Timor-Leste IBAN Format (TL) — Structure, Length & Example

The Timor-Leste IBAN is 23 characters long and uses the country code TL. Timor-Leste (also known as East Timor) is a young nation in Southeast Asia that gained full independence in 2002. Its banking sector has grown rapidly since independence, underpinned by oil and gas revenues from the Timor Sea. The official currency is the United States Dollar (USD), which Timor-Leste adopted at independence. Timor-Leste is not a SEPA member; all international transfers use the SWIFT network.

Timor-Leste IBAN at a Glance

• Country code: TL
• Total length: 23 characters (always)
• Format: TLkk bbb cccccccccccccc xx
• BBAN length: 19 characters
• Character types: 3-digit bank code + 14-digit account number + 2-digit national check digits
• SEPA member: No
• Currency: United States Dollar (USD)

Timor-Leste IBAN Structure Explained

1. Country Code — TL (2 characters)

The ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Timor-Leste. Every Timorese IBAN begins with TL.

2. Check Digits — kk (2 digits)

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

3. Bank Code — bbb (3 digits)

A 3-digit numeric code identifying the bank. Major Timorese banks and their codes:

• 008 — Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) — a historical Portuguese bank with a continuing presence in Timor-Leste, providing retail and commercial banking services.
• 005 — Bank Mandiri (East Timor branch) — the Indonesian state-owned bank which was among the first to operate in the territory after independence.
• 006 — ANZ Timor-Leste — the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group, offering trade finance and corporate banking.
• 001 — Banco de Comércio e Indústria (BCI) — a joint venture bank focused on SME lending and retail banking for Timorese residents.
• 010 — Instituição de Microfinanças de Timor-Leste (IMFTL) — microfinance institution providing rural and community-level financial services.

4. Account Number — cccccccccccccc (14 digits)

A 14-digit numeric account number. All digits; no alphabetic characters. Leading zeros are significant and must be preserved in all payment instructions.

5. National Check Digits — xx (2 digits)

Two additional national check digits at the end of the BBAN, computed using a country-specific algorithm. These provide an extra layer of local error detection on top of the standard IBAN MOD-97 check digits.

Timor-Leste IBAN Example Explained

TL38 008 0012345678910 157

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

• Country: TL (Timor-Leste)
• Check digits: 38
• Bank code: 008 (Banco Nacional Ultramarino)
• Account number: 00123456789101 (14 digits)
• National check digits: 57

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

How Timor-Leste IBAN Validation Works

1. Country code check: The first two characters must be exactly TL.
2. Length check: The IBAN must be exactly 23 characters after removing all spaces.
3. Character type check: The entire 19-character BBAN must consist of decimal digits only — no letters.
4. MOD-97 check: Move the first four characters to the end, replace T=29 and L=21, then divide by 97. A remainder of 1 confirms a valid IBAN.

Timor-Leste Is Not a SEPA Country

Timor-Leste is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 2024 and has no connection to European payment infrastructure. All international transfers to Timorese accounts use the SWIFT network. Practical implications:

• Transfers require both the 23-character IBAN and the BIC/SWIFT code of the receiving bank.
• Processing times are typically 3–5 business days, reflecting Timor-Leste's correspondent banking relationships via Australian and Portuguese intermediaries.
• The USD as the sole official currency simplifies FX handling for USD-denominated transfers.
• SEPA Direct Debit mandates cannot be set up on Timorese accounts.

Look up Timorese bank BIC codes using the ibanchecker.cash SWIFT directory.

Timor-Leste's Banking Sector

The Banco Central de Timor-Leste (BCTL) was established in 2011 as the central bank and financial regulator. Banking penetration has grown significantly since the early 2000s, driven by mobile banking initiatives and microfinance expansion into rural communities. The Petroleum Fund of Timor-Leste, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds relative to GDP in Asia, is managed by the central bank and invests the country's oil and gas revenues internationally.

Cross-border payments to Timor-Leste are common for NGO disbursements, diaspora remittances, and trade finance connected to the agricultural sector (primarily coffee, one of the country's most important export crops).

Common Timor-Leste IBAN Mistakes

Confusing TL with Other Southeast Asian Countries

Most Southeast Asian countries — Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines — do not use IBAN. Timor-Leste is unusual for the region in having adopted the IBAN standard. Do not attempt to use IBAN format for payments to non-IBAN countries in the region.

Wrong Length — Targeting 24 or 22 Characters

The Timor-Leste IBAN is 23 characters — an odd number. Systems expecting even-length IBANs should be updated to accept 23-character IBANs for TL. Any Timorese IBAN with a different character count is invalid.

Omitting National Check Digits

Some older payment systems may truncate the BBAN at 17 characters, omitting the 2 national check digits. This produces an invalid IBAN. Always ensure all 19 BBAN characters (3 bank + 14 account + 2 check) are transmitted.

Bulk Validation for Asia-Pacific Payees

Finance teams disbursing funds to beneficiaries across IBAN-using territories in Asia and the Pacific can validate multiple IBANs simultaneously using the ibanchecker.cash bulk checker. Upload a CSV of up to 100 IBANs for instant per-row validation with country identification, bank code extraction, and error details.

Last updated: June 2026