Sudan IBAN Format (SD) — Structure, Length & Example

The Sudan IBAN is 18 characters long, making it one of the shorter IBAN formats in the registry. The format was established under the Central Bank of Sudan (CBS) in alignment with the ISO 13616 standard. Sudan's banking system operates under Islamic finance principles, having fully converted to a Sharia-compliant model in 1989. International transfers involving Sudan are subject to significant compliance requirements, and senders should be aware of current sanctions status and correspondent banking availability before initiating payments.

Sudan IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: SD
• Total length: 18 characters (always)
• Format: SDkk bbbb aaaaaaaaaa
• BBAN length: 14 characters
• Character types: 4-digit bank code + 10-digit account number (all numeric)

Sudan IBAN Structure Explained

1. Country Code — SD (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Sudan. Every Sudanese IBAN begins with SD. Note: South Sudan (SS) is a separate country that does not currently use the IBAN standard; all SD IBANs refer to the Republic of Sudan (capital: Khartoum).

2. Check Digits — kk (2 digits)

Two decimal digits computed using the MOD-97 algorithm (ISO 7064). They detect transcription errors before the IBAN is transmitted to a payment system.

3. Bank Code — bbbb (4 digits)

A 4-digit numeric code identifying the bank. Sudan's banking sector consists entirely of Islamic finance institutions. Major banks include:

• Bank of Khartoum (BOK)
• Omdurman National Bank
• Sudan Islamic Bank
• Agricultural Bank of Sudan
• Faisal Islamic Bank of Sudan

4. Account Number — aaaaaaaaaa (10 digits)

A 10-digit numeric account number. All positions are decimal digits — no alpha characters appear in the Sudanese account field.

Sudan IBAN Example

SD21 2901 0501 2345 67

(Example only — not a real account)

• Country: SD
• Check digits: 21
• Bank code: 2901
• Account number: 0501234567

How Sudanese IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code check: First two characters must be exactly SD.
2. Length check: Total character count (spaces removed) must be exactly 18.
3. Character type check: All 14 BBAN characters must be decimal digits.
4. MOD-97 check: Move the first four characters to the end, replace S (=28) and D (=13) with their numeric equivalents, then compute the remainder divided by 97. A valid IBAN produces a remainder of 1.

Use the ibanchecker.cash validator to check any Sudanese IBAN against these rules. The format-checker tool also displays the bank code for further verification.

Sudan's Islamic Banking System

Sudan operates exclusively under Islamic banking principles, meaning that conventional interest-bearing accounts and products are not offered. All banking products are structured as Sharia-compliant instruments (murabaha, musharaka, ijara). For international counterparties unfamiliar with Islamic finance:

• Trade finance and letters of credit are common in cross-border transactions
• Currency: Sudanese Pound (SDG)
• Sudan is not a SEPA country — international transfers use SWIFT
• BIC/SWIFT code is required alongside the IBAN for all cross-border payments

Compliance and Sanctions Considerations

International transfers to and from Sudan are subject to significant compliance requirements. While the United States lifted most Sudan-related sanctions in 2017, Sudan remains subject to ongoing monitoring by OFAC and other regulatory bodies, and the political situation has resulted in evolving sanctions posture in subsequent years. Before initiating any payment to a Sudanese bank:

• Check current OFAC SDN list: Verify that the receiving bank and any named individuals are not listed on the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list.
• Correspondent banking availability: Many international banks have reduced or eliminated correspondent banking relationships with Sudanese institutions. Confirm with your bank that a viable SWIFT routing path exists.
• Enhanced due diligence: AML/CFT regulations in most jurisdictions require enhanced due diligence for transfers to or from Sudan. Document the business purpose of the payment.
• Political risk: Sudan experienced a military coup in 2021 and ongoing conflict since 2023. Payments may face delays or rejections due to correspondent bank de-risking. Verify current transfer feasibility with your compliance team.

For bulk payment runs that include multiple African market IBANs, use the ibanchecker.cash bulk checker to validate format and structure before submission — this catches IBAN errors before they interact with compliance screening.

Common Sudan IBAN Mistakes

Confusing SD with SS (South Sudan)

South Sudan (SS) gained independence in 2011 and does not use the IBAN standard. An IBAN beginning with SS is not a valid IBAN. All IBANs for the Republic of Sudan (Khartoum) begin with SD.

Wrong Length — 16 or 20 Characters

The Sudanese IBAN is exactly 18 characters. At 18 characters it is one of the shorter IBAN formats; a count below 18 typically means a missing digit. Count carefully after removing all spaces.

Alpha Characters in the BBAN

The entire Sudanese BBAN is numeric. Any alphabetic character after the country code and check digits indicates an incorrect IBAN.

SWIFT BIC Lookup for Sudanese Banks

Look up BIC codes for Sudanese banks prior to initiating an international wire using the ibanchecker.cash SWIFT directory. Cross-referencing the bank name against the IBAN bank code adds a layer of verification before the payment is submitted.

Last updated: June 2026