France (FR)
France is a unitary semi-presidential republic and the EU's most visited country, renowned for its world-class cuisine and wine, the iconic City of Light that is Paris, the French Riviera, iconic Alpine ski resorts, and a generous social state offering universal healthcare, extensive family benefits, and strong worker protections.
Buying Property in France
The full buying process, transaction costs, mortgage, and legal requirements.
France has a homeownership rate of approximately 58%, slightly above the EU average but below southern European countries. The property-buying process is highly formalised around the notaire (a public official who is mandatory for every real estate transaction) and takes 3 months on average between signature of the compromis de vente and the acte authentique. Foreign nationals face no legal restrictions on purchasing property in France. Mortgages (crédits immobiliers) are available to non-residents from specialised lenders. Transaction costs ("frais de notaire") are significant at 7–8% for existing property and 2–3% for new builds — always budget for them.
Rent vs. Buy
Renting offers flexibility and strong tenant protections under the loi du 6 juillet 1989. Buying suits longer-term stays and offers capital accumulation through the mortgage. After a market correction of 5–10% in 2023–2024 across major metropoles (Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux), 2025–2026 has stabilised with slight upward pressure in smaller cities and rural areas ("exurbanisation"). Rule of thumb: if staying under 5–7 years, renting is almost always cheaper once frais de notaire are factored in. For 10+ years, buying becomes advantageous especially if mortgage rates drop below rental yield. EU energy requirements (DPE — Diagnostic de Performance Énergétique) now ban renting F and G-rated homes and will ban G from 2025, F from 2028, E from 2034 — existing buyers face mandatory retrofit costs. The Loi Climat & Résilience gives strong incentives for MaPrimeRénov' renovations.
Buying Process — Step by Step
Define your budget
2–4 weeksCalculate maximum purchase price = (apport personnel − frais de notaire buffer 8% − moving costs) ÷ (1 − typical LTV). Banks typically lend up to 80% LTV for residents, 50–70% for non-residents. Income must support the "taux d'endettement" ≤35% rule (HCSF guideline since 2022). The apport (down payment) typically 10–20% of purchase, plus 7–8% frais for existing / 2–3% new.
Obtain a mortgage pre-agreement (accord de principe)
2–6 weeksContact banks (BNP, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, LCL, Caisse d'Épargne) and courtiers (Cafpi, Meilleurtaux, Empruntis). An accord de principe is usually issued within 1–2 weeks. Non-residents must start earlier — some banks (HSBC France, BNP Paribas Wealth, Société Générale) specialise in non-resident lending. Note: France has obligatoire "assurance emprunteur" (mortgage insurance) — shop separately to save 30–50% vs. bank offer (Loi Lemoine since 2022 allows cancellation anytime).
Search for property
Ongoing; 2–6 months in competitive marketsUse SeLoger, Leboncoin, PAP.fr (between individuals, no commission), Logic-Immo, Bien'ici. Direct agencies: Orpi, Century 21, Foncia, Stéphane Plaza, Laforêt. Notaires also publish listings at immonot.com. Visit in person: sellers in France usually accept individual visits, not group events. Expect 10–20 visits before offer.
Make a written offer (offre d'achat)
1 weekAn offre d'achat is a brief written proposal (price, conditions, delays). It is not strongly binding until acceptance but custom dictates that acceptance begins the compromis process. You can include conditions suspensives (suspensive conditions): obtention of loan, absence of easements, favourable pre-emption responses from the commune.
Sign the compromis de vente (or promesse de vente)
Signed 2–6 weeks after offerEither signed at a notaire or an agence immobilière, the compromis is the binding pre-contract. Buyer pays a dépôt de garantie of 5–10% of purchase price held in the notaire's escrow (séquestre). Conditions suspensives (loan, pre-emption rights, diagnostic DPE updated) protect the buyer. Buyer has a 10-day legal délai de rétractation (droit de rétractation SRU since loi Macron 2015) after signature — can withdraw with no penalty.
Obtain the mortgage (if financed)
45–60 days after compromisBank issues the offre de prêt 30–45 days after compromis. Mandatory 10-day réflexion period (Loi Scrivener) before signing the offre. Assurance emprunteur chosen in parallel — submit medical questionnaire (now limited post-Loi Lemoine if loan <€200K and ends before 60). If loan refused, the condition suspensive is activated and the buyer recovers the dépôt de garantie.
Notaire prepares the acte authentique
8–12 weeksDuring the 3-month délai between compromis and acte, the notaire carries out: collection of urban planning certificates (certificat d'urbanisme), verification at the Service de Publicité Foncière (land registry), communal right of pre-emption (DIA — Déclaration d'Intention d'Aliéner), DPE/loi Carrez checks, discharge of existing mortgages, collection of co-propriété documents (pré-état daté and carnet d'entretien). For older buildings, an audit énergétique is required from 2025 for F/G homes if sold.
Sign the acte authentique de vente
1 dayBoth parties (or representatives with procuration notariée) appear at the notaire's office. The notaire reads key clauses aloud. You transfer the remaining purchase price (virement bancaire) and frais de notaire. Keys handed over (remise des clés). The notaire publishes the act at the Service de Publicité Foncière — full registration takes 1–3 months.
Register ownership & set up services
4–8 weeks after signingThe notaire sends the titre de propriété definitive 3–6 months later (after registration). Meanwhile you receive the attestation de propriété. Actions: transfer électricité (EDF, Engie, TotalEnergies), gaz (GRDF), water (local operator Veolia/Suez), internet/fibre (Orange, Free, SFR, Bouygues), taxe foncière & taxe d'habitation (if second home) to your name, switch assurance habitation propriétaire non-occupant or propriétaire occupant (MAIF, MAAF, GMF, MACIF).
Transaction Costs
| Cost Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Frais de notaire (transfer duty, notaire fees, formalités) | Existing: 7–8% of purchase price. New (VEFA or <5 years): 2–3%. | Decomposed as: Droits de mutation à titre onéreux (DMTO) ~5.80% for existing, 0.715% for new — département sets 4.5% base since 2014, plus 1.2% commune, 2.37% frais d'assiette, plus 0.1% taxes; Émoluments du notaire ~1% (regulated barème Macron 2016); Frais de publication et débours ~1%; Contribution de sécurité immobilière 0.1%. |
| Agent commission (honoraires d'agence) | 3–7% of purchase price | Who pays depends on mandate: "honoraires à la charge du vendeur" (seller) OR "à la charge de l'acquéreur" (buyer). The price displayed includes agency fees (FAI — Frais d'Agence Inclus) unless specified otherwise. Direct PAP sales avoid this. |
| Mortgage arrangement fee (frais de dossier bancaire) | 0.5–1% of loan amount (capped €1,500–2,500 often) | Varies by lender. Courtier can waive if well negotiated. |
| Mortgage insurance (assurance emprunteur) | 0.20–1.20% of loan per year | Mandatory in practice, not by law. Compare externally (Loi Lemoine). Covers death, invalidity, incapacity, loss of job (optional). |
| Guarantee / Hypothèque | €1,000–3,000 or 1.5% of loan | Bank requires a garantie: hypothèque (mortgage, notarial act, cost highest), privilège de prêteur de deniers (PPD, cheaper for existing homes), or caution via Crédit Logement or CAMCA (~1.5% of loan, partly refundable). |
| Property diagnostics (diagnostics immobiliers) | €300–700 | Paid by seller: DPE (energy), amiante, plomb, termites (in zones), gaz, électricité, ERP (état des risques), loi Carrez (surface), assainissement. Mandatory file (Dossier de Diagnostic Technique — DDT). |
| Pre-purchase survey (expertise technique) — optional | €400–1,500 | Not customary in France but recommended for older buildings, especially in co-propriété. Choose an expert in BTP or BICS. |
| Total transaction costs (typical existing property) | 9–12% of purchase price (agency included) | Budget 10% safely — this covers frais de notaire, optional agency fee, diagnostic premium. |
The Notary — Mandatory for All Purchases
In France, the notaire is an officier public et ministériel appointed by the Ministre de la Justice. ALL real estate transactions MUST be passed before a notaire — article 710-1 Code civil. The notaire: drafts the acte authentique (the title deed), verifies identities and civil status, conducts DUE (Déclaration d'Utilité et d'Engagement), checks urban/environmental files, calculates and collects DMTO taxes, manages the funds through their compte séquestre, publishes to the Service de Publicité Foncière. The notaire is impartial but is typically chosen by the buyer; the seller may impose a second "notaire d'équilibre" at no extra cost (they share the émoluments). Fees are 100% regulated by the barème Macron decree — no negotiation possible on the regulated portion, but the 10% "honoraires de négociation" part is free. Verify the notaire's identity at notaires.fr.
Mortgage
French mortgages (crédits immobiliers) are mostly fixed-rate over 15–25 years (90% of new loans) — variable rates (taux révisable capé) are rare. Repayment is amortizing (amortissement constant or échéance constante — the latter much more common). Rates at 2026 (indicative): 3.2–4.0% TEG depending on duration and profile. Maximum overall effort ratio (taux d'endettement) is 35% of net income under HCSF rule (since 2022), and loan duration max 25 years (27 in certain VEFA cases). Remboursement anticipé limited by IRA (indemnité de remboursement anticipé): max 6 months interest or 3% of outstanding capital — capped.
Minimum apport 10% (covers frais de notaire only). Preferable 20%+ to avoid IRA on refinance. Non-residents: banks typically require 20–30%+, and look at income × (100 − residency tax rate) abroad.
EU/EEA citizens: treated as French residents if they have a French address and stable revenue. Third-country citizens face more scrutiny — need 2+ years French tax returns and a 3-year+ titre de séjour. Non-residents can still obtain a French loan via BNP Paribas International Buyers, Société Générale, HSBC France, Crédit Agricole Britline, AXA Banque Patrimoniale. Requirements: deposit 20–50%, income > €50K, no adverse credit. A courtier spécialisé non-résidents (Vousfinancer International, Helexia, ACE Crédit) improves approval odds substantially.
Land Registry
France does not have a title-register system like Germany's Grundbuch. Instead, the Service de Publicité Foncière (SPF) at each Direction départementale des finances publiques keeps a public log of all actes translatifs of real property since 1956. Registration is organised by reference to each seller/buyer's fiscal identity (fichier personnel + fichier immobilier des conservations). After signing the acte, the notaire lodges it at the SPF within 2 months — full publication 1–3 months. Extract requests (relevé de formalités) cost ~€30 on the service-public.fr portal. The cadastre (cadastre.gouv.fr) is a separate technical parcel register — shows boundaries and parcel IDs but not ownership.
Taxes
Taxes on acquisition: DMTO (5.09–5.80% existing, 0.715% new VEFA), included in the frais de notaire. Annual taxes: (1) Taxe foncière on owners — based on valeur locative cadastrale × communal rate; ~€800–2,500/year typical for a house; rose sharply 2023–2024 (+14% national average). (2) Taxe d'habitation on occupants: abolished for principal residence since 2023; still applies to résidences secondaires with communal surcharge up to +60% in tight markets. (3) IFI (Impôt sur la Fortune Immobilière): applies on real estate wealth >€1.3M at progressive 0.5–1.5%. On sale — plus-value immobilière: 19% income + 17.2% social contributions = 36.2% on capital gain above cost basis, with taper relief (22 years for income exemption, 30 years for social). Principal residence: fully exempt. Heirs: droits de succession apply (up to 45% direct line).
New Build vs. Existing Property
New-build (neuf) via VEFA (Vente en l'État Futur d'Achèvement) — "off-plan" purchase. Benefits: frais de notaire reduced to 2–3%, 10-year garantie décennale from builder, 2-year garantie biennale on equipment, 1-year garantie de parfait achèvement. Payments tied to progress: 5% at foundations, 35% at roof, 70% at completion, 95% at handover, 5% lifted of reserves. Risk: developer insolvency — always verify the GFA (garantie financière d'achèvement) and Contrat de Réservation. Existing (ancien): cheaper per m², higher frais, potential renovation costs. Thermal strategy dominates valuations — homes DPE E–G increasingly discounted. MaPrimeRénov' subsidies available for owner-occupant renovations.
Selling Property
Sellers provide the DDT — Dossier de Diagnostic Technique (DPE, amiante, plomb, termites, gaz, électricité, ERP, loi Carrez) before compromis. Since 2025, homes rated F or G require an audit énergétique (€500–1,200). Notaire publishes the acte; capital gains tax withheld and paid by the notaire if applicable. Selling a residence principale is exempt from plus-value. Selling a secondary home/rental: taper relief schedule, declaration 2048-IMM by notaire. For non-residents selling: an agent fiscal accrédité is required unless the seller lives in the EU/EEA — typically a specialised firm at 0.5–1% of sale price.
Useful Links
Property Buying
Unlock the complete Property Buying guide for France — including every detail, document, tip and link you need.
Become a SupporterSupport the guide on Ko-fi · Unlocks every premium section, everywhere