Transfer guide · UK → France
Send money from the UK to France
Funding a French property purchase, a second home, or a euro account. The process, the timing, and where the real money is won or lost.
This route at a glance
Network
SWIFT (not SEPA)
Typical timing
2–5 working days
You will need
IBAN (FR) + BIC
Best for a property purchase
Specialist broker
The short answer
To send money from the UK to France, you convert pounds to euros and transfer to a French account identified by its IBAN (which begins FR) and BIC. SEPA moves euros between euro accounts but does not convert currencies, so the pound-to-euro conversion routes through the SWIFT network — and on a large sum such as a property deposit, the exchange rate matters far more than any transfer fee. The difference between two rates on a six-figure purchase can run to thousands of pounds.
Who this guide is for
This guide is written for larger, one-off transfers from a UK sterling account to France: funding a French property purchase through the notaire, buying a second home, moving money into a French euro account, or supporting family living in France. If you are sending small amounts regularly, the mechanics are the same but the exchange rate matters proportionally less.
Bank, broker or app: how the options compare
| How they compare | High-street bank | Specialist currency broker | Money-transfer app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange rate | Margin built into the rate; typically the widest | Margin built into the rate; typically tighter on large sums | Often the mid-market rate plus a visible fee |
| Transfer fee | Flat fee, commonly £5–£25 plus possible intermediary charges | Usually none | Upfront fee, varies by amount |
| Best suited to | Convenience if funds are already with the bank | Large transfers where the rate dominates | Smaller transfers where fees are visible |
| Dedicated dealer | Rarely | Usually | No |
| Forward contracts | Limited | Commonly available | No |
How to send money from the UK to France, step by step
01
Confirm the currencies
You are converting pounds to euros. SEPA moves euros between euro accounts but does not convert currencies, so the GBP-to-EUR leg routes through SWIFT.
02
Gather the French account details
The account holder’s name and address, the French IBAN (French IBANs begin FR and run to 27 characters) and the bank’s BIC. For a purchase, this is often the notaire’s client account.
03
Get a live quote
Ask your bank and at least one broker to quote the same pound amount at the same time. The gap between them is the cost you can control.
04
Decide on timing
If a completion date is fixed with the notaire, a forward contract can fix today’s rate for settlement later, removing the risk of a move against you before completion.
05
Fund and send
Move pounds from your UK account to the provider, confirm the euro amount the French account will receive, and release the transfer.
06
Track settlement
A cross-border transfer typically takes up to a few working days depending on intermediary banks. Your provider confirms when euros arrive.
What it costs — and where the cost hides
There are two costs on any UK-to-France transfer, and they are wildly different in size. The first is the transfer fee — commonly £5 to £25 with a bank, often nothing with a broker, and an upfront charge with an app. The second is the exchange rate margin, the gap between the interbank rate and the rate you are given. No UK currency broker publishes its margin — the one figure we could not verify in our ranking methodology — but on a property-sized purchase it dwarfs any fee.
Worked example, using illustrative round rates. Buying a €400,000 French property, converting at a GBP/EUR rate of 1.17 costs about £341,900. At 1.14 it costs about £350,900. That is a difference of roughly £9,000 on the same purchase — driven entirely by the rate, not the fee.
The figures above are illustrative, not today’s rate. The point is the scale: a fraction of a percentage point on the exchange rate is worth more than any transfer fee on a six-figure sum. This is why comparing live quotes matters more than hunting for “no fees.”
Timing and exchange rate risk
The pound-to-euro rate moves continuously, so the number of euros your pounds buy depends on when you convert. If your transfer is tied to a future event — a property completion, a staged payment, a fixed deadline — the risk is that the rate moves against you before you send.
A forward contract lets you fix today’s rate for a transfer settling up to around two years ahead, which removes that uncertainty. A market order can target a specific rate and execute automatically if the market reaches it. Both are offered by most specialist brokers and rarely by banks or apps. Which tool fits depends on your deadline and how much rate movement you can tolerate.
Why a specialist broker matters on this corridor
UK-to-France transfers are frequently large and frequently tied to a property completion, which makes both the rate and the timing consequential. A specialist currency broker typically offers a tighter margin on large sums than a high-street bank, provides a dedicated dealer who can talk through timing around the notaire’s schedule, and can arrange forward contracts to fix a rate before completion — the combination that matters most on this corridor. For a smaller transfer where you simply want visible pricing, a mid-market-rate app may serve you better.
Whichever route you choose, the deciding step is the same: get live quotes from more than one provider for the same amount at the same time, and compare what actually reaches France. See our comparison of UK currency brokers and our individual broker reviews to shortlist providers, then request quotes from two or three.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a transfer from the UK to France take?
A cross-border pound-to-euro transfer typically takes up to a few working days — often one to three — depending on how many intermediary banks are involved and the cut-off times. A specialist broker can usually confirm a firm timeline once the transfer is booked.
Do I use SEPA or SWIFT to send pounds to a French euro account?
Both can be involved. SEPA moves euros between euro accounts but does not convert currencies, so the pound-to-euro conversion routes through the SWIFT network; a provider may then use SEPA for the final euro leg into France. In practice your provider handles both.
What details do I need to send money to a French bank?
The recipient’s name and address, their French IBAN (which begins FR and is 27 characters long) and the receiving bank’s BIC. Your provider may also ask for a payment reference — for a purchase, the notaire usually supplies one.
Can I fix the exchange rate before my French property completes?
A forward contract lets you fix a rate now for settlement on a future date, which many buyers use to remove rate risk between signing the compromis de vente and the final acte. Most specialist brokers offer them; banks and apps generally do not.
Is it cheaper to use a currency broker or my bank?
On a large transfer, a specialist broker is usually cheaper because its exchange rate margin tends to be tighter than a bank’s — but neither publishes its margin, so the only way to know is to compare live quotes for the same amount at the same time.
Are there tax implications on sending money to France?
Moving your own money to buy property is not itself taxed, but a French property purchase carries notaire and registration costs, and a gift to a French resident can attract French gift tax. Tax is outside the scope of this guide and outside our expertise — speak to a notaire or a qualified tax adviser. This page covers the money-transfer mechanics only.
Related guides
Sending the other way? See transferring money from France to the UK. To compare corridors, browse the send money abroad hub, or start a French purchase from the Spain-to-UK guide if you are moving between the two.
Compare brokers for your France transfer
Shortlist a provider from our comparison of seven FCA-authorised UK currency brokers, then request live quotes from two or three.
Last updated 15 July 2026 · Compiled and checked by Charlie Hinwick, ACCA. Nothing on this page is a personal recommendation or regulated financial or tax guidance — for your own circumstances, speak to a suitably qualified professional. Exchange rates move, and past rates are not a guide to future rates. Transfer process details are general; confirm requirements with your provider before you send.