Buying in Nice from abroad
Buying in Nice from the United States.
An American buyer purchases in Nice under French law, before a French notary. The house's guide compares holding a property in France with the American property tax and flags what to prepare before the offer, such as opening a bank account.
The guide in brief
An American can buy in France without permission, without a visa and without residency: ownership is open. What differs is the machinery. No title insurance and no escrow, the notaire holds both roles. No buyer's agent, the agency is mandated by the seller. And three obligations follow from your passport alone: the IRS follows you everywhere, FinCEN Form 114 is triggered at ten thousand dollars across your French accounts, and FATCA makes some French banks reluctant to open one for you. None of it is insurmountable, provided you know it beforehand rather than after.
Read the full guide
