Euroclear France SWIFT/BIC code

SICVFRPP – the SWIFT/BIC code of Euroclear France

SICVFRPP and SICVFRPPXXX are two spellings of the same bank identifier, and both lead to Euroclear France in Paris. A BIC has a single purpose: it ensures that an international payment ends up at the right bank. You will need it mostly for transfers between countries and payments in foreign currencies.

Further down we go through the practical questions: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to verify the code before you hit send. The SWIFT code on its own cannot identify a personal account; that is what the account number or IBAN .

Paying into Euroclear France in EUR

Accounts at Euroclear France are typically held in EUR, the national currency of France. When you pay another currency gets converted at some point – by your bank, by Euroclear France or by a bank in between. Every conversion eats into something.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Often it is cheaper if you send EUR straight away through a provider that converts near the mid-market rate, so that the receiving bank does not need to convert again.

The EUR rate fluctuates throughout the day and quotes are often valid only for a short time. With bigger transfers, even seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

How to check SICVFRPP before you pay

Have the recipient send you the bank details straight from a recent statement. Compare that code against SICVFRPP on this page.

An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a returned payment or extra fees. A mistake in the IBAN or account number is a bigger problem because it can reach the wrong person, so check that just as carefully.

A validity check in your banking app merely confirms that the IBAN is valid. Some banks now compare the payee name against the account – do not ignore a mismatch warning. Sending a small amount first is a sensible step for large sums.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The details here are taken from publicly available data which we refresh regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes, so information can be out of date. Counts and locations come from our directory.

Treat our data as a reference, rather than as the final word: the recipient’s bank details come first. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of Euroclear France. Should you notice a mistake, we appreciate a short note via the contact page.

Receiving money from abroad at Euroclear France

A sender in another country needs a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC SICVFRPPXXX (or SICVFRPP) and sometimes your address.

You can add the bank name and its city as well, since some forms ask for it. A mistake in the IBAN can be harder to fix than you might think.

Money from abroad does not always arrive in full. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Be wary when someone unexpectedly wants you to send money to a different account abroad. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account.

Never rely on a phone number from the same email that contains the change. Watch out for urgent requests, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. If money has already gone to the wrong account, call your bank right away – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

People receiving money are targeted too: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to send back the difference. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

What the XXX in SICVFRPPXXX means

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and two characters for the location. The result is SICVFRPP, the short form of the code.

Most banks and apps work with either length. If a form asks for eleven characters, enter SICVFRPPXXX.

Leave out spaces, dots when you enter SICVFRPP. Look out for the letter O and the digit 0 and I versus 1; they are easy to mix up.

Which of the 5 codes of Euroclear France do you need?

Euroclear France has 5 separate SWIFT/BIC codes across 1 cities. One of them is the head office code, SICVFRPPXXX; the rest belong to branches.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code SICVFRPPXXX is the right choice. When you receive a specific code, use it as it is instead of replacing it for the head office code.

The best way is to copy the code directly from the account holder’s bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

Do you need SICVFRPP for a SEPA transfer?

Inside SEPA, euro payments to an account in France follow common rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. The BIC field is usually optional or missing in that case.

Outside the euro and from non-SEPA countries, SICVFRPPXXX or SICVFRPP remains required. A few forms also show a field for the BIC out of habit; if so, fill in SICVFRPP or SICVFRPPXXX.

Euro payments within SEPA normally land by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Fees for SEPA transfers are generally low, as long as no currency conversion is involved.

What a transfer from Euroclear France abroad really costs

The price of an international transfer has several parts. Besides the transfer fee, banks in between may deduct a fee, and if currencies are converted the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

Many banks rarely list the margin on the rate as a cost. An easy check: put the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

For many currency pairs, a specialist provider is less expensive than a bank. Before your next transfer, it is worth to compare what arrives on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. You can still use your account at Euroclear France to fund the transfer.

How long does an international transfer to Euroclear France take?

How quickly a transfer reaches Euroclear France is determined by a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add a day or more. Sometimes a bank asks what the payment is for before releasing it.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Money transfer services usually show a status online so you can see how far the payment has got.

The bank that sent the money can request a trace or a recall – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Ask the sender for the payment receipt including the reference; that often settles the question quickly.