Can foreigners get a mortgage in France?

Residence matters, not nationality

French law starts from the principle that financial relations between France and other countries are free (Code monétaire et financier, article L151-1). The French notaries' official site lists no authorisation that a foreign buyer needs before buying a home (notaires.fr).

The lending rules are the same for everyone. French lenders apply the limits set by the Haut Conseil de stabilité financière to every home loan, whoever the borrower: repayments within 35% of income, insurance included, and 25 years at most. Up to 20% of each bank's lending may go beyond them, but most of that margin is kept for main residences and first-time buyers. A foreign national who lives and works in France is assessed much like any other resident. Someone who lives abroad is assessed as a non-resident, whatever their nationality, and that is where the differences start.

Which banks lend to foreigners living abroad

Not every French bank takes non-resident files, and the list changes from year to year. Those that do fall into three groups:

• National networks with international desks, which handle buyers from several countries.
• Regional banks in areas popular with foreign buyers, which lend mostly to people buying in their own region.
• Private banks, for larger purchases, often above €1 million, usually in exchange for investments placed with them.

Online banks generally do not lend to non-residents. A broker who places non-resident files every week knows which lenders are active for your country this quarter, which saves applying to banks that will decline.

Minimum loan sizes

Banks are not required to publish a minimum, but many set one for non-residents because a file from abroad takes more work. Market guides report around €150,000 for UK and EU residents and €250,000 for buyers from other countries (FrenchEntrée, May 2026). Private banks usually start much higher.

If you need a smaller loan, say so at the start: it narrows the list of banks, and a broker can tell you whether it is worth applying at all.

Deposit and loan length

Non-residents typically put down 20–30% of the price if they live in the UK, Ireland, the EU or Switzerland, and 30–50% if they live elsewhere. Some lenders cap financing at 50% for borrowers from further afield, such as Americans and Australians. Purchase costs, 7–8.5% of the price on an existing home, come from your own funds on top, because banks rarely finance them for non-residents.

The legal maximum term is 25 years, but brokers report that many lenders keep non-resident loans to 15 or 20 years. A shorter term raises the monthly repayment, which then has to fit within the 35% ceiling. The guide to the deposit works through an example.

US citizens and FATCA

Since 2014, FATCA has required French banks to report accounts held by US taxpayers to the US authorities. Some banks decline US persons outright rather than take that on, wherever they live. Those that accept them may ask for a larger deposit or for savings pledged with the bank, sometimes covering up to 24 monthly repayments (Pretto). The guide for Americans covers the lenders and documents involved.

How to apply from abroad

You can do everything at a distance: the application, the loan offer, which you accept by post or another agreed method, and the signature at the notaire, which can be done by power of attorney. Applying through a broker who works with non-resident files usually shortens the process, because the file reaches the right banks complete the first time. See how long a French mortgage takes for the timings.

Questions