International transfer with Société Générale: rates and fees

Société Générale is one of the leading French banks and allows you to carry out all kinds of banking transactions, including international transfers. But what do we know about international transfers at Société Générale in terms of fees? What are the procedures for transferring money abroad through this bank? Let's take a look.

To make an international transfer easily and without high fees, consider opening a Wise account. This allows you to transfer money to 140+ countries around the world and ensures currency conversion at the mid-market exchange rate, among other benefits.

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Fees for international transfers with Société Générale¹

Fees for international transfers made outside the SEPA zone

Fees applied to international transfers can take several forms:

• SHARE - fees are shared between the beneficiary and the sender (mandatory for transfers to the EEA zone, regardless of the currency)

• OUR - fees are solely the responsibility of the sender

• BEN - fees are solely the responsibility of the beneficiary (note: transfers must be made in a branch and are not available online)

At Société Générale, the following fees apply to transfers to non-SEPA zones for individuals from April 2, 2025 (in accordance with the conditions and fees applied to banking transactions):

Non-SEPA occasional transfers may incur additional commissions and fees charged by the correspondent bank/beneficiary bank. Société Générale also charges a foreign exchange fee if the transfer involves a currency conversion.

In comparison, the Wise account allows you to send money to 140+ countries, uses the mid-market exchange rate when converting currencies, and does not charge hidden fees.

Fees for international transfers in the SEPA zone

Below are the Société Générale rates that apply to transfers in the SEPA zone:

Via a Wise account, transfers made within the SEPA zone denominated in euros are free.

Fees for receiving international transfers with Société Générale

Please note that, depending on the terms and conditions, commissions and fees charged by the originating bank or correspondent bank may be added.

NB: Receiving transfers within the SEPA zone is free at Société Générale.

How to make an international transfer with Société Générale

Société Générale offers two distinct methods for making international transfers: online or in a branch.

Online international transfer²

If possible, choose an online international transfer as it is less expensive than an in-branch transfer. To do so, visit the Société Générale website or use the dedicated mobile app.

• Log in to your personal account using your username and password.

These are sent by Société Générale by post when you open your account. You can request them again at a branch or from customer service.

• Select the Make a Transfer section

• Click on the International Transfers tab

• Complete all required fields:

1. Sending Account
2. Transfer Recipient Account
3. Currency
4. Transaction Amount

• Execution Date

The recipient account must first be added to your list of beneficiaries and validated/activated by your branch.

• Before confirming, check all the details of the international transfer.

For security reasons, the transaction must be validated using the Security Pass.

International Transfers in Branches

Visit any Société Générale branch during opening hours.

At the counter, ask an advisor to make an international transfer. To do this, bring your ID. Also bring the recipient's bank details, which include their account number in the international format called IBAN, and the SWIFT code to identify the recipient's bank. Indicate the amount, currency, and transfer date.

Information required to make an international transfer

• The recipient's bank details (RIB) containing the following information: account number, IBAN, SWIFT or BIC code.

• A copy of the recipient's ID.

• Indicate the currency, amount, and desired transfer deadline.

Receiving an international transfer

Essential information

You will need to provide:

• Your Société Générale bank details (RIB) including the account number, IBAN, and SWIFT or BIC code.

• The desired currency, amount, and timeframe for receiving the funds.

Timeframe for an International Transfer via Société Générale

Instant SEPA Transfer

Following the transfer order, a maximum delay of a few seconds is required before the funds are made available to the beneficiary. The sender is informed by message or receives a notification on their Société Générale app.³

Classic SEPA Transfer

If the beneficiary is a Société Générale customer, their account is credited the same day as long as the transfer is issued before 6 p.m. Monday to Friday.

If the beneficiary is a customer of another bank, the funds are remitted the following business day, with the receiving bank obligated to credit the beneficiary's account immediately.³

International Transfer

The transaction time for international transfers varies. According to the Banque de France, it generally takes up to 4 business days for its execution.⁴

Aside from any fees incurred by the receiving bank and applicable to the sender, the fees applied depend on the bank's pricing policy. They are also subject to change over time, depending on the economic situation.

As with many traditional banks, the fixed fees and variable commissions applied by Société Générale on international transfers made within the SEPA zone depend on the transaction amount. Generally speaking, most banks do not clearly disclose all the fees payable for international transfers.

With a Wise account, make international transfers without high fees

Among the best-known banks in France and abroad, Société Générale offers a wide range of banking products. It allows you to make international transfers, but as we noted in this guide, this service can be quite expensive at Société Générale.

Instead, consider using less expensive alternatives like the Wise account and benefit from the following advantages:

• The ability to send money to 140+ countries worldwide.

• An account that supports 40+ currencies and converts them at the mid-market exchange rate.

• Minimal fees, clearly stated before confirming the transfer transaction.

• An account that's easy to open.

• No fees to pay to maintain the account.

• An account from which you can obtain account numbers in 8+ currencies to receive funds as a local.

Open your Wise account

Sources:

Sources last verified on April 17, 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.