SWIFT/BIC codes in France: banks starting with V

France: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Our directory covers 2801 banks and financial institutions in France. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain exactly which bank is meant to get an international payment.

Choose a bank from the list to view the head office code and its other codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. The rest of this page explain the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before a payment.

Banks in France beginning with the letter :letter

The letter filter narrows the list down to banks in France starting with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The counts in the introduction always cover all banks in France, not just this letter.

If a bank is missing here, check the full list – the registered name can differ from the name people use. The full overview for France is one click away if you cannot find the bank here.

How reliable is this list?

Have the recipient copy the account details directly from their banking app. An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a payment being sent back or extra fees.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list regularly. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes and our data may lag behind. Treat this list as a reference rather than the last word: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and has no link to the banks in this list.

Watch out for payment requests containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

Paying in euros to France

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to France use common rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. The BIC field is often optional in that case.

A SWIFT code still come into play for payments in other currencies. Instant euro transfers are increasingly available across SEPA. Costs stay low provided everything stays in euros.

Recognising a SWIFT code from France

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters long. Characters one to four identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can spot a code from France by the fifth and sixth characters: they always show the ISO country code of France. When the country letters do not match France, you are looking at a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch, where XXX means the head office. Use a branch code just if the recipient’s bank asks for it.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

France uses the Euro, with the currency code EUR. If you send money in a different currency, it gets converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. In many cases you pay less if you send EUR straight away through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. With bigger transfers, even a small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

Which bank in France has the most codes?

Of all banks in France, Credit Agricole has the largest number of SWIFT codes. Its main office has AGRIFRPP802; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

The number of codes says something about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Making a payment to Credit Agricole? Go with AGRIFRPP802 unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Transfer times to France

How fast a payment reaches France depends on several factors: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Bank holidays in France or in the sending country can add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Money transfer services often provide tracking online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Sending money to France for less

What you pay for a transfer to France is made up of several parts, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. You pay a transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate. The difference is your real cost.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. GoldexPay compares these providers next to each other, showing the amount that reaches the recipient for the same amount sent.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in France

If you are waiting for a payment from another country on an account in France, give the sender a complete set of details. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Find your bank in the list above. Certain banks also ask for your bank’s address.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. Agree with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.