Buying Property in France

You can buy without restriction

US citizens can purchase property in France freely. There is no nationality restriction, no permit to obtain, and no minimum stay requirement attached to ownership.

Owning property does not, however, give you the right to live in France. That is a separate question, settled by your visa.

The five stages

A French purchase moves through five fixed stages, each with its own document, and the buyer’s protection sits in the middle: the cooling-off period after the preliminary contract. Everything before it is reversible; everything after it costs money to undo. Plan your financing and your questions for the notaire around that point.

1. 1Find the property, through an agent or a direct listing
2. 2Make a written offer (offre d’achat)
3. 3Sign the preliminary contract (compromis de vente) — buyers get a 10-day cooling-off period, or 14 days if it was signed remotely
4. 4Due diligence, while the notaire completes searches — officially 2–4 months, though delays of 3–6 months have become increasingly common since 2024
5. 5Final signing (acte authentique) at the notaire’s office

What happens during the conditions period

Between the compromis and the final deed the notaire verifies title while you secure financing. This is also when the mandatory diagnostics are reviewed — the seller pays for them, but reading them is your job.

• Energy performance (DPE), asbestos, lead, termites and natural risks
• The notaire’s searches: ownership history, liens, easements, planning restrictions and the commune’s pre-emption right
• Your mortgage offer, if the sale is conditional on one

How long the whole thing takes

Expect 3–5 months from accepted offer to keys in current market conditions. Foreign buyers have had somewhat more streamlined documentation since 2025, and final signing is now routinely a hybrid of digital and in-person.

Budget 7–10% on top

The price on the listing is not the price you pay. Five further lines sit on top of it, and the biggest, the so-called notaire fees, is mostly tax collected for the state. Run the numbers on each before you make an offer, and confirm who pays the agency in the contract rather than assuming. The note below explains why the tax varies by département and how to check yours.

• Notaire fees: 7–8% for property over five years old, 2–3% for new builds
• Agency fees: 3–8%, usually paid by the seller — but confirm who pays in the contract
• Mortgage arrangement fees: 1–2% if you are financing
• Diagnostics and surveys: €800–3,500 depending on age and size
• Deposit at the compromis: 5–10% of the price, held in escrow by the notaire

Two things that reduce the bill

Two rules can bring that figure down, and both need to be raised before the contract is drafted rather than after. Ask your notaire about each; neither is applied automatically.

• First-time buyers (primo-accédants) purchasing a primary residence are exempt nationwide from the 0.5-point increase — a national rule, not a local option, but eligibility turns on your buyer status, so confirm it with your notaire
• The taxable base can be reduced by the itemised value of genuine furniture and movable fixtures included in the sale, up to 5% of the price