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Short answer
When you buy in France your deposit, the balance of the price and the notaire’s costs all go to the notaire’s account at the Caisse des Dépôts in euros, and any payment over €3,000 must be a bank transfer. Many UK and international buyers use a specialist currency provider authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, which can fix an exchange rate in advance and send the money direct. French Finance can introduce you to one of the leading, reputable currency transfer providers we work with. We never handle your money.
How are UK currency transfer providers regulated?
Currency providers that are not banks are authorised by the FCA as payment institutions under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, or as e-money institutions. They must safeguard your money, either in a separate account at a bank or with an insurance policy or guarantee. Stricter FCA safeguarding rules came into force on 7 May 2026, with daily reconciliations, monthly reporting to the FCA and a yearly audit for most firms.
Safeguarding is not the same as bank deposit protection. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme does not cover money held by a payment firm, and if a firm fails it can take time to get safeguarded money back.
Sources: FCA, using payment service providers, January 2026; FCA policy statement PS25/12, August 2025; FCA safeguarding requirements, May 2026.
How do I check a currency provider is genuine?
Search for the firm on the FCA Firm Checker and check it is an authorised payment institution or e-money institution rather than a small one. Only contact it using the details shown on the register. Fraudsters set up clone firms that copy the name, address or reference number of a real firm, and if you deal with a clone you have no protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service or the FSCS.
Source: FCA on clone firms, May 2025.
What are spot, forward and limit orders?
- A spot transfer changes your money at today’s rate, with delivery within two working days.
- A forward contract fixes a rate now for a payment you will make later, such as completion in a few months. Providers usually ask for a deposit, and you must go ahead at the agreed rate even if the market later moves in your favour.
- A limit order changes your money automatically if a target rate you set is reached.
- Regular payments send a set amount each month, which suits paying a euro mortgage from income in another currency.
A forward used to pay for a property is treated as a means of payment rather than an investment, so the FCA’s investment rules do not apply to it. The payment itself is still a regulated payment service.
Sources: FCA Handbook PERG 13.4, March 2026; Currencies Direct on transfers for property abroad, March 2026.
How do I pay the notaire safely?
Any payment over €3,000 to a notaire must go by bank transfer, and notaires’ accounts are held at the Caisse des Dépôts. The notaire checks that the money comes from the buyer named in the contract and asks where it came from, for example savings, a sale or an inheritance. If you pay through a currency provider, agree with the notaire in advance how your payment will be identified. The balance of the price and the costs need to arrive before the signing, so allow a few days.
Fraudsters send fake notaire bank details by email. Notaires de France advises:
- be wary of any email that changes the bank details or the email address partway through a purchase
- confirm the details by phone with the notaire’s office on a number you already know
- check that the bank identifier (BIC) is CDCGFRPPXXX, the Caisse des Dépôts
UK refunds for authorised push payment fraud only cover payments made within the UK, not international transfers, so these checks matter.
Sources: Notaires de France on payment methods, June 2026; Notaires de France fraud alert, September 2024; Payment Systems Regulator on fraud refunds.
How do I pay a French mortgage from abroad?
Your monthly repayment is taken in euros. Most lenders that accept non-residents expect you to hold a French bank account for the direct debit, often with the lender itself. The Banque de France says a bank cannot force you to open an account as a condition of a mortgage unless it gives you a genuine benefit on the loan in return, so ask what you get. Many buyers then top up the account each month with a regular payment from their currency provider.
Sources: Banque de France on home loans; Traverse International Finance factsheet, industry source.
What checks will I face on my money?
Notaires are bound by French anti-money laundering law and report suspicions to TRACFIN, France’s financial intelligence unit. Since January 2025 buyers are likely to be asked to fill in a questionnaire on where their savings came from. Your currency provider also checks your identity and, where needed, the source of your funds under the UK Money Laundering Regulations. Having statements that show where your deposit came from makes both checks quicker, and our documents checklist covers what to keep.
Sources: Tracfin on the legal professions; Chambre des notaires de Paris, February 2025.
How do our currency introductions work?
Tick currency transfers on our enquiry form or ask through our contact form. With your agreement we pass your name and contact details to one of the currency transfer providers we work with, who opens an account with you and carries out any transfer. We only introduce you to firms that hold the registration their work needs. French Finance never receives, holds or converts your money. Suppliers we introduce you to may pay us a fee when an introduction leads to business. We tell you before we make an introduction.