FAQ: all your questions about investing from abroad

Support generally lasts one year, with access to the training, the workshops and the team during that period. The exact length depends on the package chosen: it is specified during the 45-minute call and stated in the contract.

It depends on your city, your application and the time you devote to it. Among our members, Marie-Lou (Canada) found her property in 17 days, Jérémy (Spain) signed 3 to 4 months after his first contact, Alexandra (London) in 6 or 7 months, and Guillaume (Canada) worked about a year on his project. There is no guaranteed timeframe.

In our experience, one to three hours a week in the first months are enough to complete a project in 90 days. You follow the training and the workshops at your own pace, live or as replays.

The property price, notary fees, works and partners’ fees (notary, chartered accountant, tradespeople, property manager) remain your responsibility and are invoiced to you directly by them. The team suggests properties, but you are the one who buys.

There are several support packages. Their content and price are presented to you during the 45-minute call, once your project is known.

It is not compulsory. Several members bought without viewing the property themselves, thanks to a relative or the agent’s video, and signed at the notary’s office by video call or by proxy. The team helps you review every document: offer, preliminary agreement, then deed. Other members preferred to take advantage of a trip to view properties or meet their bank.

The training covers letting (leases, inventory of fixtures, guarantees, choosing the tenant) and non-resident taxation. You keep the network: accountant for your returns, manager if you do not want to manage yourself, tradespeople for maintenance. Several members went on to a second project.

Yes. No law forbids it: the obstacle comes from the banks and the way of approaching them. Our members live abroad and invest in France, mostly with a loan from a French bank.

From what we see, a non-resident who approaches a bank alone is very often asked for a 30 to 40% down payment, plus notary fees. Some banks add blocked savings, to be counted on top. In our members’ video testimonials, the down payment ranges from 0 to 19%, and the majority fall between 7 and 10%, often the equivalent of the notary fees. The highest down payments are almost always chosen to lower the monthly payment. These cases are not a promise: everything depends on your application.

No. Almost all the members who give video testimonials are paid abroad on a local contract. Lois has contracts in Dutch, Sophie has never worked in France. The bank mainly looks at the stability of your income, your savings and the profitability of the property. If you are self-employed, the application requires more supporting documents.

Our members cite rates of 3.05 to 4.65% depending on the date of their application, over 15 to 27 years. The HCSF rule applies: 35% debt ratio and 25 years at most, apart from exceptions. These figures are not a loan offer: everything depends on the application and the timing.

It can make things more complicated, but rarely closes every door. The bank looks at the currency of your income, its remedies in case of non-payment and its compliance obligations, such as FATCA for the United States. Anaïs saw her bank close the door at the word “Switzerland”, Anne-Claire was told that Dubai was on a blacklist, Julien was refused as a US citizen. All were financed by changing bank, with a complete application.

Yes. Our members see the banks before viewing: they know what they can buy and move faster at the offer stage. Marc and Sylvie obtained their financing before looking for their property.

There is no list that is valid for everyone: the reception varies depending on your country of residence, the currency of your income and the bank itself. In the eurozone, the choice is widest. Outside the European Union, it narrows and the down payment asked often rises to 25 or 35%, without making financing impossible. Sophie (Luxembourg) was, for example, financed by Crédit Mutuel. Our 2026 bank ranking helps you target the right institutions.

Yes. A pledge blocks savings, for example a life insurance policy, as security for the loan. It stays yours, but you can no longer freely dispose of it. Some banks ask for it on top of the down payment: a client says on Trustpilot that they were asked for a 50% down payment and a 30% pledge. To compare two offers, always add the down payment and the blocked savings together. Marie-Lou, for her part, was financed without a pledge.

Yes, but the application is more demanding, because the bank first looks for stability. Prepare your accounts and income tax returns for recent years. A long-established business and regular income are reassuring, and a salary paid by your company can help. In our video testimonials, a self-employed expat in the United Kingdom invested with an 8% down payment.

Yes, but not always in full. A bank may apply a discount to income in foreign currency, because of exchange-rate risk. For bonuses and variable income, it mainly looks at their regularity: keep your supporting documents over several years. Each bank has its own rules, to be checked before submitting your application.

Plan several weeks before signing. The bank prefers regular, visible savings to a last-minute transfer. Keep the proof of the origin of the funds, as the bank and the notary may ask for it. Also compare the cost of exchange before converting, since a gap in rates quickly weighs on a down payment.

During the deferral, you do not repay the principal, sometimes nothing at all. This leaves time to carry out the renovation works and find a tenant. Our members cite deferrals of 2 to 36 months. “It is my tenant who rebuilds my down payment,” sums up Camille.

No, we are not a bank. You remain the borrower and you are the one who presents your application. We give you the method, the templates, your coach’s review and the network’s banking contacts.

A refusal is common at the start, especially from your existing bank, and it reflects a bank’s policy, not the value of your project. Prepare a complete application and approach several banks in parallel, until the final offer. Yanis (Denmark) was rejected by a regional committee two weeks before the deadline, and a second bank took over. The team helps you understand the reason for the refusal and adjust the application.

Yes, in general. The bank often counts only about 70% of the expected rents, then applies the 35% debt ratio limit, insurance included, with possible but limited exceptions for a buy-to-let investment. It also looks at how realistic your rent is: base your application on a cautious estimate. Our borrowing capacity calculator gives you a first order of magnitude.

Yes, but it is harder. Many French banks refuse US residents, partly because of FATCA, which obliges them to report the accounts of “US persons”. They are also wary of the exchange-rate risk on dollar income. Julien, a US citizen and resident, met systematic refusals before being financed with a 19% down payment. Most applications are financed in euros.

Not really. A foreign credit score has no equivalent in France. The bank relies instead on your account statements, your existing loans, your capacity to save and the stability of your income. Regular, visible savings, month after month, will serve you better.

It is sometimes possible, but nothing is automatic. A mortgage charge on another property can serve as security for a new loan, and reassure the bank as much as a down payment. Everything depends on the value of the property, your income and your country of residence. Present the request as a complete new project, with its yield, rather than as a simple request for liquidity.

This is the point often forgotten. Bank contracts sometimes exclude or surcharge residence outside France, certain countries, certain professions or frequent travel. You can choose another insurer, provided you present guarantees equivalent to those the bank asks for: this is insurance delegation. Check carefully that your country of residence is covered.

Partly: the team searches for and suggests profitable properties, including off-market ones, and teaches you to search yourself. You choose the city and the property: your coach reviews the properties with you one by one, in workshops or by message, and you are put in touch with our network (agents, banks, notaries, tradespeople), which you keep after the purchase.

A relative, a local contact or the agent’s video takes over when you cannot come. Clément, who lives in Singapore, had his sister and an IPE contact show his two studios near La Défense.

Many expats who left long ago no longer know where to invest. In the first weeks, you set your goals in figures and your rental strategy, then you carry out the market study of your city using the template provided. Our city pages show the projects already carried out and the local market figures.

Yes. Furnished studio, house share, split into several homes, apartment building, short-term rental: the type of property follows from the rental strategy you define at the outset, depending on your budget and your goals.

You set up your alerts, you call the agents and you use the Edgar app to spot and analyse properties. Every property is put through its paces: price per m² compared with properties in the area, estimated renovation works, yield. You make an offer when the numbers hold up.

It depends on your city, your application and the time you devote to it. Marie-Lou (Canada) found her property 17 days after joining the support programme; for other members, it took one to two and a half months. There is no guaranteed timeframe.

You negotiate with arguments drawn from the price history and quotes, then you make an offer using the templates from the training. Then come the financing, the deed, the renovation works with the network’s tradespeople and the letting.

Yes. Steffie renovated her studio from Spain, Marie-Lou her duplex from Canada, Sophie her apartment from Luxembourg. You need tradespeople booked early, someone to open the door and regular follow-up by photo or video.

No. Clémence’s mother, 30 to 40 minutes from the property, opens the door to the tradespeople while Clémence decides from Canada. Steffie’s parents played the same role. Without a relative on the spot, ask about the local contact for your city or plan for a key box.

You have access to the network’s tradespeople and members’ recommendations: Sébastien chose a tradesperson recommended by ImmoPourExpat. Julien found his by email following the methods in the training. In every case, compare several quotes.

No. Your quotes and contracts are signed directly with the tradespeople, and you keep their contacts. We help you estimate the works, read the quotes and organise the job.

Across 23 member projects, the median budget is €30,000, from about €5,000 for a refresh to €150,000 for a building. The amount depends mainly on the condition of the property: electrics, bathroom, kitchen and insulation weigh the most.

Count a few months. Steffie had her property let 10 weeks after signing, Marie-Lou renovated her duplex from April to the end of June 2026, and Olivia’s project, which creates two homes, was planned over 3 to 4 months. Tradespeople are often booked several weeks in advance.

Often yes, if you cost them in your application. Olivia obtained €102,000 for €92,000 of quotes. Check each offer, as some exclude the works, and ask for a deferral for the duration of the project.

Plan a margin from the bank application onwards. Steffie obtained €29,500 and spent €36,000, Yanis underestimated his works in his application. Jean-Baptiste, for his part, kept €30,000 of margin in his estimate. Freeze the specification before signing the quotes.

Yes, buying remains possible. Cost the energy renovation before the offer: a G-rated home can no longer be let under a new lease, and F-rated ones will follow in 2028. Clémence bought a G-rated DPE property in Saint-Malo with insulation, heating and double-glazing works. Also have the assessment checked: Lois’s went from G to E with a new DPE at €250, even before the works.

Yes. Frédéric managed his homes himself for six years from Hong Kong, Dubai and Luxembourg. You need a system: video viewings, a lease signed remotely, a reliable tradesperson and someone on the spot.

An agency generally takes 5 to 10% of rents, plus additional fees (letting, inventory of fixtures). An independent manager is around 5%, often for a flat fee. On €12,000 of rents per year, that represents about €600 to 1,200.

The agency takes little of your time, but quality depends on the team: aim for a small local firm. The independent knows each home and replies quickly, but takes longer to find. For several properties in the same city, it is often more worthwhile.

Send the video of the home once the application is received. At the end of a lease, the sitting tenant can open the door, within the limit of two hours on working days and never on a public holiday. Otherwise, a key box with a guided video tour, or a key entrusted to a trusted person, will do.

Have the lease signed and the security deposit paid before handing over any keys. Then the co-ownership manager, a key box or your local contact hands the keys to the tenant.

Your tenant tells you, and you send your tradesperson. Find one before you need one, ideally during the renovation works. Also plan for a visit to the home once a year, or a video call with the tenant every six months.

ImmoPourExpat members have access to a local contact in the major cities: an investor in the area who can view for you and report back. A manager or an appointed professional can also take over for an inventory of fixtures.

No. It is a support programme: we help you choose your management approach, find your contacts and set up your system. Your mandate or your lease remains signed directly, in your name.

Yes. The non-professional furnished landlord status does not depend on your residence: a non-resident can let furnished, under micro-BIC or the actual regime, and depreciate the property under the actual regime.

The rents and capital gain on a property located in France are taxed in France. Your country of residence may also take them into account: the tax treaty signed with France says how double taxation is avoided, by an exemption or a tax credit.

It all depends on your social security affiliation. Affiliated in a country of the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom (and not in France): 7.5%. In other cases: 17.2% on unfurnished lets and 18.6% on furnished.

For a non-resident, tax on French-source income cannot be lower than 20% up to €29,579 of net taxable income, then 30% above (2025 income). If your average rate, calculated on all your household’s worldwide income, is lower, you can ask to have it applied: you then declare that income and must be able to justify it.

If the price exceeds €150,000 (total price for a married or PACS-partnered couple) and you live outside the European Union, Iceland and Norway: that is the case from Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Emirates, Canada or Singapore. You are exempt after more than 30 years of ownership (at 22 years, only the tax is exempt, not the social contributions), or if you sell your former main residence with an exemption.

Every spring, with the non-resident individuals tax office, on return no. 2042: online, or on paper by post if you are declaring in France for the first time. For unfurnished lets, you enter your rents under micro-foncier, or you add return no. 2044 under the actual regime. For furnished lets, you use the 2042-C-PRO under micro-BIC; under the actual regime, a tax package filed electronically is needed. You must also follow the filing rules of your country of residence.

The procedure is done online, on the INPI one-stop shop, within 15 days of the start of the letting. You then obtain a SIRET number, to use for your returns. You must also file the CFE return (form 1447-C-SD) no later than 31 December of the first year, with the business tax office for the location of the property. If the procedure blocks you, an accountant can take care of it.

It all depends on your plans to return. If you sell, the main-residence exemption may apply up to 31 December of the year following your departure, with no letting or lending of the home in the meantime and depending on your new country of residence. If you let, you lose it in principle, but an exemption limited to €150,000 of capital gain remains possible under conditions. Furnished under the actual regime now allows you to depreciate the property, but this depreciation in principle increases the capital gain on resale. Compare the three scenarios before leaving, and tell your bank if you have a loan outstanding.

No, owning a property is not enough. You are a French tax resident if your household or main place of stay is in France, if you carry out your main professional activity there, or if the centre of your economic interests is there. If two countries claim you, the tax treaty, if there is one, decides. Beware of long stays and working from that home: have your situation validated by a tax specialist.

The two are not opposed. The stock market is simpler and easier to sell. Property takes time and carries risks (vacancy, renovation works, management), but it lets you invest with the bank’s money and have part of the loan repaid by the rents. If you do not want to devote time to it, or if you cannot borrow, it is probably not for you. ImmoPourExpat does not advise on financial investments.

There is no single figure: it all depends on the city, the type of letting, the renovation works and your management approach. Be wary of gross yields on their own. To get a net figure, subtract property tax, charges, insurance, accounting, vacancy and management fees, then tax. Our yield calculator lets you run the numbers on your project.

It depends on the date of your return and on your application. Before you return, you borrow as a non-resident, with your current income and often stricter conditions. Afterwards, your application may become simpler, but the bank will want to see stable employment, which can take time. Your taxation also changes when you become a resident again. If the return is still far off, waiting is not necessarily the best option.

Yes, it is one of the reasons that push our members to invest. Once the loan is repaid, the rents become an income, and the property remains an asset you can keep or sell. It is not a guaranteed income: you have to allow for vacancy, renovation works and tax. The earlier you start, the more time the loan has to be repaid before retirement.

Across five members’ house shares, the yields stated range from about 8% in Montpellier to 12.6% in Thionville. The result depends mainly on the purchase price and the rent per room in the city, not on the number of rooms alone.

Yes, and that is the case for all the members cited on this page. Tenant follow-up can be done remotely or entrusted to a manager on the spot. Individual leases make replacements simpler, with more contracts to follow.

The single lease is simpler to follow and can provide for joint liability of the housemates. Individual leases isolate each tenant: a departure does not affect the others, but each is liable only for their own share and each room must be 9 m² and 20 m³.

Yes, if the room meets the area requirements and the home remains decent, with a usable living space. Audrey and Guillaume created a 3rd bedroom this way. Check the co-ownership rules if the kitchen or the water supply is moved.

You lose a share of the rents, not all of it. Audrey still had a room to let in November after putting it on the market for the September start of term: allow a month or two of margin in your cash-flow plan.

Not necessarily. Sophie was financed over 25 years with an €8,000 down payment without any banking link to France, and Amine over 25 years. Guillaume approached about fifteen banks: what counts is the preparation of the application.

It generally falls under LMNP, available from abroad. Under micro-BIC, the allowance is 50% up to €83,600 of revenue (2026 income); under the actual regime, you deduct costs and depreciate the property. On resale, the depreciation deducted is added back in the capital gain calculation. The non-resident minimum tax rate is 20%, then 30% above €29,579 of net taxable income (2025 income threshold, revised each year), unless your worldwide average rate is lower.

From 2 to 4 bedrooms for the cases presented here. Beyond that, we are talking more of co-living: Jean, who lives in Dubai, converted a house into 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, a project on a different scale in renovation works and management.

Yes. The letting rules do not depend on your country of residence: it is the municipality, the co-ownership and the type of property that decide. Only taxation changes, with the non-resident minimum rate. Eight of our members do it from the United States, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg or Dubai.

No. It targets the letting of your main residence, and some municipalities may lower it to 90 days. A property bought to let is a second home: there is no such annual cap, but a change-of-use authorisation may be needed.

A declaration, everywhere. A change-of-use authorisation on top where the municipality or the inter-municipal authority has introduced one, as in Paris. Call the planning department before making an offer.

Our members who give a net figure are between 6 and 8%, and the calculation done for Julien gives about 15% after costs in Cannes. The gross 12 to 21% is attractive but incomplete: concierge service, cleaning, platforms and vacancy weigh heavily on small units.

Two options among our members: Anne-Claire uses a concierge service in Reims, Alexandre manages the platforms himself from Belgium with a trusted cleaner. In both cases, you need someone reliable on the spot.

It first looks at your application and a cautious rent. Julien presented his project on the basis of a year-round rent, then put it on short-term rental. Prepare both scenarios, with figures to back them up, and do not build the financing on nightly stays alone.

Unclassified, a furnished tourist let is entitled to a 30% allowance up to €15,000 of revenue. Classified, 50% up to €83,600 (2026 income). Under the actual regime, you deduct costs and depreciate the property. On resale, the depreciation deducted is added back in the capital gain calculation. The non-resident minimum rate applies, unless the worldwide average rate is lower. Above €23,000 of revenue, check the LMP status: it also requires that this revenue exceeds your earned income, including income taxed in your country of residence (2026 income). This threshold can also trigger social contributions for a furnished tourist let.

Yes. Julien blocks a few weeks a year, Anne-Claire comes 2 to 3 times a year with her family. It is one of the big advantages over a year-round lease. Allow for these weeks in your calculation, especially if they fall in high season.

It is an entire building, bought in one go by a single owner, whose homes are let to produce income. It may also include shops or garages, like those of Shakir and Jean-Rémi.

Among our two members, the total project ranges from €400,000 in Gaillac to about €527,000 in La Réunion, renovation works and fees included. The price depends mainly on the city, the condition of the building and the number of units.

Jean-Rémi shows about 7.5% gross, close to self-financing once costs and management are paid. Shakir’s project is estimated at about 12%, with projected rents not yet received at the time of his testimonial. These figures are not a promise: calculate yours unit by unit.

We advise against it without a professional looking on the spot. A relative or a tradesperson can view for you, provided they check the roof, the utilities and the structure. Jean-Rémi met his banks during a trip back to France and relies on a cousin in the area.

The ticket is higher and the bank looks closely at the renovation works and the rents. Shakir struggled before obtaining his loan, Jean-Rémi got 25 years when he was aiming for 20. A cautious rent roll and several banks in parallel make the difference.

There is no single answer: it depends on your country of residence, your partners, succession and the loan. Jean-Baptiste bought through an SCI, with a slightly higher rate. Take stock before signing the preliminary agreement.

A local manager, or a trusted relative. Jean-Rémi entrusted management to a cousin in the area. Allow for this cost in your calculation from the start, along with the building insurance.

No: you are the one who buys. The team suggests properties, you present your application, and we give you the method, your coach’s review, the templates and the community’s help.

Yes, provided you have a reliable team on the spot: estate agent, architect, a notary used to non-residents, and accountant. Without one, Frédéric advises against getting started.

Frédéric aims for a minimum of 20% net margin, sometimes 15%. Calculate it after all costs: notary, renovation works, loan, accounting, early repayment penalties and taxes.

Banks that finance these deals generally ask for a 30% down payment. On an example at €300,000 all in, Frédéric counts about €100,000 of down payment, plus €10,000 of notary fees, €5,000 of accounting and €15,000 of reserve.

On a one-off deal by a private individual, 36.2% of the capital gain at the base rate, or 26.5% with the 7.5% levy, with no allowance before the 6th year, and a surtax once €50,000 is exceeded. Your country of residence may also tax this capital gain: check the tax treaty.

The law gives no number of transactions. The authorities look at whether purchases for resale are habitual, with their frequency and organisation. Have your situation validated by an accountant before chaining deals together.

For a first deal, your own name works most often. If you chain deals together, a proper structure such as the SAS becomes useful. This choice also depends on your country of residence and its tax treaty.

You have no tenants to manage and you can rebuild your cash faster. In return, there is no monthly income, the risk is higher and the capital gain is taxed more heavily than after a long holding period.

We start by building your first project with you, then we address this strategy with the members it concerns. Talk about it during your call: we will tell you honestly whether it is the right time.