it only with your employer, bank and trusted payers.
If a salary or transfer goes missing
Check the IBAN you gave character by character against the app. If one digit was wrong, the transfer usually bounces back to the sender within a few working days, but ask the sender’s bank to trace it with the payment reference. If the IBAN was correct and money has not arrived after the bank’s stated window, raise a trace with both banks and keep the WPS salary file reference from HR for salary payments. Keep screenshots of your IBAN details screen — they settle most “wrong IBAN” arguments quickly.
FAQ
How many digits is a UAE IBAN?
23 characters in total: the letters AE plus 21 digits. If what you have is much shorter, that is your account number, not the IBAN.
Can I find my IBAN without the app?
Yes. It is printed on statements and cheque leaves, and most UAE banks offer an IBAN generator on their website where you enter your account number to get the IBAN.
Do I need a SWIFT code for local UAE transfers?
No. For transfers inside the UAE, IBAN and name are enough. SWIFT/BIC is only needed when someone sends you money from outside the UAE.
