You live in London, Brussels, Geneva, Singapore or New York — and you dream of owning a place in France? Great news: 2026 is a good year to buy. The euro/pound and euro/dollar exchange rates are favourable to non-EUR earners, French mortgage rates have stabilised between 3.1 % and 3.5 %, and a handful of French banks are actively looking for international clients. The tricky part: only a few of them will lend to a non-resident, and each one has very specific rules.
I'm Audrey Hurelle, an independent bilingual mortgage broker based on the French Riviera. I structure non-resident mortgages every month for UK, Swiss, Belgian, US and Asian buyers. Here is what really matters in 2026.
Which French banks lend to non-residents in 2026?
Not all French banks accept non-resident files. In 2026 the active ones are:
- HSBC France — strong on UK residents and expats paid in GBP
- BNP Paribas International Buyers — the historical dedicated desk, EN-speaking, works with buyers from 40+ countries
- Crédit Agricole Britline — Jersey-based English-speaking desk, mostly for UK/Ireland residents
- Crédit Agricole Provence Côte d'Azur — for buyers on the Riviera specifically
- Barclays France — for GBP-paid buyers with clean profiles
- A few private banks (Rothschild, Edmond de Rothschild, Neuflize) for high-net-worth files above 1 M€
Each bank has its own minimum ticket, currency preference and profile appetite. Approaching the wrong one wastes 6 to 8 weeks and can land a refusal on file, which then hurts subsequent applications.
Minimum down payment by currency (2026 benchmarks)
- EUR-earning EU residents: 20 % minimum (10 % notaire + 10 % apport)
- GBP-earning UK residents: 30 % minimum
- CHF-earning Swiss residents: 30 % minimum
- USD-earning US residents: 30 to 40 % (few banks accept USD income)
- Non-OECD residents or complex profiles: case by case, usually 40 %
The down payment must come from a traceable, legal source: 3 to 6 months of bank statements from the source account, plus any sale deed or donation certificate if part of the money comes from selling assets or from family.
Rate and duration you can expect in 2026
For a solid non-resident file (stable income > 3 years, clean credit history, down payment ≥ 25 %), typical negotiated conditions in July 2026:
- Rate: 3.25 to 3.60 % over 20 years, 3.35 to 3.70 % over 25 years
- Debt-to-income cap: 35 % including insurance
- Foreign income haircut: -10 to -30 % depending on currency and bank
- Insurance: delegated policy usually cheaper than the bank's group offer
100 % remote process: yes, it works
- Discovery call by video (30 min, free, in English)
- Encrypted document portal — no paper mailing
- Bank meetings handled by me on your behalf
- Mortgage offer signed electronically (legally binding in France since 2022)
- Notaire signing by power of attorney if you cannot travel
You do NOT need to fly to France to get your mortgage. Most of my UK and Swiss clients complete the full process without ever landing in Nice — even though I always recommend at least one in-person visit to the property.
The 5 most common mistakes I see international buyers make
- Signing the compromis de vente with a 45-day mortgage condition — 60 days minimum is realistic for a non-resident file
- Sending an offer without a mortgage pre-agreement — you're competing against cash buyers on the Côte d'Azur
- Underestimating notaire fees: budget 7 to 8 % on top of the price for existing properties
- Assuming income in a foreign currency will be counted at 100 % — it's typically haircut by 10 to 30 %
- Waiting to open a French bank account: you'll need one to receive the funds and pay monthly instalments
Fees and how I get paid
My brokerage fee is 2 % of the loan amount (minimum 4 500 €), charged only if you sign the mortgage I negotiated. Discovery call, file audit, bank shortlist and negotiation are all included — no upfront fee, no hidden cost. On a typical 500 000 € non-resident mortgage, my clients save an average of 20 000 to 40 000 € over the life of the loan (rate + insurance + guarantee) compared to a direct-to-bank offer.
Ready to start your French property project?
Book a 30-minute discovery call in English. We'll review your profile, target region and budget, and I'll tell you honestly which French banks are the best fit — and what down payment you'll realistically need.