CAMT.053 format explained

The ISO 20022 XML bank statement — the modern, structured successor to MT940 used across SEPA and PSD2.

ISO 20022 camt.053 Bank-to-Customer Statement

Format type	XML (ISO 20022)
File extension	.xml
Standard body	ISO 20022
Common version	camt.053.001.02
Predecessor	SWIFT MT940
Encoding	UTF-8 XML

What is CAMT.053?

CAMT.053 is the ISO 20022 "Bank-to-Customer Statement" — an XML document that delivers an end-of-day bank statement with far more structure than the older MT940 text format. The "CAMT" family stands for Cash Management; 053 is specifically the booked statement.

Because it is XML, every field is explicitly named and typed: balances carry ISO type codes (OPBD, CLBD), amounts carry a currency attribute, and each transaction can nest full references, counterparties and remittance information. That richer structure is why accounting software can auto-match a CAMT.053 statement more accurately than a flat MT940.

Under SEPA and PSD2, CAMT.053 is the direction of travel: banks increasingly deliver it natively to business customers. For everyone still receiving only a PDF, converting that PDF to a valid camt.053.001.02 file is the bridge into modern bookkeeping imports.

Where it comes from

ISO 20022 is the global standard for financial messaging, designed to replace the fragmented SWIFT MT catalogue with a single XML-based dictionary. CAMT.053 is its statement message — the direct successor to MT940.

Most Dutch and European accounting packages target version camt.053.001.02 specifically. Newer minor versions exist, but 001.02 remains the widely-supported interchange version, so a converter should emit that unless told otherwise.

When to use it

Choose CAMT.053 when your software offers it as an import option — it generally produces better automatic matching than MT940 thanks to its structured references and party details.

CAMT.053 structure & fields

CAMT.053 is a nested XML document. The root <Document> wraps one <BkToCstmrStmt>, which contains a group header and one or more <Stmt> statements. Each statement carries account details, balances, and a repeating <Ntry> (entry) element per transaction. The main elements:

Tag / element	Field	Required	Description
BkToCstmrStmt	Bank-to-Customer Statement	Mandatory	Root business message: one group header plus one or more statements.
GrpHdr	Group Header	Mandatory	Message-level metadata: MsgId (unique message id) and CreDtTm (creation timestamp).
Stmt	Statement	Mandatory	One account statement: identification, sequence number, account, balances and entries.
Stmt/Acct	Account	Mandatory	Account the statement covers — Id/IBAN, currency (Ccy) and optional owner.
Stmt/Bal	Balance	Mandatory	A balance with a type code: OPBD (opening booked), CLBD (closing booked), CLAV (closing available), FWAV (forward available).
Bal/Amt	Balance Amount	Mandatory	Amount with a Ccy currency attribute, paired with a CdtDbtInd (CRDT/DBIT) indicator.
Ntry	Entry	Mandatory	One booked transaction: amount, credit/debit indicator, status, booking date and value date.
Ntry/Amt	Entry Amount	Mandatory	Transaction amount with currency attribute. A period is the decimal separator in XML.
Ntry/CdtDbtInd	Credit/Debit Indicator	Mandatory	CRDT or DBIT — direction of the entry (replaces the MT940 D/C mark).
Ntry/BkTxCd	Bank Transaction Code	Optional	Structured domain/family/sub-family code classifying the transaction type.
NtryDtls/TxDtls	Transaction Details	Optional	Per-transaction detail: references (Refs), related parties (RltdPties), remittance info (RmtInf).

Example CAMT.053 file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Document xmlns="urn:iso:std:iso:20022:tech:xsd:camt.053.001.02">
  <BkToCstmrStmt>
    <GrpHdr>
      <MsgId>STMT-2026-0601</MsgId>
      <CreDtTm>2026-06-01T08:00:00</CreDtTm>
    </GrpHdr>
    <Stmt>
      <Id>00001</Id>
      <Acct><Id><IBAN>NL00INGB0001234567</IBAN></Id><Ccy>EUR</Ccy></Acct>
      <Bal>
        <Tp><CdOrPrtry><Cd>OPBD</Cd></CdOrPrtry></Tp>
        <Amt Ccy="EUR">1500.00</Amt><CdtDbtInd>CRDT</CdtDbtInd>
      </Bal>
      <Ntry>
        <Amt Ccy="EUR">45.00</Amt><CdtDbtInd>DBIT</CdtDbtInd>
        <Sts>BOOK</Sts>
        <BookgDt><Dt>2026-06-02</Dt></BookgDt>
        <NtryDtls><TxDtls>
          <RmtInf><Ustrd>Invoice 2026-0042</Ustrd></RmtInf>
        </TxDtls></NtryDtls>
      </Ntry>
      <Bal>
        <Tp><CdOrPrtry><Cd>CLBD</Cd></CdOrPrtry></Tp>
        <Amt Ccy="EUR">1455.00</Amt><CdtDbtInd>CRDT</CdtDbtInd>
      </Bal>
    </Stmt>
  </BkToCstmrStmt>
</Document>

A single-transaction CAMT.053 statement. Note the period decimal separator, the OPBD/CLBD balance type codes, the CRDT/DBIT direction indicators, and the namespace pinning the version to camt.053.001.02.

Common CAMT.053 pitfalls

Pin the right version namespace

The xmlns on <Document> declares the version (camt.053.001.02). Importers validate against it; an unexpected version namespace is the most common reason a CAMT file is rejected outright.

Period decimals, currency as an attribute

Unlike MT940, XML amounts use a period decimal separator (1500.00) and the currency lives in the Ccy attribute on <Amt>, not inline. Mixing these up fails schema validation.

Direction is CRDT/DBIT, not a sign

Each entry and balance pairs an amount with a <CdtDbtInd> of CRDT or DBIT. As with MT940, getting the indicator wrong inverts the cash flow without any visible error.

Balances need the right type codes

A statement must include at least an opening (OPBD) and closing (CLBD) booked balance with correct dates; available balances (CLAV/FWAV) are optional. Missing or mistyped balances break reconciliation.

Which software imports CAMT.053

CAMT.053 is accepted by modern European bookkeeping and ERP software, including:

Exact (Online & Globe)Imports CAMT.053 (camt.053.001.02) bank statements.

TwinfieldNative CAMT.053 import, often the preferred format.

SnelStartAccepts CAMT.053 alongside MT940.

e-Boekhouden.nlSupports CAMT.053 uploads.

AFASCAMT.053 bank import for SEPA statements.

Banks via PSD2 / EBICSMost SEPA banks deliver CAMT.053 directly to business customers.

Like MT940, CAMT.053 is not consumed by QuickBooks or Xero — they expect OFX/QBO or CSV. Use CSV for those.

Related format

MT940 — MT940 is the older SWIFT plain-text format that CAMT.053 replaces.

CAMT.053 — frequently asked questions

What is a CAMT.053 file?

It is an ISO 20022 XML bank statement — the "Bank-to-Customer Statement" message — containing account details, opening and closing balances, and one structured entry per transaction, ready to import into accounting software.

How do I open a CAMT.053 file?

It is XML, so a text editor or browser will display it, but it is meant to be imported into bookkeeping software (Exact, Twinfield, SnelStart). To read the figures in a spreadsheet, convert the statement to Excel or CSV.

Is CAMT.053 better than MT940?

For automatic matching, usually yes — its structured references, counterparties and balance type codes give the software more to work with. MT940 is simpler and still universally supported, so the best choice is whichever your package prefers.

Can I generate CAMT.053 from a PDF statement?

In principle yes — a PDF statement carries the transactions and balances a CAMT.053 file needs. BankFormats currently exports Excel and CSV rather than CAMT.053; most packages that read CAMT.053 also accept a CSV bank import. For a native camt.053.001.02 XML file you need a converter that writes the ISO 20022 schema directly.

Convert your PDF bank statement

BankFormats turns PDF bank statements into clean Excel and CSV — every transaction extracted, balances that tie out.

Convert a statement

Other formats: MT940