Notary
The notary's role
Purchasing a home in France must be done through a notary. Notaries are independent government officials. Their primary duty is to authenticate all deeds and documents and ensure that a transaction is carried out correctly.
| Using a notary is mandatory when buying a property in France. However, if you require further or specialist advice on managing your property, do not hesitate to contact your personal solicitor or legal adviser. |
Each party may use his/her own notary during the transaction at no extra cost to the buyer. The fees will be shared equally between the respective notaries.
The notary's tasks
• To check and confirm details of any charges affecting the property
• To ascertain details of title and third party rights to the property
• To control the conformity of the property (conformity with standards, identification by land registry references, zoning restrictions and planning, etc...)
• To draw up the "acte authentique de vente" or deed of purchase
• To collect all fees related to the transaction and forward them to the appropriate local or regional authorities
• To receive the funds for the agreed purchase price and to deliver them to the seller
BNP Paribas International Buyers works closely with selected bilingual notaries in France. To contact a French bilingual notary, please click on “useful contacts to seek professional advice” .
| While you are required to use a notary, fees are fixed by law and you are free to appoint the notary of your choice. |