Chapter 1
Banking: the first obstacle.
Opening an account as a non-resident is harder than it should be. Most banks want a French address, proof of income in France and sometimes a French guarantor. None of which you have when you arrive.
What works
- BNP Paribas International: dedicated non-resident onboarding. Slower, but possible.
- Banque Transatlantique, LCL Banque Privée: faster if you have assets to deposit.
- HSBC Expat, based in Jersey: availability depends on your country of residence.
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If your acquisition is time-sensitive, a Lombard loan or bridge financing through a Swiss or Luxembourg bank can bypass the French banking requirement entirely for the purchase. Your advisor can structure this before the notary appointment.
Chapter 2
Housing: the right apartment in Paris.
Outdoor space, the right arrondissement, the correct building quality: Paris has one of the most competitive markets in Europe.
What this means in practice
- Someone in Paris who can visit on your behalf, the day a property is listed.
- Someone who can negotiate, verify the building and read the notarial documents before you fly in.
- Someone who knows which arrondissements match your profile, not just the famous ones.
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Specific requirements, such as pets, a large family or a particular use, call for direct relationships with property managers and private landlords, not just listings. The best apartments in Paris are never publicly listed.
Chapter 3
The administrative stack.
Once you have an address in France, the administrative work begins. In order:
- 1
CAF registration, if applicable. Slow and document-heavy.
- 2
Tax registration: a numéro fiscal, possibly a declaration of arrival. Your tax advisor handles the strategy; someone needs to manage the paperwork.
- 3
Health insurance: private cover or CPAM registration. Three to six months.
- 4
Driver's licence exchange, within a year of residency. Current wait in Paris: four to six months.
- 5
School enrolment: proof of address and vaccination records in French format. Private schools have their own waiting lists.
None of these are impossible. All of them require time, documents in the right format and follow-up. They do not manage themselves.
Chapter 4
Renovation and property management.
If the property requires work, you are entering a different kind of complexity. French contractors operate differently from what most international clients expect:
- Quotes take three to six weeks; longer for plumbing and electricity.
- Schedules are rarely respected without on-site supervision.
- Agree the deposit and payment schedule in writing. There is no general 30% cap: the rules depend on the type of contract.
- Building permits add time to any structural work.
Two things international buyers routinely miss
2–6 months
The copropriété layer.
Most Paris buildings are co-owned. Work touching the structure, façade or common areas needs the syndic and a general assembly vote before a contractor sets foot on site.
ABF
Heritage protection.
Large parts of Paris fall under the Architectes des Bâtiments de France. Their review is mandatory, and often the real source of delay, not the permit itself.
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Managing a renovation remotely, from New York, London or Dubai, without a trusted person on the ground is one of the most common sources of cost overruns we see.
Chapter 5
The unexpected.
Every relocation has at least one situation that no one planned for.
Some we have handled
- Two large dogsAn apartment that accepts large breeds, specialised animal transport, veterinary papers for French entry.
- A very large aquariumA Paris technician able to maintain industrial-scale aquatic equipment.
- Ten days, three countriesTwo financial institutions and a notary coordinated within the window.
- A contractor who disappearedMid-renovation: a replacement found, damage assessed, contract renegotiated, delivered on the original timeline.
The unexpected is not the exception. It is part of every complex project. The question is whether you have someone in France whose job it is to resolve it.
What KA-NO-PE does
One point of contact. Full accountability. Fixed fees, no commissions.
A private operations service based in Paris. We handle the operational layer of complex projects for international clients, from start to finish. We do not provide legal, tax or financial advice: we coordinate the people who do, and handle everything in between.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, tax, financial or immigration advice. Information may be incomplete, inaccurate or subject to change. No professional-client relationship is established by reading this document. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions.
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