Greenland IBAN Format (GL) — Structure, Length & Example

The Greenland IBAN is 18 characters long and uses the country code GL. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark — the world's largest island — with a population of roughly 56,000. While Greenland uses the Danish krone (DKK) and relies on Danish interbank infrastructure, it has its own IBAN country code separate from Denmark (DK) and the Faroe Islands (FO). Greenland is not a SEPA member and is not part of the EU.

Greenland IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: GL
• Total length: 18 characters (always)
• Format: GLkk bbbb cccccccc r
• BBAN length: 14 characters
• Character types: 4-digit bank code + 9-digit account number + 1-digit check digit
• SEPA member: No
• Currency: Danish krone (DKK)

Greenland IBAN Structure Explained

1. Country Code — GL (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Greenland. Every Greenlandic IBAN begins with GL.

2. Check Digits — kk (2 digits)

Two decimal digits computed using the MOD-97 algorithm (ISO 7064). They catch transcription and transposition errors before payment transmission.

3. Bank Code — bbbb (4 digits)

A 4-digit numeric code identifying the bank. Greenland's banking sector is served primarily by Grønlandsbanken (Greenland's Bank), with Danish banks providing correspondent and supplementary services:

• 6471 — Grønlandsbanken A/S (Bank of Greenland) — the territory's main domestically incorporated bank, founded in 1967, offering retail and corporate banking throughout Greenland's towns and settlements.
• 0040 — Jyske Bank branches in Greenland — Danish bank with a presence to serve business clients and Danish nationals in the territory.
• 0040 — Sparekassen branches handling Greenlandic customers through the Danish clearing network.

4. Account Number — ccccccccc (9 digits)

A 9-digit numeric account number, entirely decimal. No alphabetic characters appear in this field. Leading zeros must be preserved.

5. Check Digit — r (1 digit)

A single domestic check digit computed from the bank code and account number using the Danish modulo algorithm. This provides an additional layer of error detection beyond the two IBAN check digits.

Greenland IBAN Example Explained

GL89 6471 0001 0002 06

This is an example IBAN for illustrative purposes only. Do not use for real transfers.

• Country: GL (Greenland)
• Check digits: 89
• Bank code: 6471 (Grønlandsbanken)
• Account number: 000100020 (9 digits)
• Check digit: 6

Validate any Greenlandic IBAN at the ibanchecker.cash IBAN validator, or see the full format specification at /iban-format/gl.

How Greenland IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code check: The first two characters must be exactly GL.
2. Length check: The IBAN must be exactly 18 characters after removing all spaces.
3. Character type check: The entire 14-character BBAN must consist only of decimal digits.
4. MOD-97 check: Move the first four characters to the end, replace G=16 and L=21, then divide by 97. The remainder must equal 1.

Greenland Is Not a SEPA Country

Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but left the European Community in 1985 following a referendum. It is therefore not subject to EU regulations, including SEPA. Practical implications for international payments:

• Transfers to Greenlandic IBANs use the SWIFT network, not SEPA Credit Transfer rails.
• Processing times are typically 1–3 business days for DKK-denominated transfers.
• Correspondent bank fees may apply on top of the sending bank's standard charges.
• A BIC/SWIFT code must be provided alongside the IBAN for international wires.
• SEPA Direct Debit is not available for Greenlandic accounts.

Look up Greenlandic bank BIC codes with the ibanchecker.cash SWIFT directory.

Greenland vs. Denmark vs. Faroe Islands: IBAN Comparison

All three territories within the Kingdom of Denmark use the same 18-character IBAN length and identical BBAN structure (4-digit bank code + 9-digit account + 1 check digit), but they each have a distinct country code:

• Denmark: DK + 2 check digits + 14-digit BBAN
• Greenland: GL + 2 check digits + 14-digit BBAN
• Faroe Islands: FO + 2 check digits + 14-digit BBAN

Using the wrong country code is the most frequent cause of misdirected payments between these three territories. A structurally valid Danish IBAN (DK) will route to a Danish bank, never to a Greenlandic account. Always confirm the country code with the account holder.

Greenland's Banking Landscape

The Greenlandic banking market is very concentrated. Grønlandsbanken A/S holds the dominant market position, serving nearly all of the territory's communities, including remote towns accessible only by air or sea. The bank operates digitally and through physical branches in major settlements such as Nuuk, Sisimiut, and Ilulissat. The National Bank of Denmark (Danmarks Nationalbank) provides the central banking function for Greenland through its mandate over Danish monetary policy.

Common Greenland IBAN Mistakes

Using DK Instead of GL

The most common error is entering DK (Denmark) instead of GL. Because the BBAN structure is identical, the resulting IBAN may be structurally valid for Denmark but will route to a Danish bank rather than the intended Greenlandic account.

Wrong Length — 16 or 20 Characters

Greenlandic IBANs are always 18 characters. Any other length is invalid. Always count carefully after stripping all spaces.

Missing BIC for International Transfers

Because Greenland is outside SEPA, the BIC is mandatory for international wires. Sending only an IBAN without a BIC may result in the payment being delayed or returned.

Bulk Validation for Arctic and North Atlantic Payees

Businesses in the shipping, fishing, or natural resource sectors making payments to accounts across Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, and Iceland can validate all IBANs in one pass using the ibanchecker.cash bulk checker. Paste or upload up to 100 IBANs to get per-row results including country identification, bank code, and error details.

Last updated: June 2026