Yes. Buyers living abroad can finance an apartment or villa in Biarritz with a French mortgage, commonly at 70–80% for strong files from the UK, Ireland, the EU or Switzerland and 50–70% for others. Letting a second home to holidaymakers needs an authorisation with compensation, so banks plan the loan on your own income. New homes in zones covered by the main-residence rule must be lived in, and near the cliffs the état des risques may show erosion.
Biarritz prices by district
The PAP price observatory put the average in Biarritz at €7,454 per m² in August 2026. On the seafront it reached €10,408 per m², around Saint-Charles and the golf course €9,093, and in the Mairie-Marne district €8,374.
The town offers apartments near the Grande Plage and the Côte des Basques, and villas in the residential districts. Strong demand in central Biarritz supports resale, which lenders take into account. For villas above roughly €1 million, private banks become an option, usually in exchange for assets placed with them.
What a Biarritz flat costs to finance
At the PAP average of €7,454 per m², a 70 m² flat costs about €522,000. With a strong file from the UK, Ireland, the EU or Switzerland, a bank might lend 75%, around €391,000. You would then bring about €130,000 of deposit and €36,500–44,400 of purchase costs from your own funds.
At around 3.70% over 20 years, the rate broker barometers showed in November 2026, that loan costs about €2,310 a month before borrower insurance. Under the 35% ceiling, that needs net household income of roughly €6,600 a month, before any other loans you repay. Run your own figures in the mortgage calculator.
Holiday lets need compensation in Biarritz
Biarritz is one of 24 communes where the Pays Basque agglomeration requires an authorisation with compensation before a second home can be let to tourists. For each home let this way, the owner must provide a long-term home of equivalent size in the same commune, by converting existing premises such as a shop or garage. The Conseil d'État upheld the scheme in June 2026. Letting your main residence for up to 120 days a year is not affected.
Compensation is seldom practical for a private buyer, so treat holiday income as unavailable. Banks count rent they can verify from a long-term or furnished lease, often at around 70%. Biarritz also applies the maximum 60% surcharge on the council tax for second homes.
New homes reserved for main residences
On 21 June 2025 the agglomeration added a main-residence requirement (servitude de résidence principale) to the local plans of five communes, Biarritz among them. In the zones it covers, new homes must be lived in as a main residence, for at least eight months a year.
If you want a new apartment as a second home, ask the developer and the notaire whether the building falls under it before you reserve. A bank lending on a new build will check the intended use, and the answer changes both the file and the future resale market.
Cliffs, erosion and the risk report
Parts of the Biarritz coast are cliffs. The Pays Basque coastal risk strategy estimates that the rocky coast retreats by about 20 cm a year on average, with occasional large collapses, and recently revised local plans map erosion risk up to 2043. The state-of-risks report (état des risques) attached to every sale shows whether a property is in an exposed area.
Read it before the compromis. A clifftop villa or a seafront building in an exposed area can be harder to insure and to resell, and a valuer will take that into account. Seafront buildings also tend to carry higher co-ownership charges for upkeep against salt and weather.
Next steps in Biarritz
Use the eligibility check to have your file reviewed before you make offers, since demand is strong and sellers tend to favour buyers whose financing looks secure. We introduce you to one English-speaking broker who works on the Atlantic coast, at no cost to you. French Notaires can find an English-speaking notaire on the Basque coast, and our Basque coast guide covers Anglet, Bidart and Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
Your purchase deed is signed before a notaire. French Notaires matches English speakers with a bilingual notaire nearby, free of charge: Find a notaire on the Basque coast.
Questions
Can I let my Biarritz apartment to holidaymakers?
A second home needs an authorisation with compensation, which means providing a long-term home of equivalent size in Biarritz. Letting your main residence for up to 120 days a year is allowed.
Can a non-resident buy a new-build flat in Biarritz as a second home?
Not in the zones covered by the main-residence requirement added to the local plan in June 2025, where new homes must be lived in for at least eight months a year. Check the zone with the developer and the notaire.
Does cliff erosion affect getting a mortgage in Biarritz?
It can. The état des risques shows whether the property is in an exposed area, and insurers and valuers take that into account.
How much deposit do I need to buy in Biarritz from the UK?
UK residents with strong files are commonly financed at 70–80%, so plan for a deposit of 20–30% plus purchase costs of 7–8.5% on an existing home.