Yes. French retail banks and private banks lend to buyers living abroad for homes on the Côte d'Azur, from apartments in Nice to villas above Cannes. Retail banks with international desks handle most apartment loans, and above roughly €1 million private banks become the main lenders, usually in exchange for assets placed with them. Many buyers here purchase through an SCI, and banks often discount or ignore summer letting income when they check what you can repay.
Who offers a mortgage on the Côte d'Azur
A mortgage on the Côte d'Azur usually finances one of two kinds of property: an apartment in Nice, Antibes, Cannes or Menton, or a villa in the hills or by the sea. The type of lender tends to follow the price.
For apartments, retail banks with international desks lend on the usual non-resident terms, and purchase costs of 7–8.5% come from your own funds. Above roughly €1 million, private banks take over. They lend in exchange for assets you place with them, and they are the main source of interest-only and variable-rate loans for this market.
Villas, sea views and the bank's valuation
Sea views, privacy and a pool can make up much of a villa's price. On a large loan, lenders commonly order their own valuation, and a valuer may be more cautious about those features than the market is. Where the valuation falls short of the price, the difference usually comes from your deposit.
Older villas often need modernising. If you plan works, ask French contractors for written quotes before the loan application, so the bank can finance them alongside the purchase.
Buying through an SCI, and wealth tax
Many Riviera buyers purchase through a société civile immobilière (SCI), to share ownership within a family or to plan the estate. The bank then lends to the company, assesses the partners and usually asks each of them for a personal guarantee. Fewer banks lend to SCIs whose partners all live abroad, so settle the structure before the compromis. Our SCI guide explains how it works.
At these prices the wealth tax on property (IFI), which applies above €1.3 million net, is often part of the picture. French Tax Online can review the structure and the tax before you commit.
Summer letting and what banks count
Many owners let their Riviera home for part of the summer. When a bank assesses your file, it counts rent it can verify, commonly around 70% of it, and it often discounts or leaves out short-term holiday income. The loan should stand on your own income.
Since the Le Meur law of 19 November 2024, communes have more power to restrict furnished tourist lets, and some co-ownership rules limit short stays in the building. Check both with the town hall and the managing agent (syndic) before you count on summer rent.
Next steps on the Riviera
The eligibility check takes five minutes. Tell us the price range and whether you are considering an SCI, and we will introduce you to one broker who works with Riviera buyers and with private banks. For the purchase, French Notaires can connect you with English-speaking notaires in Nice. The mortgage calculator shows repayments and purchase costs for the figures you enter.
Your purchase deed is signed before a notaire. French Notaires matches English speakers with a bilingual notaire nearby, free of charge: Notaires in Nice.
Nice · Cannes · Antibes and Juan-les-Pins · Saint-Tropez and the Gulf
Questions
Do I need a private bank to buy a villa on the Côte d'Azur?
Retail banks with international desks lend on many Riviera properties. Above roughly €1 million, private banks are the usual lenders, and they commonly ask you to place assets with them.
Can I buy on the Riviera through an SCI with a mortgage?
Yes. The bank lends to the SCI, assesses each partner's income and debts, and usually asks the partners to guarantee the loan personally. Fewer banks accept SCIs whose partners all live abroad.
Will the bank count my summer rental income?
Often only in part, or not at all. Banks count rent they can verify, commonly around 70%, and in many cases they discount or ignore short-term holiday income.