Yes, foreigners can buy property in France. There is no nationality restriction, no local partner requirement and no special permit: a family from Dubai, Riyadh, London or Singapore can own a Paris apartment outright, and non-residents follow exactly the same process as French buyers. Plan for acquisition costs of 7.5 to 8.5% on existing property (2 to 3% in new build), financing of 50 to 70% of the price for non-residents, and around three months from signed agreement to keys. One thing a French property will never do, however, is grant you residency. This guide covers both halves: how to buy well, and what ownership does and does not change for your family's status.
Can foreigners buy property in France?
France is one of the most open major markets in the world for foreign buyers. Ownership is unrestricted by nationality, the title system is among the safest anywhere, and every sale completes before a notaire: a neutral public official, not the seller's agent, who verifies title, liens and planning before the deed is signed. Funds move through the notaire's escrow account, which is precisely what makes a French purchase safe to complete from a distance.
Distance, in fact, is rarely the obstacle families expect. The deed can be signed under power of attorney, so a purchase can be completed from Dubai or anywhere else without travelling for the signature. The real work sits earlier: defining the brief, securing financing and holding the calendar together.
Does buying property in France give you residency?
No, and this is the single most expensive misunderstanding in the market. France has no golden visa and no residency-by-property scheme, at any price: there is no provision in French immigration law granting a permit for a purchase, unlike Greece or the UAE. We set the full comparison out in our guide Does France Have a Golden Visa?
What ownership can do is support a separate visa file, as evidence of accommodation or financial standing. The residency itself runs through the real pathways: the income-based long-stay visitor visa (at least €1,477.93 net per month per adult as of June 2026, with no right to work) or the Talent Passport, whose investor category requires €300,000 in business assets, not real estate. Families who plan the visa and the purchase as one calendar arrive once, correctly; families who buy first and ask about the visa afterwards often lose months mid-purchase.
France welcomes foreign capital into property but keeps property strictly separate from immigration. Buy because the home fits your family's French chapter, never as an immigration strategy: the deed and the residence permit are two files, and only one of them is for sale.
What does buying actually cost?
The figure that surprises international buyers is not the price, it is the acquisition costs above the price. As of 2026, plan for the following on top of the agreed amount:
Acquisition costs above the purchase price, as of 2026
| Purchase type | Costs above the price | What they cover |
|---|---|---|
| Existing property | 7.5 to 8.5% | Transfer duties, the notaire's emoluments and registration |
| New build | 2 to 3% | Reduced duties on new construction, emoluments and registration |
Rates as of 2026. The difference explains why two properties at the same price can carry very different total budgets, and why the total envelope should be set before the search begins, not at the compromis.
Can a non-resident get a French mortgage?
Yes. French banks typically lend non-residents 50 to 70% of the purchase price as of 2026, depending on income, profile and the banking relationship; private banks can extend further against assets under management. French credit is underwritten on income and stability rather than on the asset alone, so the file matters: organised income documentation moves a non-resident application from difficult to routine.
Sequence matters more than most buyers expect. The financing conversation belongs before the property search, not after an offer: an agreed lending envelope defines the realistic budget, strengthens every offer you make, and removes the one condition that most often stretches a purchase calendar.
How long does it take? The notaire timeline
- Offer and purchase agreement. Once an offer is accepted, the parties sign the compromis de vente. The buyer, and only the buyer, then benefits from a ten day cooling-off period.
- The notaire's verifications. The notaire verifies title, liens and planning while financing is finalised. This is the long middle of the calendar.
- Completion. Typically around three months after the compromis, the deed is signed before the notaire, in person or under power of attorney, and funds move through the notaire's escrow.
- Keys and installation. Ownership transfers, and the real move begins: utilities, insurance, banking and the household set-up that turns an address into a home.
The pitfalls international families actually hit
- Buying as an immigration strategy. The purchase carries no visa. If residency is the goal, the visa file leads and the property follows, on one calendar.
- Choosing the home before the school. For families, the school choice shapes the neighbourhood, the commute and often the arrival date. Signing a compromis before the school outcome locks the wrong variable first.
- Deciding the ownership structure at the deed. How you hold the property, personally or through a structure, is best settled before the compromis, with proper counsel, because changing it after completion is costly. It shapes taxation and succession for years.
- Leaving financing for last. A non-resident mortgage is entirely feasible at 50 to 70% of the price, but it is the slowest workstream. Opened late, it stretches the whole calendar; opened first, it disappears into it.
How Al Qantara Institute structures this
At Al Qantara Institute, a property mandate is never just a search. We define the brief against the family's real constraints, school, commute, calendar and budget envelope including the 7.5 to 8.5% of costs, run the visits and negotiations, and hold the notaire timeline together with the financing file. Where the purchase needs regulated professionals, specialist tax counsel or the notaire who completes the deed, we bring them in and coordinate them; the strategy and the accountability stay with one senior interlocutor.
Property is also where a family move becomes real: the same mandate runs the installation that follows the keys, from banking to insurance to the first utility bill. Engagements run from €10,000, led from our Paris and Dubai offices, and a full family move typically completes in 5 to 9 months.
Planning a French property purchase from abroad?
We map the budget envelope, the financing and the notaire calendar against your family's move, school and visa dates included, in a single working session.
Book a private consultationFrequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in France?
Yes. France places no nationality restriction on buying property: a foreign buyer can own a French home outright, with no local partner, no special permit and no residency requirement. Non-residents follow exactly the same process as French buyers, and every sale completes before a notaire, the neutral public official who verifies title, liens and planning. The deed can even be signed from abroad under power of attorney.
Does buying a property in France give you residency or a visa?
No. France has no golden visa and no residency-by-property scheme, at any price. Ownership can support a visa file as evidence of accommodation or financial standing, but it is never the legal basis of a permit. Residency runs through the income-based long-stay visitor visa (at least €1,477.93 net per month per adult as of June 2026) or the Talent Passport, whose investor route requires €300,000 in business assets, not real estate.
What are the costs of buying property in France?
Beyond the price, plan for acquisition costs of 7.5 to 8.5% in existing property and 2 to 3% in new build, as of 2026. These cover transfer duties, the notaire's emoluments and registration. Funds move through the notaire's escrow account, which is what makes a French purchase safe to complete from a distance.
Can a non-resident get a mortgage in France?
Yes. French banks typically lend non-residents 50 to 70% of the purchase price as of 2026, depending on income, profile and the banking relationship; private banks can extend further against assets under management. The financing file is best opened before the property search, because an agreed lending envelope shortens every later step.
How long does a French property purchase take?
Typically around three months from the signed purchase agreement (the compromis de vente) to completion before the notaire. The buyer benefits from a ten day cooling-off period after signing the compromis, and the notaire then verifies title, liens and planning before the deed. With power of attorney, completion does not require travelling to France.