How to Send Money from the UK to France: Checks, Declarations and Bank Accounts (2026)

Moving your money from sterling to euros sounds like a small admin task. It is also where people lose the most through an unclear exchange rate, and where two sets of rules meet: UK financial regulation on the way out, and French tax reporting on the way in. This guide explains how to compare options, what to check on a provider, what to expect when you move a large sum, and what your accounts mean once you live in France.

It does not recommend a provider and does not quote rates or fees, because they change and differ by amount and by day. Nothing here is personal tax or legal advice: it describes the rules and says who decides.

The three usual ways to move pounds into euros

You will generally meet three kinds of provider.

• Your UK bank. You send a payment from your current account to a euro account. It is convenient, and it is the one you already have set up.
• A specialist currency transfer firm. These firms exist to convert and send money between currencies, often with a dedicated dealing service for larger amounts.
• A money transfer service or app. Usually an online service built for sending money abroad, often for smaller or regular amounts. Wise is one example (our referral link, and the same compare-the-euros test applies to it).

The categories overlap, and a firm can fit more than one. What matters is not the label but the price you get, the safeguards around your money, and whether the firm is regulated in the UK.

How to compare: the rate matters as much as the fee

A provider can show a low fee and still give you few euros, because the exchange rate it uses is part of what you pay. To compare two quotes properly, put the same amount of pounds into each and look at one number: how many euros will arrive in the French account.

Then ask a few plain questions on each provider’s own pages:

• Is there a fee, and is it fixed or a percentage?
• Which exchange rate will you be given, and is it fixed when you book or when the money is sent?
• Are there charges at the receiving end, or from your own bank?
• How long does it take, and what is the maximum you can send? Read the limit on the provider’s own page, not on a comparison site, as limits depend on the provider and on how you pay.

Rates move during the day. A quote you saved last week is only a rough guide, so compare on the day you plan to send.

Check the firm before you send anything

Payment and money transfer firms are regulated in the UK. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says that payments and e-money services, such as online wallets and money transfers, are regulated, so a firm should be authorised or, for certain small firms, registered.

The FCA tells consumers to use its Firm Checker before buying a financial product or service. The checker shows whether a firm is authorised and has permission for the service you want. If it is not, the FCA says not to deal with it.

Authorised or only registered

The FCA page on checking a firm explains the difference. Authorised firms must meet certain standards and have the FCA’s permission. Registered firms meet lighter requirements. If you use a firm that is registered but not authorised, you are unlikely to have protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if the firm goes out of business, and you will not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you want to complain.

What the FCA register shows

The Financial Services Register is described by the FCA as the official public record for all firms and individuals. Use it to:

1. Search by the firm’s name or its firm reference number.
2. Check the firm’s status and the permissions it holds.
3. Look at its history, including the “Disciplinary and regulatory action” section for a firm that has been revoked.
4. Check that the contact details you were given match the register. A clone firm is a copy of a genuine, authorised firm, so matching details are a basic safeguard.
5. Check the FCA Warning List for unauthorised firms.

Agents

Some payment firms operate as agents of another firm, called the principal. The FCA says to check with the principal what the agent is permitted to do, and warns that if an agent goes out of business your money won’t be protected by the FSCS. If an agent goes beyond what the principal has agreed, you may not be covered by the Financial Ombudsman.

Large transfers and source of funds questions

If you are moving the proceeds of a property sale, savings or an inheritance, expect questions. Firms in the UK must understand who they are dealing with, and the FCA’s Financial Crime Guide explains the idea in two terms.

• Source of funds is the origin of the funds involved in a transaction.
• Source of wealth describes how a customer acquired their total wealth.

The guide says firms establish these because they can be useful for ongoing monitoring and due diligence, helping a firm see whether the level and type of transaction is consistent with its knowledge of the customer. (FCA Handbook, Financial Crime Guide.)

In practice, a large or unusual payment can bring a request for paperwork. That is not an accusation. Keep the documents that explain the money, such as a completion statement from a sale, bank statements or probate papers, and answer the request promptly. If you plan to sell a UK home, see selling UK property when moving to France.

Carrying cash is a different matter

Ordinary bank transfers are not covered by the customs rule on carried money. The service-public.gouv.fr page on moving money out of France covers cash and similar items you carry across a border: you must declare money you carry when its value is 10,000 euros or more, and above 50,000 euros you must provide a document proving where it came from. The page says it does not address bank transfers. The point for you is simple: send large sums by traceable transfer, not in your luggage.

French reporting of foreign accounts

Once you are tax resident in France, your UK accounts become “foreign accounts” in French terms. The service-public.gouv.fr page on accounts opened abroad (checked 9 July 2026) says that private individuals domiciled in France must report foreign accounts that were open, held, used or closed during the tax year. This covers accounts with a bank or another provider, digital asset accounts on foreign platforms, and life insurance contracts opened abroad.

Points from that page worth knowing:

• You report them at the same time as your annual income tax return, and you attach a statement for each account.
• Online banks count: check the IBAN, and if it does not start with FR, treat it as a foreign account.
• Being only a proxy holder on an account is also covered.
• The fine for an undeclared bank account is 1,500 euros per account, or 10,000 euros if the account is in a state without a tax evasion and avoidance convention with France. An 80% increase on the duties due on the amounts in the account can replace the fixed fine.

The tax office’s page for the form, impots.gouv.fr form 3916, states that individuals, associations and non-commercial companies must declare foreign bank accounts and digital asset accounts, and capitalisation contracts such as life insurance, together with their income tax return. It lists form 3916 for 2026, and form 3916 and 3916 bis for 2025 and 2024. Check the current form when you file.

On the 2026 tax return, service-public.gouv.fr (page verified on 9 July 2026, read on 17 October 2026) names the attachment as the “2026 Statement of Accounts Opened, Used or Closed Abroad”, one for each account.

Whether you are tax resident in France in a given year, and what you owe, is decided by the French tax authorities under French law. Ask a qualified adviser about your own case.

Opening a French bank account

Many people open the French account before they arrive, or soon after. The service-public.gouv.fr page on individual bank accounts lists what a bank asks for: a valid official photo ID such as a passport or residence permit, and proof of address such as a tax notice, a lease receipt or a water or electricity bill. If you are hosted, the bank may also ask for a certificate of accommodation. For an online account, the bank may verify your documents through a certified provider and may ask for a first payment from or to another account in your name.

Opening an account is free, but the bank may charge account maintenance fees. The page says the bank is free to refuse. If it does, it must tell you that you can contact the Banque de France. For the steps of that procedure and the full list of documents, see opening a French bank account as a UK citizen.

If a bank refuses you

The right to an account page says you can use the procedure if you live in France and do not already hold a deposit account there. The bank must give you a letter stating the reason for the refusal. If it does not reply within 15 days, that silence counts as a refusal. Once the Banque de France has your documents, it has one working day to designate a bank by post, and that bank must open your account within three working days of receiving the required documents.

RIB and IBAN

Your French bank will give you a RIB, the document with your account details and IBAN, which you need for salary, direct debits and the transfers in this guide. Our guide to the RIB, IBAN and French payment methods explains how they are used day to day. It is written for Americans, but the French system it describes is the same for you.

Keeping your UK account

Many people keep a UK current account for UK income, bills and a pension. Nothing in the sources above stops you doing so, but the French reporting rule applies to it every year it is open, used or closed. If your UK pension is paid into it, see the UK State Pension in France. For the wider plan, see moving to France from the UK.

Related guides for British readers

• Our guide to tax when you move from the UK to France explains how French and UK tax residence are decided, what to tell HMRC when you leave and what the UK-France treaty says about each type of income.

FAQ

Is a bank transfer or a specialist firm cheaper?

It depends on the amount, the day and the provider, so no general answer is safe. Compare how many euros arrive for the same amount of pounds, including any fee and any charge at the receiving end.

How do I know a transfer firm is legitimate?

Search for it on the FCA Firm Checker and the Financial Services Register, confirm its status and permissions, and check that the contact details match the register. If it is an agent, check the principal’s permissions too.

Do I have to declare my UK bank account in France?

If you are domiciled in France for tax, service-public.gouv.fr says foreign accounts open, held, used or closed during the year must be reported with your income tax return, with a statement for each account. Your own situation is for the French tax authorities and your adviser.

Why did my bank ask where the money came from?

The FCA’s Financial Crime Guide says firms use source of funds information to judge whether a transaction fits what they know about the customer. A large sum can prompt the question, and having documents ready speeds things up.

Can a French bank refuse to open my account?

Yes, service-public.gouv.fr says the bank is free to refuse. It must give you a letter with the reason and tell you about the Banque de France right to an account procedure.