You find the apartment. You agree the price. The compromis is drafted. Then reality arrives: the notaire needs you in France to sign, and your diary does not cooperate. For most international buyers in the French Alps, this moment comes up at least twice in a single purchase — sometimes more.
The solution is the procuration — France's notarised power of attorney for property transactions. Used correctly, it lets a named representative sign on your behalf at every stage that requires notarial authentication. Since November 2020, the entire process of establishing a procuration can be completed by videoconference, without travelling to France or visiting a French consulate. What it is not, however, is informal. French law is precise about the form the document must take, who can hold it, and what it must contain.
What the Procuration Actually Does
A procuration is a legal instrument that delegates signing authority to a named mandataire (representative) for one or more specified acts. In a French ski property purchase, the key moments requiring an authenticated signature are the compromis de vente (preliminary contract) and the acte authentique (final deed of sale). If you cannot attend either in person, you need a procuration for each.
Off-plan VEFA purchases add further signing occasions: the notarised sale contract itself, and sometimes acknowledgement of funding calls or supplementary deeds. Each signing that requires notarial authentication can be delegated by way of procuration. Steps that do not require notarial form — the initial offer, agency correspondence, most mortgage documentation — can generally be handled remotely without one.
Why a Handwritten Letter Will Be Refused
This is where many buyers get caught out. In French law, certain acts must be in authentic form — drawn up, read aloud, and authenticated by a notaire. Property sales, mortgages, and VEFA contracts all fall into this category. When the principal act requires authentic form, the power of attorney authorising someone to sign it must also be in authentic form.
A handwritten letter, an informally signed email, or a privately signed document authorising your solicitor to act will be refused — systematically and without exception. The procuration must itself be drafted and authenticated by a notaire. This is not discretionary: it is a firm legal requirement that applies across France without variation.
Who You Can Appoint as Your Representative
Three options are realistic for most buyers:
- A clerk or collaborator from the notaire's office handling the transaction. This is the most common arrangement by a wide margin. The notaire's staff already know the transaction, the documents, and the timeline. The notaire retains full oversight, and there is no coordination risk between separate parties.
- A French-qualified lawyer you have separately instructed to advise on the purchase. If you already have legal representation, that lawyer can also hold the procuration.
- A trusted individual resident in France — a family member, a close friend, or a business associate. This person must hold valid identification, attend the signing in person, and understand precisely what they are committing you to.
Most non-resident ski property buyers use the notaire's own staff. It is administratively clean, avoids inter-party communication delays, and the notaire is accustomed to offering this service for international transactions. Your notaire will generally raise the option once they know you cannot attend.
Remote Signing: What Changed in November 2020
Before late 2020, establishing an authentic procuration required physical presence before a notaire — in France, at a French consulate, or before a local notaire abroad who could certify the document for use in France. Decree n° 2020-1422 of 20 November 2020 made remote notarised powers of attorney a permanent feature of French law.
Notaires can now establish authentic procurations entirely by videoconference. The practical effect for international ski property buyers is significant: you can grant a legally valid procuration from London, Dublin, Stockholm, New York, or Singapore without setting foot in France. Notaires de France specifies that the videoconference must use a dedicated, profession-approved secure system — general-purpose applications such as Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, or FaceTime are prohibited under the decree.
How the Remote Process Works: Two Phases
Phase One — Identity Verification
Before any videoconference signing takes place, your notaire must verify who you are. The requirements depend on your prior relationship with that office:
- If you have met the notaire in person within the last ten years, and they hold a copy of your identity document along with your mobile number and email address, a two-sided colour scan of your current passport is sufficient.
- If you are new to that notaire's office, you must complete remote identity verification via an approved third-party service (currently IDnow, authorised by ANSSI, France's national cybersecurity agency) and create a qualified electronic signature through DocuSign. Your notaire will walk you through the steps. Budget several days for this — it must be completed before the signing session itself.
Phase Two — The Videoconference Signing
Your notaire sends a secure invitation for the day of signing. You connect via the approved platform (not a consumer app), and the notaire reads the procuration aloud in full — a legal requirement for authentic acts in France — while maintaining an uninterrupted live video feed. You can question wording, request clarifications, and discuss the document directly before it is signed.
Once the reading is complete, the notaire sends a link to the document to your personal email address. You sign electronically and confirm via a one-time code sent to your mobile by SMS. The notaire countersigns. The whole session typically runs 20 to 40 minutes.
Equipment you will need: a computer with webcam, microphone and speakers; an up-to-date browser (Chrome, Firefox or Edge); a reliable broadband connection; a personal email account; and a mobile phone for the SMS confirmation code. Your notaire will confirm technical requirements in advance.
What the Procuration Must Specify
A valid procuration is deliberately narrow. French notarial practice requires the document to identify, at minimum:
- The specific act being authorised — for example, "signature of the acte authentique for the purchase of apartment X at résidence Y, for the price of €X"
- The exact property: address, cadastral reference, and agreed purchase price
- The full identity of the mandataire: name, date and place of birth
- Any ancillary acts included, such as a mortgage deed or co-ownership registration
A broad or open-ended procuration creates problems. A document worded as a general authority over "all French property matters" will be queried or refused. The notaire will help calibrate the scope correctly — precise enough to cover the necessary acts, not so wide as to introduce ambiguity or grounds for challenge.
Cost and Lead Time
The cost of an authentic procuration is state-regulated. For a special power of attorney to sign a property purchase deed, expect to pay approximately €60 to €150 TTC. This is modest relative to total acquisition costs, which on a resale typically run to 7–8% of the purchase price in notaire fees alone.
On timing: allow at least one week between instructing your notaire on the procuration and the scheduled signing date. If IDnow identity verification is required, allow ten working days. The single most common mistake non-resident buyers make is flagging the need for a procuration only days before completion. Raise it at the compromis stage — the notaire will then have everything in place well ahead of time.
When a Sworn Interpreter Is Also Required
The procuration requirement is sometimes conflated with a separate legal obligation: if a buyer does not speak French to a level sufficient to understand an authentic act being read to them, a sworn interpreter (interprète assermenté) must be present at the signing. This is the notaire's legal responsibility — not a courtesy, not optional.
The rule applies both to the acte authentique and to the procuration signing session itself. If you are completing the videoconference procuration and your French is limited, a compliant notaire will arrange for an interpreter to join the call. Confirm this requirement when you first contact the notaire — do not assume it will be arranged automatically.
Resale vs. VEFA: Where the Timing Differs
The legal mechanics of the procuration are identical for resale and off-plan purchases, but the number of signing occasions varies.
In a resale transaction, the two key moments are the compromis and the acte authentique. Some buyers attend the compromis in person — it is often signed at the agent's office rather than the notaire's, and the 10-day cooling-off period reduces urgency — then use a procuration only for the final acte. Read the full compromis de vente guide for what to review at that earlier stage.
In a VEFA off-plan purchase, the notarised sale contract is typically signed months before any construction milestone, and many buyers are abroad at that point. Using a procuration for the notarised VEFA contract — not just the handover — is standard practice. Note that the reservation contract (contrat de réservation) is a private deed, does not require notarial authentication, and can normally be signed remotely by email. The VEFA handover guide covers what happens at the end of an off-plan purchase.
Your Cooling-Off Rights Are Unaffected
A question that comes up regularly: does signing by procuration affect your statutory withdrawal rights? It does not. The 10-day SRU cooling-off period — running from the day after notification of a signed compromis or VEFA reservation contract — applies in full regardless of whether you signed in person or through a representative. During those 10 calendar days (weekends and bank holidays included), you may withdraw from the purchase without penalty and recover any deposit paid. If the 10th day falls on a Sunday or public holiday, the deadline extends to the next working day.
The procuration does not waive, curtail, or modify any consumer protection right. Your mandataire signs as your agent. You remain the buyer with full legal standing throughout.
A Practical Checklist Before You Proceed
- Understand how the notaire process works end to end — know every stage where a signature is required.
- Tell your notaire at the compromis stage — not at completion — that you will need a procuration for the acte.
- Establish whether IDnow identity verification is required given your history with that office.
- Confirm your passport is current and will remain valid through the expected completion date.
- Clarify whether a sworn interpreter is needed for the videoconference session.
- Confirm your mandataire and ensure they are briefed on what they will sign and when.
The procuration is not a workaround or an exception. It is a fully valid legal instrument used as standard across France by international buyers. What determines whether it is smooth or stressful is lead time and clear communication with your notaire — both of which are entirely within a prepared buyer's control.
If you are at the early stages of a French Alps ski property purchase and want introductions to bilingual notaires experienced in handling transactions for non-resident buyers, speak to the Domosno team. We work with buyers from the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, the US, and beyond.
