How does getting a mortgage in France as a non tax-resident compare to a mortgage in Sweden in 2026?
As fellow members of the EU, it is quite natural for Swedes to want to own property in France: temperate climate, famous gastronomy and strong cultural identity are the usual reasons.
However, being part of the EU alone does not remove all hurdles from Swedish buyers, there are still many differences between the two systems. For example, while most loans in France are fixed, with rates around 3-3.50%, the majority of loans in Sweden are variable and run around 2.80%. Below, we cover what actually changes, from how much you can borrow to whether your rate moves with the market, as well as the process of getting a loan.
Key Points to Remember
- A French mortgage for a non-resident typically requires 30% down, compared with roughly 10% under Sweden's own 90% LTV cap.
- Sweden ties mandatory loan repayment to how leveraged the purchase is; France instead caps total monthly repayments at 35% of net income, with no separate amortization rule.
- Unlike in Sweden, a huge majority of loans in France have a fixed rate which is currently around 3.10-3.55%.
French vs Swedish mortgages: what are the biggest differences?
Although they both understand the power of a fika break, Sweden and France sit on different ends of several habits that shape how people borrow. Swedish buyers are used to a market where rates move with Riksbanken and lenders lean on amortization schedules rather than a hard debt ceiling; France's mortgage market works from a fixed monthly-repayment limit and prefers fixed-rate loans. Add income paid in kronor, no French credit file, and a lending culture used to variable rates and high loan-to-value (LTV), and a Swedish applicant looks like an unfamiliar case to most French lenders. As a full EU member, Sweden is generally viewed favorably by French banks, though income stability and down payment still matter more than nationality. Knowing where the two systems actually diverge saves time before the first call to a bank.
How much can Swedish buyers borrow to purchase property in France?
French lenders work from a single rule: since a 2021 HCSF decision, all monthly loan repayments, insurance included, are capped at 35% of net income. For a net monthly income equivalent to SEK 55,000 (roughly €5,000), the maximum monthly repayment in France is around €1,750.
Sweden has no comparable ceiling on repayments themselves. Instead, Finansinspektionen requires a minimum pace of amortization tied to leverage, 2% of the loan every year above 70% LTV, or 1% between 50% and 70%. Drop below 50% LTV and the mandatory amortization disappears entirely. A French mortgage skips this mechanism entirely and is simply repaid in fixed installments across the loan term, since leverage doesn't change the repayment schedule the way it does at home.
How much down payment is required in France compared with Sweden?
Since the loan-to-value ceiling went from 85% to 90% on 1 April 2026, according to the Swedish Riksdag, a Swedish buyer at home might put down as little as 10%. Cross into the French market as a non-resident, and banks generally want 30% upfront, sometimes more depending on the file. That's €90,000 in cash on a €300,000 property before notary costs even enter the picture (see upfront costs section), so if you're thinking Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! about that down payment, now you know roughly what the bank expects you to bring yourself. EU membership helps here too: French banks tend to treat Swedish, and other EU, applicants as lower-risk than non-EU buyers, which can mean lower down payments.
French vs Swedish mortgage rates: fixed or variable loans in 2026?
Sweden's policy rate has remained at 1.75% since October 1st 2025, a position confirmed at the May 2026 meeting of the Riksbank, with average rates being around 2.7% to 2.8% according to Swedbank. French mortgage rates, meanwhile, run 3.10% to 3.55% depending on the term, per Pretto's July 2026 barometer. The rate gap matters less than what happens after signing, though. French loans are almost always fixed for their entire term. Sweden's mortgage market runs the opposite way, with most loans tied to short reference periods that reset every few months and follow the Riksbank up or down. The predictability of French loans can be a real advantage, allowing for planning ahead.
What are the upfront costs of buying property in France?
French notary fees, most of which are taxes rather than payment for the notary's own work, run 7% to 8% of an existing property's price and drop to 2% to 3% for new builds, per Notaires de France. That's €21,000 to €24,000 in additional costs on a €300,000 resale, on top of the down payment already covered above. Additional fees will result from agency costs, borrower insurance, various taxes. There is also an ongoing cost of borrower insurance, which is mandatory in practice, representing typically 0.1% to 0.4% of the loan per year depending on age and health.
Sweden's version of this cost is split into two separate charges instead of one bundled fee: lagfart, the 1.5% title registration duty plus a flat SEK 825, and pantbrev (stamp duty), a 2% charge on any new mortgage deed the bank requires, plus SEK 375 in administrative fees per filing, according to Lantmäteriet, Sweden's land registry. Lantmäteriet handles both, and there's no notary anywhere in the process, a fastighetsmäklare runs the sale from listing to keys.
Does France have competitive property bidding like Sweden?
Sweden's budgivning looks similar to what happens elsewhere in the Nordics on the surface, competing buyers, a live bidding round, but it isn't governed by law the way some neighboring countries' processes are. A bid, even a written one, isn't binding until contracts are actually signed, and agents aren't required to run bidding in any particular way, according to Mäklarsamfundet, the industry's professional association. Most of the time, around 90% of sales, it happens in the open: every bidder can see what everyone else is offering as the number climbs past the asking price.
Buying in France skips the auction entirely. A seller sets an asking price, and a buyer replies with a written offre d'achat, frequently below that number, valid for whatever period the buyer chooses to specify. Sellers aren't legally required to respond by any particular date: silence just means the offer expires and the buyer walks away free and clear, per the Chambre des Notaires de Paris. It's a real reversal of direction, Swedish prices tend to climb through competing bids, while French prices tend to fall through one negotiated offer.
Does buying a home in France change what I owe in Swedish taxes?
Since Sweden abolished its wealth tax (förmögenhetsskatt) back in 2007, buying a home in France doesn't create a Swedish wealth tax bill. What Sweden has instead is a municipal property fee (kommunal fastighetsavgift), but it only applies to property located in Sweden, capped at SEK 10,425 a year or 0.75% of the assessed value, whichever is lower, according to Skatteverket, the Swedish Tax Agency. Therefore, you don't get taxed in Sweden for assets located in France.
On the French side, the wealth tax on real estate (IFI) only applies once French property owned by a non-resident exceeds €1.3 million, with a progressive scale starting at 0.5%. Below that threshold, no IFI is due. If a Swedish buyer later becomes a French tax resident, IFI would then apply to real estate held anywhere in the world, though a transitional rule limits this to French property only for the first five years after the move, for anyone who was domiciled outside France for the previous five years, according to impots.gouv.fr.
Heads up! - this article is aimed at non tax residents, if you're a French tax resident and looking to buy in France, go here: How do mortgages work in France in 2026? The complete guide
How long does the French property buying process take?
On the French side, expect a fairly linear sequence: a preliminary sales agreement, roughly 45 to 60 days to arrange financing, a loan offer that comes with a mandatory 10-day cooling-off period, and a closing signature in front of a notary, whose involvement is required by law for every property sale in France. None of it requires a Swedish buyer to set foot in the country, since the whole sequence, offer through final signature, can run through a power of attorney (procuration) instead, a process we walk through in our guide to how French mortgages work.
Sweden's version has fewer formal checkpoints. There's no notary requirement, the fastighetsmäklare runs the sale directly, a köpekontrakt gets signed, and Lantmäteriet updates the registry, typically within a few weeks of closing. Compared to that, the French sequence can feel bureaucratic, though every extra step is there to protect both sides of the transaction.
How can Swedish buyers finance a property purchase in France?
If you're looking for a “Lush Life” in France, the process can seem quite arduous upon first look, but it doesn't have to be. What matters is translating a Swedish financial profile into terms a French bank actually recognizes, and that's the part where a broker comes in handy. Opeongo Finance works with Swedish and other Scandinavian buyers as non-residents and expatriates, matching applications to banks that lend to international buyers and explaining exactly where French rules diverge from what you already know. If you're weighing your options or already have a property picked out, let's talk it through, no obligation attached.
Can a Swedish resident get a mortgage from a French bank in 2026?
Though EU membership works in your favor with French lenders, it's not an automatic approval. What actually gets assessed is income stability, the size of your down payment, and the fact that your income arrives in SEK, which banks factor in at a conservative exchange rate when sizing up what you can borrow. You can get more information through this article: Can a resident of Norway, Sweden, or Denmark get a mortgage in France?
How much more cash do I need to buy in France compared to Sweden?
At home, Sweden's 90% LTV cap, in place since April 2026, means as little as 10% down. In France, non-residents are usually asked for 30%. On a €300,000 purchase, that's the difference between roughly €30,000 and €90,000, before additional costs (notary fees, agency fees, borrower insurance) are added.
Does buying property in France affect my taxes in Sweden?
Not through wealth tax, as Sweden hasn't had one since 2007. You'll still need to declare the property on your Swedish return, and France taxes it under its own rules, including the IFI above €1.3 million for non-residents. The two tax systems run in parallel rather than interacting, but a tax advisor should confirm your specific situation.
Is French borrower insurance comparable to Sweden's Låneskydd?
This is the product that most closely resembles French mortgage insurance, since it can include life, disability, health, and unemployment coverage that allows for the repayment of all or part of the loan if something happens to you. The main difference is that it is not a standard requirement for a traditional Swedish mortgage, unlike mortgage insurance, which is effectively mandatory in France. It is much more commonly required for additional unsecured loans—for example, when a buyer must borrow part of their down payment separately because it cannot be secured by the property due to the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio rule, or for borrowers who already have other debts, according to Konsumenternas and Ekonomifokus. For most traditional mortgage borrowers, it is offered and often recommended by the bank, but it remains optional.
Updated on July 10, 2026, by Paul Desjardins, mortgage broker specializing in international clients (ORIAS No. 25 010 121).
Paul Desjardins assists expatriate buyers, non-residents, and international investors with their real estate financing projects in France. More than 60% of his clients live abroad: he advises them in French and English, from the initial review of their application through to the signing at the notary’s office. He writes practical guides for Opeongo Finance aimed at international clients who want to understand the rules of French mortgage lending and secure financing from abroad.
