Tool
Which documents do you need to buy in France when you live abroad?
Say where you are buying from and how: the tool lists the documents the notaire, the bank and Home Select will ask you for, with, for each one, why, who issues it and how long to allow.
Your file
Your foreign public documents (civil status, power of attorney, company records) receive an apostille in your country, a signatory of the Hague Convention, before being produced in France.
Your country is not party to the Hague Convention: your public documents go through legalisation, by your authorities and then the French consulate. Allow more time.
Between European Union countries, civil status records circulate without an apostille; for a notarised power of attorney, the notaire tells you whether a formality remains necessary.
Apostille or legalisation depending on your country: the notaire handling the sale tells you as soon as the place of signature is known.
US person: the French bank will ask you for form W-9 and report the account under FATCA; some banks decline, the broker introduced by Home Select knows which ones.
Your country is outside the euro area: the price is paid in euros, into the notaire’s account. The exchange and its timing are prepared with your bank or a specialist introduced by Home Select.
Resident outside the European Union: on resale, an accredited tax representative is appointed for the capital gain, unless exempt. Nothing to do today, worth knowing from the purchase.
Documents written in another language are translated by a sworn translator before the deed.
Identity and civil status
- Valid passport or identity card, for each buyer The notaire checks the identity of every buyer before the preliminary contract; so do the bank and Home Select, under anti-money-laundering rules.
- Proof of address less than three months old, for each buyer A utility bill, phone bill or tax notice at your address abroad: it records your tax residence in the deed.
- Birth certificate, for each buyer The notaire needs it to establish the full civil status recorded in the deed and at the land registry.
- Marriage certificate, marriage contract or civil partnership agreement The matrimonial regime decides who owns the property and who must sign: the notaire reads it in these documents, a foreign regime included.
- Articles of association, registry extract and shareholders’ resolution A company that buys proves its existence, its representative and the authorisation to acquire; the notaire also identifies its beneficial owners.
Funds and their origin
- Bank statements for the last three months They show that the deposit exists and where it comes from: the notaire and the bank read them under anti-money-laundering rules.
- Proof of the origin of funds Sale of a property, savings, gift, inheritance, sale of securities: every sum that pays for the purchase has a documented history. The notaire asks for it before the deed, not on the day.
- Letter from your bank for the international transfer The price is paid into the notaire’s escrow account, by transfer from your account: the bank certifies the holder and the origin, and the timing is planned ahead.
- Form W-9 (FATCA) for the French bank A US person who opens an account or borrows in France declares their US tax status: the bank passes it on to the authorities.
Financing
- Proof of available funds or borrowing capacity An offer backed by this letter goes ahead of the others: the seller knows the purchase holds.
- Tax returns for the last two years The French bank measures your income over two years and applies a discount to income in a foreign currency.
- Last three payslips, or accounts for the self-employed Together with the tax returns, they ground the debt ratio the bank calculates, capped at 35% of income.
- Statement of your assets and existing loans A bank lends to a non-resident with a larger deposit: it wants to see what you own and what you already repay.
- Health questionnaire for the loan insurance A French loan comes with death and disability insurance; its approval can take several weeks for a resident abroad.
- Loan offer from your bank abroad A foreign bank rarely lends against a property in France; if it does, the notaire reads the offer and its translation to draft the loan condition.
Signing
- Notarised power of attorney to sign the deed without travelling The notaire drafts it; you sign it before a notary in your country or at the French consulate, then it comes back apostilled or legalised, translated if it is not in French. The preliminary contract itself is often signed remotely by electronic signature.
- Your original documents on the day of the deed You sign at the notaire’s office: original passport and, if asked, the originals of the documents already sent as copies.
- Sworn translation of documents in a foreign language A civil status record, a power of attorney or a marriage contract written in another language is read in French by the notaire: the translation is done by a sworn translator.
From completion, and after
- Home insurance certificate The property is insured from the handover of keys; in a co-owned building, the certificate is required for the deed.
- French tax number It comes after the purchase, through the notaire or the non-residents tax office: it is used for the occupancy declaration and local taxes.
- Occupancy declaration of the property Every owner declares online who occupies the home, second homes included; it decides which local taxes are due.
- Tax representative, on the day you sell A seller living outside the European Union and the European Economic Area appoints an accredited tax representative for capital gains, unless exempt: to be planned from the purchase, not to be done today.
- Bank account in France It is not required to buy, but it makes service charges, taxes and energy bills easier once you have moved in; opening one takes time for a non-resident.
Reference list, built in your browser: nothing is sent or stored. The notaire handling the sale and the bank have the last word on the exact document they accept; Home Select reviews your file with them before the offer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa or residence permit to buy in France?
No. No authorisation is needed to buy, whatever your nationality; the law of sale is the same for everyone. Staying is another matter: it depends on your passport and the length of your stays, and is prepared separately, with a specialist lawyer if needed.
What is an apostille?
A stamp placed by an authority of your country on a public document (birth certificate, notarised power of attorney, registry extract) certifying its origin, recognised by the signatories of the 1961 Hague Convention. Non-signatory countries go through consular legalisation.
Why does the notaire ask for the origin of funds?
The law requires them to check where the money paying for the purchase comes from, under anti-money-laundering rules. A sale, savings, a gift, an inheritance or a sale of securities are proven by their documents; a sum without a history blocks the file.
Can everything be signed without travelling to France?
Yes. The preliminary contract is often signed remotely by electronic signature; the deed by power of attorney signed before a notary in your country or at the French consulate, apostilled or legalised, translated if not in French. A single trip, for the decisive viewings, is enough.
Which documents for a French loan when living abroad?
The same as a resident, and more: passport, proof of address, two years of tax returns, payslips or accounts, bank statements, statement of assets and loans, translated if not in French, plus the health questionnaire of the loan insurance. The bank asks for a larger deposit and discounts income in a foreign currency.
How long does it take to gather the file?
Statements and proofs, a few days; an apostilled and translated birth or marriage certificate, two to four weeks; a power of attorney, as long. The file starts with the brief, so that the offer leaves with proof of financing and nothing delays completion.
To go further
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