Estimate your purchase notary fees
Despite the name, French notary fees (frais de notaire) are made up mostly of taxes paid to the State and local authorities: transfer duties, the notary's regulated fee, the real-estate security contribution and disbursements. This calculator breaks down each item and works out your total budget, for both existing (ancien) and new-build (neuf) property. No sign-up, no data stored.
Notary fees: what are they made of?
Transfer duties (droits de mutation à titre onéreux, DMTO) make up the largest share. On an existing home (ancien) they come to about 5.80% of the price (departmental tax, municipal tax and assessment costs); some departments have raised their rate since 2025. On a new build sold off-plan (vente en l'état futur d'achèvement, VEFA), VAT is already included in the price, so only the reduced land registration tax of about 0.715% remains, making the fees much lighter.
The notary's fee proper (émoluments) is their actual remuneration. It is set by tariff decree, tapers by price bracket, and is then subject to 20% VAT. On a typical purchase it is only a small fraction of the total — around 1% of the price.
On top of this come the real-estate security contribution (contribution de sécurité immobilière, CSI), equal to 0.10% of the price and collected by the land registry, and the disbursements and formality costs: sums advanced by the notary to obtain planning documents, the mortgage register or the cadastre. They are estimated at a flat rate here.
This estimate is indicative: the exact amount depends on the department, the actual disbursements and how the price is split between the property and any furniture. Estate-agency fees are not included. To fund the purchase, remember to check your borrowing capacity and the property's rental yield at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Why are notary fees higher on an existing home than on a new build?
Because the transfer duties differ. On an existing home (ancien) they reach about 5.80% of the price. On a new build (VEFA), VAT is already included in the sale price and only the reduced land registration tax of about 0.715% remains: acquisition fees often fall to around 2–3% of the price, versus 7–8% on an existing home.
Are notary fees negotiable?
The largest part (transfer duties, CSI, disbursements) is set by law and cannot be negotiated. Only the notary's proportional fee (émoluments) may be discounted, within a cap, on the highest price bracket, at the notary's discretion. The saving stays modest relative to the total.
Can fees be reduced by deducting furniture?
Yes. Furniture sold with the home (fitted kitchen, appliances…) is not subject to transfer duties. By valuing it separately in the deed, with supporting evidence and reasonably, you lower the taxable base and therefore the fees. The value of the furniture must remain justifiable.
Can notary fees be financed by the loan?
In principle notary fees are paid from your own down payment, with the bank financing mainly the value of the property. Some lenders will nonetheless fold them into a 110% loan. Plan for them in your financing: they are added to the price to determine the real budget of the operation.
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