Are you buying your first home in 2026, and is your bank mentioning a "zero-rate loan" that could cover part of the financing without a single euro of interest? Good news: since 1 April 2025, the Prêt à Taux Zéro (PTZ — French interest-free, state-backed loan) has been substantially expanded. Where it used to be confined to new-build apartments in high-demand zones, it now opens up to every zone across the country — A, B1, B2 and C — and new-build houses are eligible again.
In practice, a first-time buyer who could never have claimed the PTZ in 2024 in a rural town can now benefit from it. You still need to know the rules of the game: income ceilings, the share financed according to your income bracket, the repayment term and the deferral. This article breaks them down, with legal references in hand, so that you know exactly what you are entitled to before you build your financing plan.
The PTZ 2026 is eligible in all four zones (A, B1, B2, C) and finances up to 50% of the cost of a new collective dwelling for first-bracket incomes. Reserved for first-time buyers, it remains open until 31 December 2027 (decree n° 2025-299).
What this article covers
This article gives a full overview of the PTZ 2026: what a zero-rate loan is, who can benefit from it, the scope widened by decree n° 2025-299 (all zones, the return of new-build houses), the income ceilings based on the reference tax income, the financing shares by dwelling type and income bracket, how the repayment deferral works, a complete worked example, and the most common mistakes when finalising the financing.
The regulatory framework of the PTZ 2026
The Prêt à Taux Zéro is a state-supported home loan, carrying no interest and no arrangement fees, granted subject to income conditions for the purchase of a main residence. It never finances the whole transaction: it tops up a main loan and, where applicable, a personal contribution. Its framework is set by the French Construction and Housing Code (CCH — Code de la Construction et de l'Habitation) and specified each year by decree.
The major change of 2025-2026 stems from decree n° 2025-299, which widened the scheme from 1 April 2025. Previously, the PTZ for new-builds was reserved for collective dwellings located in high-demand zones (A and B1). The decree removes those geographic restrictions: the PTZ becomes eligible in every zone (A, B1, B2 and C) and new-build individual houses become financeable again. The scheme is extended until 31 December 2027.
| Condition | 2026 rule | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Borrower status | First-time buyer (not the owner of their main residence over the previous 2 years) | CCH art. L.31-10-3 |
| Use of the dwelling | Main residence | CCH art. L.31-10-3 |
| Eligible zones | A, B1, B2 and C (all zones) | Decree n° 2025-299 |
| New-build dwellings | Collective apartments and individual houses | Decree n° 2025-299 |
| Existing property with works | Zones B2 and C, works ≥ 25% of the total cost | CCH art. L.31-10-3 |
| Scheme deadline | Applications until 31 December 2027 | Decree n° 2025-299 |
Eligibility for the PTZ and the amount granted depend on the household's resources. The benchmark used is the reference tax income (RFR — revenu fiscal de référence) for year N-2: for an application filed in 2026, that is therefore the RFR shown on the tax notice covering 2024 income. This income is compared with a ceiling that varies according to the geographic zone of the dwelling and the number of people expected to occupy the property. Meeting the ceiling conditions access to the loan; the position of the income within the brackets then determines the financed share (see the next section).
How the PTZ 2026 amount is calculated
The PTZ amount is not freely set: it results from applying a financed share (quotité) to a capped transaction cost. The financed share is the portion of the total cost of the transaction that the PTZ can cover. It depends on two parameters: the type of dwelling (new collective or new house) and the income bracket the household falls into.
The financed shares by income bracket
Households are split into four income brackets, from the most modest (bracket 1) to the most affluent (bracket 4). The lower the income, the higher the share financed by the PTZ. Decree n° 2025-299 distinguishes two schedules depending on the nature of the new-build dwelling.
| Type of new-build dwelling | Bracket 1 | Bracket 2 | Bracket 3 | Bracket 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collective dwelling (apartment) | 50% | 40% | 40% | 20% |
| Individual house | 30% | 20% | 20% | 10% |
One reading is clear: at equal income, a new apartment opens up a markedly higher PTZ share than a new house. This is a deliberate choice of the decree, which favours collective housing while reintegrating the individual house into the scheme. The financed share applies to the total cost of the transaction (purchase price + any eligible fees taken into account), itself capped at a ceiling set by zone and household size.
Profile: a first-time-buyer couple on a modest income (bracket 1) buying a new apartment in zone B1 — this is the configuration that maximises the PTZ, with up to 50% of the capped cost financed interest-free.
The repayment deferral
The PTZ is repaid in two stages. During a first phase, known as the deferral, the borrower does not repay (or only partly repays) the PTZ principal: their monthly instalments then bear on the main loan. The length of this deferral depends on the income bracket. For bracket 1 (the most modest incomes), the deferral can reach 10 years: for a decade, the PTZ does not weigh on the monthly budget. Repayment of the principal is then spread over the second period.
This mechanism eases the burden of the early years, often the most financially stretched for a first-time buyer. In return, the total term of the loan is longer. The deferral is shorter (or even nil) for the higher brackets.
The PTZ for existing property with works
Beyond new-builds, the PTZ also finances the purchase of an existing dwelling combined with works, but only in zones B2 and C and provided the works represent at least 25% of the total cost of the transaction (CCH art. L.31-10-3). This route targets the renovation of the existing housing stock in the least high-demand zones. The works must fall within eligible categories (improvement, energy savings, extension) and be carried out within a defined period after the purchase.
Worked example: a new apartment in zone B1
Let us take a concrete and indicative case. You are a first-time-buyer couple, with no children, and you are buying a new 47 m² apartment in zone B1 (the outer ring of a regional metropolis) listed at €218,000. Your 2024 reference tax income places you in bracket 1 of the PTZ schedule. The figures below illustrate the mechanics: they do not replace a personalised simulation that accounts for the exact ceilings of your zone.
Scenario — New apartment €218,000, bracket 1 couple, zone B1
| Item | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of the transaction | Price of the new apartment | €218,000 |
| PTZ share (new collective, bracket 1) | 50% of the cost | €109,000 |
| Main loan (bank) | Balance to finance excluding contribution | €99,000 |
| Personal contribution | Estimated | €10,000 |
| Total financing | — | €218,000 |
| Share financed interest-free by the PTZ | €109,000 / €218,000 | 50% |
In this example, half of the purchase is financed by an interest-free loan. Over time, the interest saving is substantial: by way of illustration, €109,000 borrowed instead of being included in a conventional loan at market rates represents several tens of thousands of euros of interest avoided over the full term. And thanks to the bracket-1 repayment deferral, the PTZ generates no monthly instalment during the early years: only the €99,000 main loan then weighs on your budget. It is this combination — a high financed share plus a long deferral — that makes the PTZ a decisive lever for modest incomes.
Common mistakes about the PTZ 2026
Mistake no. 1 — Believing the PTZ is reserved for high-demand zones
This was true before 1 April 2025. Decree n° 2025-299 removed that restriction: the PTZ 2026 is now eligible in every zone, including B2 and C. If you are buying a new-build dwelling in a rural or peri-urban town, do not give up on the PTZ on the basis of outdated information. Check your eligibility against the 2026 rules.
Mistake no. 2 — Relying on the current year's income
Eligibility is not assessed on your current income but on your N-2 reference tax income. For an application in 2026, the tax notice covering 2024 income is what counts. A household whose income has risen recently may therefore remain eligible on the basis of its older RFR — and vice versa. Always check the right year.
Mistake no. 3 — Forgetting the first-time-buyer condition
The PTZ is reserved for first-time buyers (CCH art. L.31-10-3): you must not have owned your main residence during the two years preceding the loan offer. Holding a rental property or a second home does not necessarily exclude you, but having occupied a dwelling you owned recently does. This point should be checked beforehand with your bank.
⚠️ Warning: the PTZ never finances 100% of the transaction. It always combines with a main loan and, most often, a contribution. Building your financing plan by overestimating the PTZ share — or by forgetting notary fees, which are not covered — leads to a financing gap at signing.
Mistake no. 4 — Overlooking the deferral's impact on the total term
The repayment deferral (up to 10 years in bracket 1) eases the early years, but it lengthens the total borrowing term: the PTZ principal is repaid after the deferral. It is a real cash-flow advantage, provided you factor it into a long-term view of your budget and your other plans (resale, new purchase).
Simulate your PTZ 2026 before filing your application
Mon Simulateur Immobilier zero-rate loan (PTZ) simulator
Estimate in seconds the PTZ amount you can claim: the simulator combines the dwelling's zone, its type (new apartment or house), the cost of the transaction, your household composition and your income bracket to compute the applicable financed share and the interest-free portion, repayment deferral included.
To go further: the borrowing capacity calculator to set your overall budget, and the loan instalment simulator to size the burden of your main loan.
Conclusion
The PTZ 2026 is markedly more generous than previous versions: open to every zone, reopened to new-build houses and extended until the end of 2027 by decree n° 2025-299, it finances up to 50% of the cost of a new apartment for modest incomes. To benefit from it, check the three key conditions — first-time buyer, main residence, N-2 reference tax income below your zone's ceiling — then identify your income bracket, which determines the financed share and the length of the deferral.
Before locking in your financing plan, work out the accessible amount precisely. The Mon Simulateur Immobilier zero-rate loan (PTZ) simulator applies the 2026 schedules by zone and by bracket to give you a realistic estimate of your PTZ and how it fits with your main loan.
