How Notary Fees Are Calculated When Buying in Europe

The name is misleading

Calling the whole bill notary fees suggests the notary keeps it, and that is the single most common misunderstanding in a property purchase. In the breakdown above the notary keeps about 15 percent; roughly 77 percent is transfer tax collected for the département and the municipality, and the balance covers documents the notary orders from third parties and pays for on your behalf.

The notary's own share is not negotiable in the ordinary sense, because it follows a regulated sliding scale set by decree: 3.870 percent on the first slice, then 1.596, 1.064 and 0.799 percent on the slices above. The scale is degressive, so the fee rises far more slowly than the price — which is why the percentage of a large purchase is lower than that of a small one.

Why new-build costs a third of resale

A new-build sale already carries VAT, so the transfer tax that applies to second-hand property would tax the same transaction twice. In its place a registration duty of 0.715 percent applies. On the same EUR 250,000, that turns EUR 14,517 of tax into EUR 1,788 and brings the total from EUR 18,840 down to about EUR 6,111 — from 7.5 percent of the price to 2.4 percent.

That gap of more than EUR 12,000 belongs in any new-versus-old comparison, alongside the higher purchase price per square metre that new-build usually carries. It is one of the few costs of buying that is known exactly before you commit.

The two levers that actually move the figure

The first is the split between the property and its movable contents. Fitted furniture, a kitchen or garden equipment sold with the house can be listed separately in the deed, and that portion escapes transfer tax. The amount must be justified with invoices or a realistic valuation, and it typically covers a few thousand euros — worth roughly 5.81 percent of whatever is moved.

The second is the département. Since the 2025 finance act, départements may raise their share from 4.50 to 5.00 percent, and many have. Half a point on the price is EUR 1,250 on a EUR 250,000 purchase, which is more than most negotiations recover — so check the rate that applies where you are buying rather than the national average.

Frequently asked questions

Can the notary's fee be discounted?

Partly. Above a legal threshold the notary may grant a discount on their own regulated fee, capped by decree, and only on the portion of the price above that threshold. It applies to a small slice of a small share of the bill, so the saving is modest — a few hundred euros at most on a typical purchase.

Can these costs be included in the mortgage?

Sometimes, but lenders usually expect them to come from your own funds, because they are the part of the purchase that is immediately lost if you resell the next day. A loan that covers price and costs together means borrowing more than the property is worth, and most lenders price that risk or refuse it.

Do other European countries work the same way?

The structure is similar — a transfer tax that dominates, plus a smaller professional fee — but the rates differ widely, from a few percent to well over ten once regional surcharges are counted. Always look up the rate for the specific region rather than a national figure, since in several countries the region sets it.