What are frais de notaire in France?

Frais de notaire are the total acquisition costs collected by the notaire on a property purchase. The biggest part is the droits de mutation transfer tax (around 5.8% on existing homes), plus the notaire's regulated emoluments, a land-registry security contribution and disbursements.

How much is transfer tax on an older home?

Around 5.80% of the price: a departmental tax of 4.50% (5.00% in departments that raised it from 2025), a communal tax of 1.20%, and a 2.37% collection fee charged on the departmental portion. New-build off-plan homes pay a reduced rate of about 0.715% because VAT already applies.

Are the fees lower for a new-build?

Yes. A new-build bought off-plan (VEFA) attracts a reduced transfer tax of roughly 0.715% instead of ~5.8%, because the price already includes VAT. Total acquisition costs on a new build are typically 2–3% rather than 7–8%.

Is this an exact quote?

No, it is an estimate. The departmental rate, the notaire's disbursements and any mortgage-registration costs vary by transaction. Always confirm the final figure with the notaire before signing.

France Stamp Duty / Transfer Tax Calculator

Q: How are notaire emoluments calculated?

They follow a nationally regulated tiered scale that falls as the price rises, from 3.945% on the first band down to 0.814% above EUR 60,000, plus 20% VAT. The notaire cannot charge more or less than this scale for the core conveyancing work.

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This France stamp duty / transfer tax calculator estimates the frais de notaire — the full set of acquisition costs you pay on top of a property’s price in France. For an existing home these add roughly 7–8% to the purchase, so knowing the figure up front is essential when sizing your budget and deposit.

How it works

The largest component is the droits de mutation à titre onéreux (DMTO), the transfer tax. On an existing (ancien) home it is made up of:

a departmental tax of 4.50% (5.00% in departments that raised it from 2025),
a communal tax of 1.20%, and
a collection fee equal to 2.37% of the departmental tax.

Together these come to about 5.80% of the price. The tool then adds the notaire’s regulated emoluments, which follow a tiered national scale (3.945% on the first band down to 0.814% above EUR 60,000) plus 20% VAT, a land-registry security contribution of around 0.10%, and an estimate for disbursements (débours).

A new-build off-plan (VEFA) purchase instead pays a reduced transfer tax of about 0.715%, because VAT already applies to the sale price.

Example

On a EUR 300,000 existing home, transfer tax is roughly EUR 17,400, notaire emoluments about EUR 3,600 including VAT, plus the land-registry contribution and disbursements. Total acquisition fees land near EUR 22,500, or about 7.5% of the price — so the all-in cost is around EUR 322,500.

Notes

This is an estimate. The departmental rate differs across France, mortgage-registration costs are extra, and first-time buyers do not get a transfer-tax exemption (unlike some other countries). Confirm the final figure with your notaire before committing.