SWIFT/BIC codes in France: banks starting with Z

France: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

For France our database holds 4924 SWIFT/BIC codes. A BIC tells the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get an international payment.

Search for the bank you need in the list and open its page for the full list of codes and what else a transfer requires. The rest of this page explain the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before you send money.

Incoming international payments in France

A sender in another country needs a few details about your account. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your address.

Your bank’s code appears in the list on this page but always compare it with your own bank details. You can include the name and city of your bank as well.

What lands in your account is often less than what was sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. On invoices, agree who bears the costs.

The largest SWIFT network in France: Credit Agricole

Of the 2801 banks in France, Credit Agricole is listed with the most SWIFT codes. Its head office code is AGRIFRPP802, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

A large number of codes often reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services. If not the recipient asks for a branch, AGRIFRPP802 is fine for transfers to this bank.

France and the SEPA area

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to France follow the same rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. A field for the BIC is usually optional for those payments.

The BIC does matter for payments in other currencies. Instant euro transfers are widely available across SEPA – check whether your bank supports them. Provided the payment stays in euros, the transfer tends to be inexpensive.

Transfer times to France

There is no single delivery time for payments to France: many land within a day while others need several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start a business day later.

If the money seems late, the sender should contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR; only the sending side can start an official trace. Specialist transfer services usually show tracking in their app so you can follow the payment.

How SWIFT codes from France are built

SWIFT/BIC codes use the same format worldwide: eight characters. It starts with four letters for the bank, followed by a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

You can recognise a bank code from France by the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of France. If the country letters do not match France, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else – worth double-checking.

An 11-character code adds three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. Use a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one.

What a transfer to France really costs

When you transfer money to France with your bank, the stated fee is only part of what you pay. On top of a fixed fee, intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often applies a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Specialised transfer providers often use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer to France, it is worth to compare the total cost via GoldexPay.

Paying in EUR: what conversion costs you

Bank accounts in France are typically held in EUR, the local currency. Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into EUR on its way to the recipient – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Check what EUR arrives via several services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. Rates for EUR move all the time – some providers let you lock in a rate.

Filter: banks in France with :letter

You are looking at a filtered list: just banks in France whose name begins with :letter. The totals mentioned above always refer to the whole country.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name may start with a different letter – think of the full legal name instead of the brand. Use the full list for France if you are not sure how the name is spelled.

How reliable is this list?

The best place to find the right code is a document from the bank itself. If the code you have differs from the code listed here, stop and ask.

The directory on GoldexPay draws on public sources and is updated regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes, so information can be out of date. Before any payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient. We are an independent comparison site and not part of any bank listed here.

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