Personal Finance Money transfer

Receiving a bank transfer from abroad in France: what you need to know

Soufiane Baba

11.11.25

Read time 2 minutes

There are many reasons why French residents abroad might need to send or receive money internationally.

Whether you’re preparing to return to France after several years overseas, sending money home to help loved ones, or repatriating funds for a property purchase, choosing the right transfer method — and provider — is key.

For more flexibility and transparency with your international transfers, consider opening a Wise account. Conversions are always done at the mid-market exchange rate — one of the fairest available — and you’ll know all fees upfront before confirming each transaction.

Discover the Wise account

Receiving or arranging your international transfer

Sending or receiving money between countries isn’t a trivial task. Depending on your location, you may need to comply with local and international regulations.

While transfers to France are generally straightforward, paying attention to the details can help you avoid unnecessary fees or delays.

If you’re expecting a transfer from abroad, here’s what to know to avoid excessive reception charges.

Reception fees for non-SEPA transfers to France

Receiving a money transfer from abroad typically involves several costs. These may include:

Commissions from the sender’s and recipient’s banks
Fees from intermediary banks
Administrative costs
Currency exchange rate markups applied by the bank

Contact your advisor to check your bank’s specific fee schedule.

Below is an overview of international reception fees charged by major French banks:

Bank	Fees
BNP Paribas¹	€11
Banque Postale²	€13.50
CIC³	€17.50
Caisse d’Epargne Île-de-France⁴	€15 + 0.05% currency conversion fee (min. €15)
Wise	Receive 8+ currencies for free, including EUR, USD, and GBP.

Fees verified from each bank’s public pricing schedule; may vary by branch or transfer type.

Reception costs for bank transfers to France

Bank transfer fees may apply both to the sender and the recipient, depending on the transfer type.

Receiving SEPA transfers

A SEPA transfer (Single Euro Payments Area) covers transactions between the 27 EU countries, the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), as well as Switzerland, the UK, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, Montenegro, and Albania.

SEPA transfers are made in euros and are free of additional fees.

Receiving international (non-SEPA) transfers

Non-SEPA transfers are more complex — especially if a currency conversion is involved (e.g. USD to EUR). These transfers usually come with reception fees.

When arranging a non-SEPA transfer, you’ll have three possible options:

BEN (Beneficiary): The recipient pays all fees, which are deducted from the transferred amount.
OUR (Originator): The sender covers all costs, including intermediary bank fees.
SHARE: Each party pays their own bank’s fees and any intermediary charges.

Regulations and requirements for receiving funds in France

Legal obligations

While France has relaxed foreign exchange controls since 1990, certain reporting obligations still apply.

If you live abroad or are returning to France, you may need to declare:

Transfers of funds to or from foreign accounts
Any bank accounts opened or closed abroad

This ensures compliance with French tax regulations.

What information is required to receive money from abroad?

To receive funds from another country, you must provide accurate banking details — usually via your RIB (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire), which includes:

IBAN (International Bank Account Number): a unique identifier for your account (14–34 characters; starts with country code, e.g. FR for France).
BIC (Bank Identifier Code) or SWIFT code: identifies your bank internationally.

These codes ensure that the sender’s bank can route the transfer correctly to your French account.

A smarter alternative: Wise for receiving funds from abroad in France

Want to reduce the cost of receiving transfers from abroad? The Wise account offers an easy, low-cost alternative to traditional banks.

Wise eliminates intermediaries, helping to lower commissions and reception fees — even when currency conversion is required.

All conversions are made using the unmarked mid-market exchange rate, so you’ll always know the exact amount arriving in your account.

With a free-to-open Wise account, you can receive payments from countries like Australia, the Eurozone, the UK, and the US — with no reception fees.

Open your Wise account

Sources:

Last verified on September 21, 2025.

This article is a translation of the original article published in French and was translated within 365 days of publication. While the content has been translated for accessibility, the data and sources referenced have not been updated since the original publication date.

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.