Buying Guide
Buying Property in France as a Foreigner: The 2026 Guide
The whole journey—can you buy, the contract and cooling-off, the diagnostics, and what it costs—with links to every detail.
In This Guide
Buying Property in France as a Foreigner: The 2026 Guide
Can a foreigner buy property in France?
Quick answer: Yes—France places no restriction on foreigners or non-residents buying property. There is no nationality requirement, no permit, and no extra purchase tax for overseas buyers. The process is the same as for a French national; the differences lie in financing, tax residency and estate planning.
Whether you live in London, New York, Geneva or Dubai, you can own a home on the French Riviera outright. What changes for an international buyer is not permission but the surrounding decisions: how to fund the purchase, what annual and exit taxes apply, how the property passes to your heirs, and how to move the money efficiently. This guide walks the process end to end and links to a dedicated guide for each of those decisions.
General guidance, not advice
This is an overview for foreign buyers, not legal, tax or financial advice. The process and figures depend on the property and your situation, and rules change. Use a French notaire and appropriate advisers for your transaction. Verified 29 June 2026.
What are the steps to buy a property in France?
Quick answer: Offer → preliminary contract (compromis de vente) with a 5–10% deposit → a 10-day cooling-off for the buyer → conditions (e.g. mortgage) are met → final deed (acte authentique) before the notaire, usually 2–3 months later. The keys change hands at the final signing.
The journey is orderly and notaire-led:
- Offer & acceptance. Agree price and terms; a written offer may be made.
- Compromis de vente. The binding preliminary contract. The buyer pays a deposit (usually 5–10%) held by the notaire, and the contract lists any conditions suspensives—commonly the mortgage offer—that must be satisfied.
- 10-day cooling-off. The buyer can withdraw with no penalty within ten days of the compromis (see below).
- Notaire’s checks. Title, diagnostics, planning, pre-emption rights and mortgage discharge are verified over the following weeks.
- Acte authentique. The final deed is signed before the notaire, the balance plus fees is paid, and ownership transfers—typically two to three months after the compromis.
Plan your funding and currency around these dates: the deposit at the compromis and the balance at completion are two separate transfers—see the currency and mortgage guides below.
What is the compromis de vente and the 10-day cooling-off?
Quick answer: The compromis is the binding preliminary sale contract. Once signed, the buyer has a statutory 10-day cooling-off period to withdraw with no reason and no penalty, recovering the deposit. After that, the buyer is committed unless a written condition (such as a mortgage refusal) fails.
The compromis commits both parties: the seller to sell, the buyer to buy, at the agreed price. The buyer’s protections are the ten-day withdrawal window (which runs from the day after the contract is received) and the conditions suspensives—pre-agreed get-outs, most importantly a mortgage condition that returns the deposit if financing is refused. Pulling out after the cooling-off and outside those conditions normally forfeits the deposit. Because it is genuinely binding, have the compromis—and any mortgage condition wording—checked before signing.
What diagnostics and energy rules (DPE) should I know about?
Quick answer: The seller must provide a pack of diagnostics (the DDT), including the energy rating (DPE). Under the Climate & Resilience Law, the worst-rated homes are being phased out of the rental market: class G can no longer be newly let since 1 January 2025, class F from 2028 and class E from 2034. The ban is on letting, not selling—but it matters if you plan to rent out.
The dossier de diagnostic technique bundles the energy performance (DPE), plus lead, asbestos, termites, gas, electricity and natural-risk reports as applicable. For an international buyer the headline issue is the DPE letting calendar, per economie.gouv.fr:
| DPE class | New lettings banned from |
|---|---|
| G | 1 January 2025 |
| F | 1 January 2028 |
| E | 1 January 2034 |
You can still buy and sell a poorly-rated home—an audit énergétique is required from the seller for F/G sales—but a buy-to-let plan must factor in renovation to a lettable rating. Many character Riviera properties need energy work; price it in.
What does it cost, and how do I fund and structure the purchase?
Quick answer: Beyond the price, budget about 7% notaire fees on a resale, plan financing under the HCSF rules, and consider the annual taxes, exit capital-gains tax, succession, ownership structure and currency. Each has its own guide below.
This pillar links to a dedicated, primary-sourced guide for every decision a foreign buyer faces on the Riviera:
- Acquisition costs: Notaire fees in France 2026 — ~7% on a resale, lower in the Alpes-Maritimes (4.50% DMTO).
- Financing: Non-resident mortgages — the HCSF 35% rule, loan-to-value and active lenders.
- Annual taxes: Taxe foncière & taxe d’habitation — including the second-home habitation tax and zone-tendue surcharge.
- Selling later: Capital gains tax for non-residents — rates, the UK/EU position and the taper to zero.
- Inheritance: French succession & inheritance and the English-law wills position.
- Ownership structure: Owning through an SCI — and the IFI wealth tax.
- Moving money: Currency for buying in France — spreads, forwards and timing.
When you are ready to put numbers to a specific property, our valuation tool and team can model the full acquisition and holding cost for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. There is no nationality restriction on buying French property—US, UK, Gulf and other non-EU buyers can purchase freely. Buying a property does not by itself grant residency or a visa, which are separate matters.
Typically two to three months from the signed compromis de vente to the final acte authentique, allowing for the cooling-off period, mortgage offer and the notaire’s checks. Off-plan and complex purchases can take longer.
One notaire can handle the whole sale, acting impartially for the transaction. You may appoint your own at no extra cost—the regulated fee is shared between the two notaires, not doubled. An English-speaking notaire is helpful for international buyers.
Yes within the 10-day cooling-off period, with no reason and no penalty—your deposit is returned. After that you are committed unless a written condition, such as a mortgage refusal, is triggered.
On a resale, about 7% notaire fees on top of the price, plus currency-transfer costs, any mortgage and broker fees, annual taxe foncière and second-home habitation tax, and—at sale—capital gains tax. Each has a dedicated guide linked above.
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