Founded in 1907 by Julio Urquijo. In 1922 it became an organ of Eusko Ikaskuntza, with Julio Urquijo continuing as director up to the 1936 Civil War. Since 1983, date in which the RIEV reappeared, it was directed by Julio Caro Baroja, up to his death in 1995. Continued by Juan Garmendia Larrañaga (1996-97), Gregorio Monreal Zia (1998-2005), Aingeru Zabala Uriarte (2005-2015). From 2015, the Director is Nicanor Ursua Lezaun.
Published every six months, it is intended to be a meeting point and a space for confrontation of ideas, tendencies and scientific theories from various disciplines.
The RIEV. Cuadernos monographic collection, without a fixed periodicity, was created as part of the centenary celebrations of the Revista Internacional de los Estudios Vascos, RIEV (International Journal on Basque Studies).