SWIFT/BIC codes in France: banks starting with C
2,801 banks and financial institutions in France with 4,924 SWIFT/BIC codes in total.
How a SWIFT/BIC code from France is built up
A SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters. Each part has a fixed meaning:
- SEFE Bank code
- 4 letters that identify the bank.
- FR Country code
- 2 letters for the country (ISO 3166).
- 21 Location code
- 2 characters for the city or region of the head office.
- XXX Branch code
- 3 characters for a specific branch. XXX means the head office.
France: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes
Here you will find codes for 2801 institutions in France. Every code identifies a bank or one of its branches, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.
Search for the recipient’s bank below and click through for the full list of codes and the details a transfer needs. Below the list you can read how a code from France is put together, how to send money there without overpaying and how to check a code before you pay.
Sending money to France for less
An international bank payment to France often costs more than the fee suggests. Besides a fixed fee, intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank usually uses a rate below the actual market rate.
Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. A simple test: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.
Specialist money transfer services frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before your next transfer to France, it is worth to compare what arrives via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.
Sending EUR to France
France uses the Euro. A payment in a foreign currency is converted into EUR before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.
Who does the conversion affects the final amount. In many cases it is cheaper to send EUR straight away via a provider with a good rate. Exchange rates move during the day.
How long does a transfer to France take?
A SWIFT payment to France typically needs anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Payments made late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day.
If a transfer seems delayed, ask the sender to contact the sending bank; only the sending side can start an official trace. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived; a bank needs it to start a trace.
Most SWIFT codes in France: Credit Agricole
Credit Agricole leads our list of France banks in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is AGRIFRPP802.
The number of codes tells you something about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Unless a branch code is given, AGRIFRPP802 is fine for a payment to Credit Agricole.
SEPA transfers to France
Since France is part of the SEPA zone, a euro payment to a bank in France normally only needs an IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC in that case.
You will still need a SWIFT code for non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. Euro payments within SEPA normally land within one business day or faster with instant payments. Provided no conversion is involved, the transfer is usually cheap.
How reliable is this list?
The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a returned payment or additional charges – compare it with the code in our list.
We gather bank codes using publicly available data and check them regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes and our data may lag behind. Use this list as a starting point, not as the final word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.
Watch out for invoices with a new account, especially when they come by email. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details by phone, using a number you already had.
Banks in France starting with :letter
Here you see a selection: only banks in France whose name begins with :letter. The figures for France on this page apply to all 2801 banks and not only this letter.
Many institutions appear under their official name rather than the name on their app or website. Use the full list for France when you are not sure how the name is spelled.
How SWIFT codes from France are built
Bank identifier codes use the same format worldwide: eight characters. It starts with four letters for the bank, followed by two letters for the country and two characters for the location.
Whatever the bank, every code from France share the same country code in positions five and six: the ISO code of the country. A code with other letters in that position belong to a bank abroad.
If the last three are XXX, it refers to the head office. Use a branch code only when the recipient explicitly gives you one.
What a sender needs to pay you in France
A sender in another country needs a few details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and usually your address.
Find your bank in the list on this page – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks may also ask for the name and address of your bank, so keep it at hand.
What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank; check the price list of your bank. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.
Frequently asked questions
How many banks in France have a SWIFT/BIC code?
Our directory lists 2,801 institutions in France with 4,924 SWIFT/BIC codes.
Which bank in France has the most SWIFT codes?
Credit Agricole has the most codes: 580 in our database. Its head office code is AGRIFRPP802.
What is the cheapest way to send money to France?
Banks often add a markup to the exchange rate. Compare what arrives in Euro across transfer services to save money.
How do I recognise a SWIFT/BIC code from France?
Characters 5 and 6 of every SWIFT/BIC code are the country code. For France this is FR.
How long does a transfer to France take?
Euro transfers normally arrive the next business day, instant payments within seconds. Other currencies take 1–3 business days.
Source: listbase-org SWIFT/BIC database (MIT licence), updated monthly. Always verify the code with the recipient or their bank.