SWIFT/BIC codes in French Guiana

French Guiana: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 3 banks in French Guiana. A SWIFT code shows the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank should receive the money.

Search for the recipient’s bank below and open its page for the full list of codes and what else a transfer requires. Below the list we explain how a code from French Guiana is put together, how to send money there without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

French Guiana and the Euro

The currency of French Guiana is the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR.

Who does the conversion has an effect on how much arrives. In many cases it is cheaper if you send EUR directly via a transfer service with a good rate. Rates for EUR change during the day.

When does money sent to French Guiana arrive?

How fast a payment arrives in French Guiana is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Bank holidays in either country can add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment carries a unique transaction 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.

The largest SWIFT network in French Guiana: Credit Agricole

Of the 3 banks in French Guiana, Credit Agricole is listed with the largest number of codes. Its main office has AGRIGFG1XXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

A large number of codes often reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services. Making a payment to Credit Agricole? Use AGRIGFG1XXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Receiving money in French Guiana from abroad

To receive an international payment in French Guiana, the sender has to have not just the SWIFT code. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

The code of your bank is in the list on this page. Some banks may also ask for your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. On invoices, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable place for the correct BIC remains a document from the bank itself, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have does not match our list, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

The directory on GoldexPay is based on publicly available sources. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes. Treat this list as a reference. We are an independent comparison site and not part of any bank listed here.

Fraudsters often use fake invoices with changed bank details that look completely genuine. A valid BIC says nothing about whether a request is genuine: criminals use real codes too.

Bank or transfer service for French Guiana?

What you pay for a transfer to French Guiana is made up of more than one component, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. Besides the fee, correspondent banks can deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually applies a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: put the rate you get against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers often offer a rate near the mid-market rate. GoldexPay lists these providers side by side so you can see what actually arrives in French Guiana.

Recognising a SWIFT code from French Guiana

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. Characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

Whatever the bank, all French Guiana codes have the same country code in positions five and six, namely the ISO code of French Guiana. A code with a different country code belong to a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

SWIFT transfers to French Guiana

French Guiana is not part of the SEPA area, the European zone for uniform euro payments. Payments from abroad usually travel through the SWIFT network.

Depending on the country, the account is identified by a domestic account number rather than an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. The recipient’s bank usually has a list of required details for incoming international payments – follow them exactly. On the way to French Guiana, a transfer can pass through correspondent banks that charge for their part.