SWIFT/BIC codes in France

France: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

In France our database holds 4924 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 2801 institutions. A SWIFT code shows every bank in the chain which institution should receive the money.

Each bank has its own page with its main code and if there are any, codes for branches and departments. The sections below explain how the codes work, the cost of transfers and how to avoid mistakes.

Sending money to France for less

An international bank payment to France can cost more than you think. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

The real cost is often in the rate. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialist money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate. Before you send money to France, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

Sending EUR to France

France pays in the Euro. If you send another currency, the amount has to be converted somewhere along the way.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference. Check what EUR arrives with several providers. Rates for EUR change all the time.

What a sender needs to pay you in France

For a transfer from abroad into a France account, the sender needs not just the SWIFT code. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Look up the bank in the list on this page to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. You can include your bank’s name and city as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is below what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs.

Which bank in France has the most codes?

In our directory, Credit Agricole holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in France. Its main office uses AGRIFRPP802 and that code covers most payments.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes, so the count is not a ranking of size. If not the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code AGRIFRPP802 works for transfers to this bank.

How SWIFT codes from France are built

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. It starts with four letters for the bank, followed by two letters for the country and two characters for the location.

You can recognise a bank code from France from the fifth and sixth characters. Codes with other letters in that position come from a bank abroad.

The last three characters, if present, identify a specific branch; XXX means the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Verifying a SWIFT code from France

The best place to find the correct BIC is a document from the bank itself, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. When the code you were given does not match the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

The directory on GoldexPay draws on public sources and is updated regularly. Banks reorganise, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. For a payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. We are an independent comparison service for money transfers.

Watch out for invoices with a new account. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine: criminals use real codes too.

SWIFT codes in France: banks under :letter

Here you see a filtered list: only institutions in France whose name begins with :letter. The counts in the introduction still cover the whole country and not only this selection.

Some banks are listed under their official name rather than the name on their app or website. The full overview for France remains one click away when you cannot find the bank here.

Transfer times to France

There is no single delivery time for payments to France: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Payments made late in the day or just before weekends and holidays often go out the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Save the payment confirmation; a bank needs it to start a trace.

Paying in euros to France

Since France is part of SEPA, a euro transfer to an account in France normally requires just an IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC in that case.

You will still need a SWIFT code when sending payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant euro transfers are increasingly available within SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. Costs stay low as long as no currency is converted – conversion is what costs money.