A method is provided for processing a virtual address for a program requesting a DMA transfer. The program is designed to be run in user mode on a system on a chip that includes a central processing unit, a memory management unit, and a DMA controller. The virtual address is a source virtual address or a destination virtual address and has a size of N bits. According to the method, the virtual address is divided into at least two fields of bits. For each of the fields, there is created an N-bit address word comprising a prefix having a given value associated with the field and having more than 1 bit, and the field. The DMA controller is programmed using multiple store instructions that include one store instruction relating to each of the address words created.