The market
Who buys property in France? The top nationalities.
Each nationality has its habits: some want a big country house, others a flat in town. Knowing them helps you understand the market you are entering, as a buyer or as a seller.
Contents
The ranking of foreign buyers changes slowly, but it changes. For years the British led; today Belgians and Swiss are often at the top, and Americans are back. Here is what the studies say, and how it shows in Burgundy.
The ranking, study by study
- Non-resident buyers in 2022: Belgians 19%, British 17%, Germans 11%, Dutch 10%. It was the first time the British share fell below 20% (Notaires de France study on non-resident buyers, published in 2024).
- 2023: Belgians 19.5%, British 16.4%. Purchases by British residents fell by 20% in number and 28% in value over the year (CCF study of 2023 sales, July 2024).
- 2025, one network: Swiss 22%, Belgians 19%, British 12%, Americans 11%, Dutch 8%, Germans 6%, Gulf and Arab world 5%, Asia 4% (Capifrance barometer of 2025 sales, reported in July 2026).
What each group tends to look for
Over 2007 to 2017, the notaries observed that Dutch, British and Belgian buyers mainly bought houses, often with six rooms or more, about half of them in rural areas. Italian buyers, on the contrary, bought apartments almost exclusively, nine times out of ten in towns (Notaires de France figures reported by SeLoger, January 2019).
The 2025 barometer describes the regions each group favours: the Swiss in the departments close to the border, including the Saône-et-Loire in southern Burgundy; the Belgians in the Var, Corsica and the Alps; the British, long attached to the Dordogne, the Charente and Normandy, now looking further east and towards the mountains; the Americans in Brittany, the Dordogne and around Paris, with rising interest in Haute-Savoie and the Saône-et-Loire; buyers from Asia in Paris, Bordeaux and Nice (Capifrance barometer of 2025 sales, reported in July 2026).
In Burgundy
What draws buyers from abroad to my area is usually one of three things: the wine villages of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, a stone house or a château with character, or an apartment in the historic centre of Dijon, an hour and a half from Paris by train. The guides buying a house in Beaune and buying a château in Burgundy go into the details.
Being served in your language
Whatever your nationality, the process and the costs are exactly the same as for a French buyer. What changes is the comfort of understanding every step. I work in English and French every day. I also speak Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi fluently, Persian (Farsi) very well, and good Greek and Arabic. There are also guides written for buyers from the UK, American buyers, buyers from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi speakers and Arabic and Persian speakers.
Sources
- Notaires de France study on non-resident buyers, published in 2024.
- CCF study of 2023 sales, July 2024.
- Capifrance barometer of 2025 sales, reported in July 2026.
- Notaires de France figures reported by SeLoger, January 2019.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the main foreign buyers in France?
Among non-residents, Belgians and British (19% and 17% in 2022, according to the notaries). In a 2025 network barometer, Swiss buyers came first with 22%.
Are British buyers still buying in France after Brexit?
Yes, but less than before: their share among non-resident buyers has fallen since 2016, and fell below 20% in 2022.
Do Americans buy property in France?
Yes: they made 11% of the sales to foreign buyers in the 2025 Capifrance barometer, with an average budget of about 400,000 euros.
Do foreigners pay the same taxes when they buy?
Yes. The buying costs are the same whatever your nationality; your tax situation afterwards depends on where you live.