Mauritania IBAN Format (MR) — Structure, Length & Example

The Mauritania IBAN is 27 characters long and follows the ISO 13616 standard adopted by the Banque Centrale de Mauritanie (BCM). Mauritania's IBAN format includes both a 5-digit bank code and a 5-digit branch code, along with a pair of domestic check digits at the end of the BBAN — a structure that reflects the country's French and West African banking traditions. Mauritania is not a SEPA country; all international transfers use the SWIFT network.

Mauritania IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: MR
• Total length: 27 characters (always)
• Format: MRkk bbbbb bbbbb ccccccccccc nn
• BBAN length: 23 characters
• Character types: 5-digit bank code + 5-digit branch code + 11-digit account number + 2-digit national check key (all numeric)

Mauritania IBAN Structure Explained

1. Country Code — MR (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Mauritania. Every Mauritanian IBAN begins with MR.

2. Check Digits — kk (2 digits)

Two decimal digits computed using the MOD-97 algorithm (ISO 7064). They verify the structural integrity of the IBAN and detect transcription and transposition errors.

3. Bank Code — bbbbb (5 digits)

A 5-digit numeric code identifying the bank, assigned by the Banque Centrale de Mauritanie. Major bank codes include:

• 00020 — Banque Nationale de Mauritanie (BNM), the oldest state-owned bank
• 00019 — Banque Mauritanienne pour le Commerce International (BMCI)
• 00014 — Attijari Banque Mauritanie (ATB; part of Attijariwafa group)
• 00024 — Mauritanian Islamic Bank (BIM)
• 00011 — Société Générale Mauritanie

4. Branch Code — bbbbb (5 digits)

A 5-digit numeric branch code identifying the specific branch within the bank. The 5-digit branch field is unusually long for a country with a relatively small number of bank branches, but it was designed to accommodate future growth and to align with West African regional payment standards.

5. Account Number — ccccccccccc (11 digits)

An 11-digit numeric account number uniquely identifying the customer's account at the specified branch.

6. National Check Key — nn (2 digits)

Two domestic check digits computed from the bank code, branch code, and account number using a modulo-97 formula — analogous to the French Clé RIB and the Tunisian national check key. Both the IBAN check digits (positions 3–4) and the national check key (last two BBAN characters) must be mathematically correct for the IBAN to be valid.

Mauritania IBAN Example Explained

MR13 0002 0001 0100 0012 3456 753

• Country: MR
• Check digits: 13
• Bank code: 00020 (Banque Nationale de Mauritanie)
• Branch code: 00101
• Account number: 00001234567
• National check key: 53

This is an illustrative example. Validate a real Mauritanian IBAN using the ibanchecker.cash validator before initiating a payment.

How Mauritanian IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code check: First two characters must be exactly MR.
2. Length check: Total character count (spaces removed) must be exactly 27.
3. Character type check: All 23 BBAN characters must be decimal digits — no letters appear in a Mauritanian IBAN after the country code.
4. MOD-97 check: Move the first four characters to the end, replace each letter with its numeric value (M=22, R=27), compute the number modulo 97. A valid IBAN always yields a remainder of 1.

Validate any Mauritanian IBAN instantly at the ibanchecker.cash IBAN validator.

Mauritania's Banking Sector

Mauritania's banking sector is regulated by the Banque Centrale de Mauritanie and is small relative to its geographic size. The sector includes around fourteen commercial banks, a mix of state-owned, regional African banking groups, and international subsidiaries:

• Banque Nationale de Mauritanie (BNM) — The oldest state bank; historically the dominant retail institution.
• Attijari Banque Mauritanie — Part of Morocco's Attijariwafa group, the largest banking group in North Africa; provides the broadest branch network.
• Mauritanian Islamic Bank (BIM) — The country's dedicated Islamic bank, offering sharia-compliant products.
• Société Générale Mauritanie — Part of the Société Générale West Africa network; strong in corporate and SME banking.
• Banque pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (BCI) — Focuses on trade finance, which is important given Mauritania's iron ore export economy.

Mauritania's economy relies on iron ore, fishing, and increasingly gold exports. International payments frequently involve commodity trading firms, mining contractors, and fishing industry operators from Europe and Asia.

Mauritania Is Not a SEPA Country

Mauritania is not part of SEPA. All international transfers to Mauritanian accounts travel via the SWIFT network:

• Processing times of 2–5 business days
• Both the IBAN and the bank's BIC/SWIFT code are required
• Currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU), renamed and redenominated at 1:10 from the old ouguiya (MRO) in January 2018 — confirm the currency with the recipient for older payment references
• Correspondent banking routes to Mauritania are limited; transfers commonly transit through Morocco or France

Look up any Mauritanian bank's BIC using the ibanchecker.cash SWIFT directory.

Common Mauritanian IBAN Mistakes

Confusing MR with MA (Morocco)

MR is Mauritania's country code; MA is Morocco's. Both countries share cultural and linguistic ties, and suppliers may be confused about which code applies. Mauritanian IBANs are 27 characters; Moroccan IBANs are 28 characters. Always verify the country code before submitting a payment.

Omitting the National Check Key

Omitting the final 2-digit national check key produces a 25-character IBAN instead of the required 27. This field is mandatory and structurally significant — without it the IBAN is invalid even if the MOD-97 check digits are correct.

Currency Confusion After the 2018 Redenomination

The ouguiya was redenominated in 2018: 1 new MRU = 10 old MRO. Payment references pre-dating 2018 may quote amounts in the old currency. Confirm the denomination with the recipient for any historical payment references.

Spaces in Electronic Submission

Remove all spaces when submitting electronically: MR13000200010100001234​56753.

Validating Mauritanian IBANs

Finance teams processing payments to West African or Sahel region counterparties can validate Mauritanian IBANs alongside other MENA region accounts using the ibanchecker.cash IBAN checker. The bulk checker processes up to 100 IBANs per upload with per-row bank identification and error reporting.

Last updated: June 2026