Best Ways to Send Money to France from the USA

Need to send over $10,000 to France?

Opt for a service proven with large transfers when size matters. For transfers over $10,000, your best bet is Wise.


While Wise may not always be the cheapest or fastest way to send USD from United States to France, it’s the provider that will keep you safe and relaxed while your money moves into EUR.

How long do money transfers to France take?

The time it takes to send money to France can be anywhere from minutes to days with a money transfer company, but will likely be at least one week if using a bank directly. The final time will depend on a variety of factors including the provider, the amount, how you're paying, and how the recipient will receive their money in France.

With everything taken into account, the fastest international money transfer provider to France is Paysend and transfers are likely completed within 2 days (if under $10000), usually within hours.

Using a combination of searches for transfers between the USA and France here are the average times you can expect from the best money transfer companies vs banks.

International transfer limits through everyday banks like Chase Bank to France have a cut-off time of 4pm EST, otherwise, they won't be processed until the next business day.

You should also be aware that whilst money transfer companies process these payments same day, some countries will have banking institutions that process slower, so you may still see a couple of days at the end of the transfer before the money shows in an account. On the whole, France and USA are relatively well connected with EUR and USD being two of the biggest currencies globally, so payments are generally complete within the day.

We'd recommend searching for the exact amount you want to transfer to ensure you have all the information for your specific USA to France transfer needs.

Ensure your documents are ready

When sending money from the USA to France you will need to provide personal information and proof of who you are. You will also need the details of the recipient (including where you want to send the money).

Contact details: The contact details you will need will include an address and phone number. It's possible to use either a home or mobile number. In most cases we'd advise using a mobile number, as many companies will provide access to a money transfer app as well, and will often verify payments or logins through messages.

Photo ID: When sending money from the USA to France, or anywhere else for that matter, the ID that you'll be able to use will include:

• Passports

• Drivers licenses

• Military ID cards

• Social security cards.

If you're a French national living in the USA, you can use your French passport, although may need to provide proof of residency such as visa papers. These additional checks may add a little more time to the sign-up process with a provider and may need verification, so if you want to send money quickly be sure to have everything at hand to avoid any delays.

Proof of address: Some providers may ask you to share a utility bill as proof of address.

Tax obligations on money transfers to France

If you are sending more than $10,000 to France, you will have to let the IRS know - even if there is no tax due. Each US resident can make up to $17000 in tax-free transfers per year, although if these transfers are to a French spouse the amount jumps to $175000. A married couple can also merge allowances (upping the basic limit to $34000).

Taxes may be due in France depending on the amount and why the money is being sent

If the money is being sent as a gift from USA To France, and you are related, you can send the amount tax-free - but it will depend on the person you are sending to. For example, a family member with a disability can receive up to €159,325 tax-free, but a great grandchild just €5,310. After these allowances, the amount of tax paid on transfers into France is:

VAT and purchases

Any money transferred for purchases will be subject to value-added tax (VAT) in France. The standard VAT rate in France is 20%.

Property purchases

Money transfers for buying property in France will need clearance from customs for proof of funds and will be subject to all of the necessary property taxes in the country at the point of purchase.

For expats in France, there are also ongoing property taxes to be aware of, which while not impacting the immediate transfer of money, will impact your ongoing costs.

When buying a property in France, we'd recommend dealing with an agent who can also provide a breakdown of ongoing costs ahead of any transfers.

Loans and credit

If you are transferring money as part of a loan or credit agreement, we'd recommend dealing with a currency exchange company that can help with the process. Tax on transfers for this use case will depend on interest rates at the time of transfer, expected time to repay, the purpose of the loan, and your relationship with the borrower.

Customs notifications

Any cash transfers from the USA to France that result in over €10,000 being received are subject to customs declarations, this includes multiple smaller transfers that eventually add up to over the amount. Then, any transfers resulting in over €50,000 received in France require proof of origin for the funds.

Both of these need to be declared in ADVANCE of a transfer being made, and not doing so could significantly impact the time it takes to send money between USA and France. Any false declarations or non-disclosure of cash transfers from the USA to France can result in the confiscation of funds or a fine of up to 50% of the amount transferred.

For larger money transfers amounts we would recommend a personal service, like that offered by a currency broker.

When it comes to calculating the costs of money transfers between United States and France, the mid-market rate paired with fees can make a big difference:

The Mid-Market Rate: Today, the USD-EUR mid-market rate equals to 0.9617. Keep in mind that this rate fluctuates all the time.

The USD-EUR average exchange rate of the past three months has been 0.9191, with a highest of 0.9616 and a lowest of 0.8922.

When in doubt, use Wise. On average, Wise hovers just -0.03% above the mid-market rate.

Fees and Markups: That's where Wise shines, combining the best of both worlds: excellent USD to EUR rates that are only -0.03% away from the average.

How to get the best USD to EUR exchange rate

Identifying the best USD to EUR exchange rate can take a bit of work because it involves more than just checking a single number. Currently, 1 USD will buy you 0.96168EUR, but it is subject to constant fluctuations and will vary significantly depending on the money transfer company you use. For example, out of 22 companies offering money transfers to France, Wise appeared 79.1% of the time in our comparison offering the best USD-EUR rates, only -0.03% away from the average.

To secure the best USD to EUR transfer rate, you should:

1. Understand how exchange rates work: Current exchange rate for USD-EUR is 0.96168, meaning this is how much Euros you will get for exchanging 1 US Dollar. This rate fluctuates constantly due to factors such as economic indicators, geopolitical events, and market demand.

2. Keep an eye on the mid-market rate: In the past 6 months, the average exchange rate between USD-EUR was 0.9191, today it's 0.96168. This rate fluctuates by the minute, and major changes can happen without much notice.

3. Monitor exchange rates: Sign up for our rate alerts service and receive weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly email updates for USD - EUR rates directly to your inbox. Monitoring exchange rate fluctuations allows you to spot trends and get better deals.