French notary fees: how much to budget when you buy a home

When you buy a home in France, the price is not the whole bill. On top of it come the "notary fees" (frais de notaire), paid at signing. The name misleads: most of the money goes to the state and local authorities, and the notary simply collects it.

What the fees are made of

Transfer taxes, the largest share. For an existing home, the transfer taxes (droits de mutation) come to about 5.81% of the price in most départements: up to 4.5% for the département, 1.2% for the commune, and a small collection fee for the state. Since April 2025, départements may raise their part to 5% until March 2028, which takes the total to about 6.32%; most have done so. First-time buyers are excluded from that increase.

The notary's pay. The notary's fee (émoluments) is set by decree on a decreasing scale, so it is the same whichever notary you choose. For a typical home it comes to roughly 1% of the price, VAT included.

Smaller costs. A property security contribution of 0.1% of the price, and the documents the notary orders on your behalf (land registry extracts, planning certificates), add a little more.

Why new homes cost much less

The price of a new home already includes 20% VAT, so the transfer tax falls to about 0.715% of the price. With the notary's pay and the smaller costs, the total is usually 2–3% of the price, against 7–8% for an existing home.

A worked example

On a $300,000 existing home, the transfer taxes alone are about $17,400 at 5.81%, or about $19,000 where the département applied the increase. Adding the notary's pay and the smaller costs brings the total to roughly $21,000 to $24,000: 7–8% of the price. For a new home at the same price, the transfer tax is closer to $2,100 and the total roughly $6,000 to $9,000.

Ways to lower the bill, legally

List the furniture. Furniture and fittings sold with the home (a fitted kitchen, appliances) can be listed separately in the deed at a realistic value. That part is not subject to transfer taxes.

Watch how agency fees are paid. When the estate agent's fee is paid by the buyer and shown separately, it is left out of the price the taxes are calculated on.

Check the first-time buyer rules. First-time buyers are excluded from the 2025 increase, and the rate depends on the département where the home is, so the bill varies by area.

The taxes themselves cannot be negotiated. On larger purchases, notaries may grant a limited discount on their own pay, which is worth asking about.

How to budget for them

Lenders usually expect your contribution to cover at least the notary fees, so plan your savings around them. The official simulator on Service-Public.fr gives an estimate by département and by type of home. To see the price you can target once fees and the 35% lending rule are taken into account, use the France borrowing capacity calculator, and read France's 35% debt-to-income rule for how much a bank will lend.