Property
Notarised transfers on a French-tradition register, open to foreign buyers
Sales of real estate are executed by a notaire and published at the service de publicité foncière; there are no nationality restrictions on buying. Notaire fees and transfer duties add substantially to the price.
Key rules
- The notaire is compulsory and verifies title, mortgages and pre-emption rights.
- Transfer duties (droits de mutation) plus notaire fees run to roughly 7-8% for older property.
- A binding compromis de vente precedes the final acte authentique, with a 10-day cooling-off for buyers.
Governing law
- Code civil, book on property
- Code général des impôts, transfer duties
In practice
The 10-day withdrawal period after the compromis is a key protection for private buyers and cannot be waived.