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"Can I actually get a mortgage in France as a non-resident?" is one of the most common questions we hear from international buyers — and one of the most misunderstood. The short answer is yes, French banks do lend to foreign buyers, but the process looks different from what you may be used to at home. Here's what to expect.
French banks maintain dedicated services for non-resident buyers, and several major institutions actively compete for this business. BNP Paribas, for instance, runs an International Buyers desk covering most OECD countries plus the UAE, Brazil, China, and Hong Kong. Crédit Agricole offers similar access through regional banking networks and private banking channels for buyers in the EU, Switzerland, Singapore, and the Netherlands.
That said, the terms are meaningfully different from what a French resident would be offered.
This is the single biggest difference from resident financing. While French residents can sometimes borrow with 10% down — or occasionally none at all — non-resident buyers should expect to provide substantially more:
Banks will want to see the source of these funds clearly documented — regular savings, proceeds from a prior property sale, or a documented gift. A down payment that appears as a large, recent transfer into a French account with no clear origin tends to raise questions and slow the process.
Non-resident rates typically run modestly higher than resident rates — often an additional 0.10 to 0.40 percentage points — and loan terms are usually capped around 20 years rather than the longer terms sometimes available to residents. Current rates for a 20-year non-resident loan generally fall in the 3.6-4.0% range, though this shifts with broader interest rate conditions and should always be confirmed directly with a bank or broker at the time of application.
Expect to prepare, at minimum:
Buyers who arrive with this documentation already organized — ideally translated by a certified translator — consistently move through underwriting faster than those assembling it after an offer is already in progress.
For most international buyers, working with a mortgage broker (courtier) who specializes in non-resident financing is worth the fee. A good broker already knows which banks are currently most receptive to your specific profile — country of residence, income currency, employment type — rather than you approaching banks one by one and starting from scratch each time. This matters more than it might seem: appetite for non-resident lending shifts between banks over time, and a broker's current market knowledge can meaningfully shorten your search.
Not every buyer needs a French mortgage. Some finance the purchase through a Lombard loan or securities-backed lending against assets held with a private bank in their home country — an option worth discussing with your existing wealth manager if you hold significant investable assets, since it can sometimes move faster than a traditional French mortgage application.
Financing timelines are one of the most common reasons a promising purchase stalls — not because the buyer isn't qualified, but because the groundwork wasn't started early enough. If you're seriously considering a purchase in the coming months, starting a conversation with a bank or broker before you've found "the one" puts you in a far stronger negotiating position when you do.
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Not sure where to start with financing? We work regularly with brokers who specialize in non-resident lending and can point you toward the right conversation before you begin viewing properties.