🇫🇷 Sending to France¶
FR · FRA · +33 · SEPA
IBAN required SWIFT BIC required
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Required information¶
For your end users
Double-check the beneficiary's full name (no initials), account number, and bank SWIFT/BIC against what their bank has on file. International wires can take 1-5 business days and may be delayed by sanctions screening.
Real-Time Alternative
SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst)
Last reviewed by GIB compliance on 2026-05-19. Reference material only.
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Currency
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Typical settlement
Same/next business day intra-SEPA; 1-2 days for non-SEPA correspondents.
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SWIFT BIC
Required
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Local clearing
SEPA / TARGET2 (ECB)
Account format¶
How beneficiary account numbers are structured for France. Failure to match this format is the single most common reason wires are rejected at the destination.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Format tier | IBAN required |
| Length | 27 characters (FR + 25) |
| Validation regex | ^FR[0-9]{2}[0-9]{5}[0-9]{5}[0-9A-Za-z]{11}[0-9]{2}$ |
| Example | FR1420041010050500013M02606 |
IBAN Composition
| Component | Length | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Country Code | 2 | FR |
| Check Digits | 2 | 12 |
| Bank Code | 5 | 34567 |
| Branch Code | 5 | 89123 |
| Account Number | 11 | 45678912345 |
| National Code | 2 | 67 |
Routing identifiers¶
Which routing codes the wire-creation API call must include for France.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| SWIFT BIC | Required |
| None | Optional |
| Local clearing | SEPA / TARGET2 (ECB) |
Address format¶
How France expects the beneficiary address to appear on the wire. Free-form variations frequently trigger compliance holds.
- Full Name
- Street Number and Street Name
- Additional Address Info (optional)
- Postal Code + City (all caps)
- FRANCE
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Postal code | Optional — validated against the format below when provided |
| Postal code regex | ^(F-)?((2[A|B])|[0-9]{2})[0-9]{3}$ |
| Postal example | 75008 |
Purpose of payment¶
Put a code from the ISO 20022 list in <Purp><Cd> (purpose_code).
Requirement: ISO 20022 code required
GIB check: a missing or unexpected purpose is reported as a validation warning; the wire is not held.
Not yet confirmed
We have not yet confirmed this country's purpose-of-payment requirement against a central-bank or correspondent-bank source. Including a purpose is recommended. We update these guides as we confirm each country.
Standard list applies
France doesn't publish a country-specific PoP scheme. Use the ISO 20022 standard purpose codes.
Remittance info¶
Extra content the regulator requires inside the free-text remittance field, beyond the purpose-of-payment code.
No special remittance-info requirement - clearly identify the economic reason for the payment.
Compliance triggers¶
Beneficiary tax-ID requirements and rules that activate at certain payment amounts.
| Trigger | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Residency restrictions | EU Payment Services Directive: originating debit account must be in Europe to be SEPA eligible. |
Operational notes¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Currencies accepted | EUR, USD |
| Typical settlement | Same/next business day intra-SEPA; 1-2 days for non-SEPA correspondents. |
| Banking holidays | ↗ Calendar |
Known issues:
- our reference data's FR rules also cover overseas departments: GF (French Guiana), GP (Guadeloupe), MQ (Martinique), NC (New Caledonia), PF (French Polynesia), PM (Saint Pierre and Miquelon), RE (Réunion), WF (Wallis and Futuna), YT (Mayotte).
Common rejection reasons¶
Documented patterns that cause this country's banks to return wires. Universal reasons (sanctions holds, missing BIC) aren't repeated here.
IBAN fails MOD-97 check-digit validation.
Beneficiary name does not match the IBAN's account holder (SEPA name-check / Verification of Payee increasingly enforced).
Originating debit account not located in Europe (SEPA eligibility under EU PSD).
Sanctions or compliance hold.
Validate before you send¶
Check identifiers before you submit. The IBAN check runs in your browser (format plus the ISO 13616 MOD-97 check digit). GIB's API checks the IBAN format for countries where an IBAN is required. The BIC lookup searches GIB's BIC directory and needs a dashboard login.
IBAN check
Format: ^FR[0-9]{2}[0-9]{5}[0-9]{5}[0-9A-Za-z]{11}[0-9]{2}$ · MOD-97 (ISO 13616) check digit verified locally.
BIC lookup
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References¶
First-party sources — central banks, FX regulators, ISO registries. Always re-verify against these before pushing volume to a new corridor.
Disclaimer
These country guides aggregate information from central banks, regulators, and industry-standard references. Global Innovations Bank reviews them on a rolling cadence and notes the verification date on each page. Payment-corridor rules change between releases, so we cannot guarantee continued accuracy.
Always verify against the primary sources linked in the References section before going live in a new corridor. Re-check applicable sanctions lists (OFAC, EU, UK, UN consolidated, and any state-level requirements) at the time of payment, since designations shift between our refreshes.
For fintech partners on GIB's sponsor-bank rails, these guides do not replace your BSA/AML, KYC, sanctions-screening, or transaction-monitoring obligations under your program agreement with GIB.
Nothing in this material constitutes legal, tax, or regulatory advice, and wire-acceptance decisions remain at the discretion of GIB Compliance and the destination bank.