Notaire fees in France explained

Notaire fees in France are about 7–8% of the price for an older home and about 2–3% for a new build. Despite the name, most of the money isn't the notaire's fee: it's transfer tax that the notaire collects for the state and local councils. Foreign and non-resident buyers pay exactly the same as French buyers.

Key points

• "Frais de notaire" are mostly transfer taxes (droits de mutation), not the notaire's own pay.
• Older homes: about 7–8%. Our calculator uses 7.5%.
• New builds sold with VAT: about 2–3%, because the VAT in the price replaces most of the transfer tax. We use 2.5%.
• Many departments raised their transfer tax rate from 4.5% to 5% between 2025 and 2028.
• You get a 10-day cooling-off period after signing the compromis de vente.

What frais de notaire actually include

Service-Public splits "notaire fees" into four parts:

1. Taxes and duties (droits et taxes). The biggest part by far. On an older home these are the transfer taxes (droits de mutation à titre onéreux, or DMTO) paid to the department, the commune and the state.
2. Emoluments. The notaire's own regulated fee for the sale, set by a national scale and charged in slices of the price. It's the same whichever notaire you choose. VAT at 20% is added.
3. Disbursements (débours). Money the notaire pays out for you, such as land registry and cadastre documents and copies.
4. Fees (honoraires) for any extra, unregulated work, like drafting a separate legal agreement.

As an example, Service-Public shows the emoluments on a €200,000 flat as €1,995.25 before VAT, or about €2,394 with VAT. That's roughly 1.2% of the price. Everything else on top is mostly tax.

Older homes: about 7–8%

Most transfer tax on an older home (ancien) goes to the department. Its rate was capped at 4.5% for years. Departments can now raise it to up to 5% for deeds signed between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2028, and many did. With the commune's tax and the state's collection charge on top, total transfer tax is roughly 5.8% of the price, or about 6.3% where the department charges 5%.

First-time buyers buying their main home are exempt from the 0.5-point increase. To qualify you must not have owned your main residence in the two years before the deed, so this rarely applies to a holiday home.

Add the notaire's emoluments, VAT and disbursements and you reach the familiar 7–8%.

New builds: about 2–3%

A home sold for the first time by a developer within five years of completion is usually sold with VAT, which is already in the price. Transfer tax then drops to a reduced rate of about 0.7%, so the total notaire fees come to roughly 2–3%. This applies to off-plan purchases too (vente en l'état futur d'achèvement, or VEFA).

Worked examples

On the €250,000 older home, roughly four-fifths of the €18,750 is tax. The notaire's own emoluments are only a fraction of it. Compare the €300,000 new build: the fees are much lower because the VAT was paid by the developer and is built into the price.

The exact amount depends on the department and the sale, so your notaire will give you a written estimate before you sign.

Buying a house in France: the steps

1. Offer and compromis de vente

Once your offer is accepted, you sign a preliminary contract: usually a compromis de vente (both sides commit) or a promesse de vente (the seller commits and you get an option). It can be signed at the notaire's office or through the estate agent. You normally pay a deposit, often 5–10% of the price, held by the notaire.

The contract should list conditions (conditions suspensives), such as getting your mortgage. If a mortgage condition fails within the agreed time, you get your deposit back.

2. The 10-day cooling-off period

Under article L271-1 of the Construction and Housing Code, a private buyer of a home can withdraw within 10 days without giving a reason and without penalty. The period starts the day after the contract is delivered to you by registered post or handed over, with all the mandatory documents. Send any withdrawal by registered letter.

3. Diagnostics (DDT)

The seller must attach a technical file (dossier de diagnostic technique) to the compromis. Depending on the property, it includes:

• DPE – energy performance rating, plus an energy audit for houses rated E, F or G.
• Lead for homes built before 1949 and asbestos for homes with a permit before July 1997.
• Gas and electricity checks for installations over 15 years old.
• Termites and dry rot (mérule) in designated zones.
• ERP – natural, mining and technological risks report.
• Septic tank check for homes not on mains drainage.
• Aircraft noise near airports.

Read them before you sign. They're a good guide to repair costs.

4. Acte authentique

The final deed is signed in front of the notaire, usually two to three months after the compromis. You pay the balance and the notaire fees before or at this point. If you can't attend, you can sign a power of attorney.

Buying in France as a foreigner

France doesn't restrict foreign buyers and there's no surcharge for non-residents. You'll need a passport, proof of address and, in practice, a French or EU bank account for transfers and local bills. The notaire acts for the law, not for you. Many foreign buyers also use their own notaire (at no extra cost, as the fees are shared) or a bilingual lawyer.

After you buy, expect a yearly taxe foncière (property tax) and, for second homes, taxe d'habitation, which some communes in high-demand areas increase with a surcharge.

Common mistakes

• Treating frais de notaire as negotiable. The tax part is fixed by law.
• Forgetting the agent's fee. If the listing says fees are payable by the buyer, add them on top.
• Ignoring the DPE rating. Homes rated F or G face rental restrictions and may need costly work.
• Paying a deposit to the seller directly. Pay it to the notaire.

Tax back home

Buying abroad can create tax to pay and forms to file where you live, not just where you buy.

• UK residents are generally taxed on their worldwide income and gains. Rent from a home abroad goes on your Self Assessment return, and when you sell you may owe UK Capital Gains Tax. You can usually claim Foreign Tax Credit Relief for tax already paid in the other country, so the same income isn't fully taxed twice.
• US citizens and green-card holders are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live. Report foreign rental income on your US return. If your foreign bank accounts together go over $10,000 at any time in the year, file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114), and you may also need Form 8938 (FATCA) if your foreign financial assets pass its thresholds. A home you own directly isn't reported on Form 8938, but the foreign account you pay through may be.
• Everyone else: check how your country taxes foreign rent and gains, and whether it has a tax treaty with the country you're buying in.

Plan this before you buy, ideally with a tax adviser who knows both countries.

Work out your own figures

Choose older home or new build and enter the price. The calculator estimates the notaire fees and taxes so you can see the full amount you'll need on top of the price.