Can Australians buy property in France and get a french mortgage in 2026?

Yes, Australians can buy property in France and obtain a French mortgage in 2026. French law does not restrict property ownership based on nationality, so Australian citizens can purchase real estate in France whether they live in Australia or elsewhere. The main challenge is usually financing: as a non-resident, you may face stricter lending requirements, including a larger down payment. Depending on the bank and your financial profile, non-resident buyers may be expected to provide around 20% to 30% of the purchase price as a down payment, in addition to closing costs.

For an Australian buyer, the key factors to consider include the amount of the down payment, the consideration of income in Australian dollars (AUD), the financial documentation required by French banks, and the specific conditions that apply to non-resident borrowers. As a general guideline, non-residents may need to set aside a larger down payment than French residents, often around 30% depending on their profile and the specific property.

From there, the details matter. How will a French bank assess income earned in Australian dollars (AUD)? Which documents will you need to provide? How long can you stay in France? What are your Australian tax reporting obligations to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)? And can superannuation or retirement income strengthen your mortgage application? This guide answers these questions and explains what Australian buyers need to know before purchasing property and applying for a French mortgage in 2026.

Key Points to Remember

• The 35% debt-to-income ratio cap applies equally to everyone. The real difference lies in the financing terms: expect a down payment of 30%, a loan term of 15 to 20 years, and an interest rate of about 3.90%, compared to a down payment of 10 to 15%, a loan term of up to 25 years, and an interest rate of about 3.40% for a French resident.

• In France, fixed-rate loans are by far the most common, unlike in Australia, where variable-rate loans predominate.

• The bilateral agreement between France and Australia should prevent you from being taxed twice on your French real estate.

Can Australians buy real estate in France, and how long can they stay there?

French law has never made home ownership contingent on nationality or residency; an Australian buyer is therefore in exactly the same legal position as a French buyer. However, it is often overlooked that, as nationals of a non-European Union country, Australians may stay for up to 90 days without a visa within any 180-day period throughout the entire Schengen Area—not just in France. For any stay exceeding 90 days—whether in a single stretch or spread out over the year— a long-stay “visitor” visa (VLS-TS) is required. This visa requires proof of a stable income or sufficient savings, as well as private health insurance, and does not allow the holder to work in France—a deliberate trade-off in exchange for a longer stay in the country.

How much is a loan granted to an Australian borrower?

French lenders ask non-residents for roughly 30% of the total acquisition cost, purchase price plus notary fees included. Notary fees themselves (mostly taxes and registration duties, not payment for the notary's own work) run 7 to 8% of the price for an existing property and 2 to 3% for new construction, according to Notaires de France.

Here's what that looks like on a €400,000 property:

(Using the Australian Taxation Office's May 2026 average exchange rate of AUD 1 = EUR 0.6149) 

Buyers who can't show the full deposit in liquid funds won't have their file processed, regardless of income. On top of the deposit, budget for the notary fees above and mandatory borrower's insurance, which runs for the life of the loan.

How do French banks calculate borrowing power when your income is in AUD?

Every borrower in France, resident or not, is subject to the HCSF's affordability rule: total monthly debt repayments cannot exceed 35% of net monthly income. What changes for non-residents is how your AUD income gets there in the first place. Lenders typically apply a currency risk discount of 10 to 20% to income paid in a foreign currency before running the affordability math, since a mortgage can run 15 to 20 years and exchange rates move a lot over that time. The exact discount isn't published or fixed; it varies by lender and file, which is exactly the kind of detail worth clarifying with a broker before you commit to a property.

French resident vs. Australian non-resident: how do mortgage conditions compare?

For non-residents, the differences begin once income exceeds the 35% threshold. The down payment required of non-resident buyers, including Australians, is generally 30% of the purchase price, compared to nearly 10% for a French resident. For a property priced at €300,000, this amounts to €90,000, not even including notary fees. This may seem much higher than the average 20% down payment required in Australia, but banks require a larger down payment from non-residents because they are considered higher-risk clients.

Expect more documentation too: banks typically ask for around 12 months of bank statements from non-resident applicants, against roughly 3 months for residents, plus certified French translations of foreign income documents. There are many more documents needed to form a complete file, they will be listed out in the FAQ below.

On rates, the average French mortgage (residents and non-residents) stood at 3.40% in August 2026, per Pretto's August barometer. That's noticeably below what's on offer at home, even with non-residents averaging rates of 3.90%: Australian rates were running around 6.2 to 6.8% for owner-occupier loans in early May 2026, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia. Rates are set by the loan's term and the bank's own risk assessment of the file, not directly by nationality, but a stronger down payment and cleaner paperwork tend to get better terms in practice.

These figures are taken from the August 2026 Pretto Barometer and reflect the difference between the rates applicable to residents and non-residents, as described on the “Non-Residents” page of the Pretto website. Actual terms vary by lender and application.

How do French mortgage rates compare to the Australian standard for variable-rate mortgages?

Beyond the headline rate gap, the more important difference is structural. French mortgages are overwhelmingly fixed-rate, so the monthly payment is set at signing and never moves for the life of the loan. Australia works the opposite way: fewer than 5% of new and outstanding home loans are fixed-rate, according to the RBA's February 2026 Statement on Monetary Policy, meaning the vast majority of Australian borrowers are used to a rate that moves whenever the RBA moves the cash rate. Fixed rates are like Vegemite: an acquired taste. You may think you like the flexibility of a variable-rate, but you'll find that you enjoy the predictability of the fixed-rate.

Wealth Tax, Capital Gains, and the ATO's Expectations

Non-residents owe French wealth tax on real estate (IFI, impôt sur la fortune immobilière) only on property located in France, and only once net taxable French real estate assets exceed €1.3 million, per impots.gouv.fr. Below that threshold, nothing is due. Cross it, and the tax is calculated on the full progressive scale from zero, not just the amount above €1.3 million: 0% up to €800,000, then 0.5% on the portion between €800,000 and €1.3 million, then 0.7% between €1.3 million and €2.57 million, and so on, per impots.gouv.fr's IFI calculation page.

On the Australian side, the ATO treats gains on overseas property the same way as gains on Australian property: a French property is a taxable Australian asset for CGT (capital gains tax) purposes for as long as you remain an Australian tax resident, and if you've already paid French tax on the gain, you may be entitled to a foreign income tax offset, per the ATO. France and Australia have had a bilateral tax treaty in force since 2009, per impots.gouv.fr, which is the mechanism that prevents the same income being taxed twice; the specifics of how it applies to your situation are worth confirming with a tax adviser in both countries.

Note that this article is aimed towards people who have tax-residency in Australia, or generally not in France. If you're a French tax-resident, you will get better rates, longer loan terms, and a lower deposit. If this is you, you should read this article: How do mortgages work in France in 2026? The complete guide instead.

Buying without flying to France

None of the above requires getting on a plane, which is just as well given the distance. Since a 2020 decree, French notaries can carry out authenticated powers of attorney (procuration) by videoconference, according to Notaires de France. The notary reads the document live over video, then sends an electronic signature link; you confirm with an SMS code. If the notary hasn't verified your identity in person within the past ten years, an additional remote identity check (via IDnow) is required first. Flying 24 hours to France just to sign a document, that's not a good idea. Making the best of remote signing, that's a good idea. 

How does the timeline compare between Australia and France?

An Australian purchase typically settles 30 to 90 days after contract exchange, with around 6 weeks common in practice depending on the state and what's negotiated into the contract, per industry settlement data.

France runs on a similar overall timeframe but a different shape: an Australian-style short settlement doesn't really exist, since a French buyer should expect 6 to 12 weeks from application just to get a formal loan offer, followed by a mandatory 10-day reflection period before accepting it, then the notary signing itself.

All told, that's roughly 3 to 4 months from signed compromis de vente to keys in hand, longer than a typical Australian settlement, but not dramatically so. The system isn't made to annoy you with seemingly unnecessary delays, banks need to do their due diligence for their own protection as well as yours. Statutory deadlines such as the 10-day reflection period ensure you can make a free and informed decision about your future.

Financing your project from Australia

Distance is the easy part to solve; financing from the other side of the world is where a specialist actually earns their fee. At Opeongo Finance, we help Australian buyers, as non-residents and expatriates, put together a file French banks will actually approve, from the down payment through the currency question to the documentation a French underwriter expects to see. Whether you're still researching or already have a property in mind, we've got your back. Let's discuss your project, with no obligation.

Updated on August 11, 2026, by Paul Desjardins, a 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.