Diaspora: how to finance a property purchase in Togo from abroad

Financing a property purchase in Togo from abroad comes down to three sources: savings you transfer, a loan in your country of residence, or a loan from a Togolese bank. Since March 2026, the BCEAO has asked banks to treat an account opening by a national living abroad the same way as a resident's, but access to credit still requires prior authorisation, according to Côte d'Ivoire's Treasury directorate. The cost of a bank loan has been capped at 14% a year since 1 June 2026, according to BCEAO notice no. 007-12-2025. The Togolese banks whose pages we opened publish neither rates nor terms for non-residents: you have to ask for those figures in writing, bank by bank.

Opening an FCFA account in Togo from abroad

This is the first step, and it has become simpler. According to Côte d'Ivoire's Treasury directorate, which reported on 24 March 2026 on BCEAO note no. 001-03-2026 signed on 13 March 2026 (article accessed 11 October 2026), an account application from a WAEMU (UEMOA) national living abroad "bénéficie du même traitement que celui réservé à un résident" (gets the same treatment as a resident's). Togo is a WAEMU member, so the note applies to its banks.

The same source sets two limits. First, "certaines activités, comme l'accès au crédit, demeurent soumises à autorisation préalable" (some activities, such as access to credit, remain subject to prior authorisation). Second, anti-money-laundering duties still apply: the bank will ask where the funds come from. We could not open the text of the note itself, and the exact list of supporting documents is not in the article: ask the bank for it before you travel. Payments between Togo and other countries fall under Regulation no. 06/2024/CM/UEMOA on external financial relations, published by the BCEAO. For a large transaction, have your bank and a notary confirm the route the money will take.

An account is also the way in to a loan. Coris Bank International Togo, for example, reserves its property loan for "tout client titulaire d'un compte chèque ou d'un compte courant", meaning any customer holding a cheque or current account (Crédits page, accessed 11 October 2026), and publishes no term or rate.

Borrowing from a Togolese bank: what it asks for

A Togolese bank lends first to an employee whose salary it receives. That is the hard part for a borrower paid abroad. The terms below are those Bank of Africa Togo publishes for its "Prêt Ma Maison" home loan (page accessed 11 October 2026). The page says nothing about non-residents.

Put three questions to each bank in writing: do you accept a borrower whose salary is paid abroad, what down payment do you require in that case, and what is the all-in rate. On that last point there is a legal ceiling. According to BCEAO notice no. 007-12-2025 of 31 December 2025, accessed 11 October 2026, the usury rate is set at 14.0% a year for banks and 24.0% a year for credit financial institutions, microfinance institutions and other economic agents, with effect from 1 June 2026. A bank offer above 14% should be refused and reported.

The other route is a loan in your country of residence, on that country's terms. Its cost and security depend on your local bank, not on Togolese law.

The Guichet Diaspora run by Togo's ministry in charge of Togolese abroad (site accessed 11 October 2026) announces a guide to financing schemes built on measures negotiated with banks. Its home page mentions no land or property service.

This answer is general and is not personal advice: before you commit, have your situation checked by a notary or a lawyer practising in Togo.

Exchange rate and transfers: what is fixed, what is not

If you earn in euros, the parity does not move. According to the BCEAO (History of the CFA franc, page accessed 11 October 2026), the CFA franc has been pegged to the euro since 1 January 1999 at 1 euro = 655.957 FCFA. A sale price in FCFA therefore equals a stable amount in euros for as long as your project lasts.

If you earn in dollars, pounds or another currency, you carry the exchange risk between that currency and the euro. A monthly instalment in FCFA can then weigh more or less from one month to the next.

What varies in every case: sending fees and the rate the provider really applies, which can differ from the official parity. We have no dated, verifiable survey of those fees to Togo: compare the net amount received in FCFA for the same sum sent. Keep every proof of transfer in your own name: the bank and the notary will ask for them.

What the bank and the notary check on the property

Without a land title and a notarial deed, there is no bank financing and no security. Togo's Land and State Property Code (law no. 2018-005 of 14 June 2018, downloadable from the land registry directorate's website) states in article 666, as quoted by the Togolese legal site La Question De Droit (accessed 11 October 2026): "Le titre foncier fait la preuve de la propriété en matière immobilière." (The land title is proof of ownership of real property.) Article 163 opens with: "Doivent être constatés par acte notarié" (must be recorded by notarial deed). The Togolese revenue office (OTR) confirms it for sales: "La convention est constatée par acte notarié conformément aux dispositions de l'article 163 du même code" (OTR webinar of 29 September 2020, report accessed 11 October 2026).

A private receipt is therefore not enough. Before any transfer, the notary requests, according to the office of notary Komi Tsakadi in Lomé (undated page, accessed 11 October 2026), the descriptive statement of the land title, which shows the owner's identity, the surface area and any mortgages on the property. The same office states that the notarial contract is registered "au taux de 0,9% de la valeur vénale" (at 0.9% of market value), with a transfer fee of 35 000 FCFA and a 7% capital gains tax borne by the seller. Notary fees are not quantified there: ask for a written quote, and have the current rates confirmed.

One point to check if you no longer hold Togolese nationality: the list of documents presented by the OTR for subdividing a title includes the line "Autorisation préalable plus carte de séjour pour les étrangers" (prior authorisation plus residence permit for foreigners). Put the question to a Togolese notary or lawyer before signing.

To go further: the guide to land status in Togo, the breakdown of purchase costs (notary and registration), the checks to make before buying land and the property scams to avoid. To frame a budget, see property prices in Lomé, houses for sale in Lomé and land for sale in Lomé.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a property loan in Togo while living abroad?

No text we opened forbids it, but nothing guarantees it. The BCEAO note of March 2026 aligns account opening with residents' conditions, while access to credit still requires prior authorisation. The Togolese banks we consulted require a regular salary paid into the bank and publish no terms for non-residents. Ask each bank for a written answer.

What is the maximum rate on a property loan in Togo?

For a bank, 14.0% a year since 1 June 2026: that is the usury rate set for the West African Monetary Union, which includes Togo, according to BCEAO notice no. 007-12-2025. For a credit financial institution or a microfinance institution, the ceiling is 24.0% a year. The actual rate on your file is negotiated below that ceiling.

Can the euro to FCFA rate change during my project?

The official parity is fixed: 1 euro = 655.957 FCFA since 1 January 1999, according to the BCEAO (History of the CFA franc). What changes is the fee and the rate applied by your bank or transfer provider. If you earn in dollars or pounds, you remain exposed to movements of those currencies against the euro.

Do I need a land title to get a loan?

Bank of Africa Togo asks for a land title or ownership certificate in its home loan file. The Land and State Property Code makes the land title the proof of ownership. Land without a title is therefore hard to finance through a bank. Have a notary check the title before you pay any deposit.

Can I buy without travelling?

Notary Tsakadi's office describes the case of a seller represented by an agent holding a notarial mandate. For a buyer abroad, the sources we opened do not detail the form the power of attorney must take. Ask the notary handling the sale which mandate is accepted and how it must be drawn up in your country of residence.

Sources

• BCEAO, notice no. 007-12-2025: usury rate of 14.0% (banks) and 24.0% (others), effective 1 June 2026. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• BCEAO, History of the CFA franc: parity of 655.957 FCFA for 1 euro since 1 January 1999. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Treasury directorate (Côte d'Ivoire), 24 March 2026: content of BCEAO note no. 001-03-2026 on diaspora FCFA accounts. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• BCEAO, Regulation no. 06/2024/CM/UEMOA: the text governing external financial relations. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Bank of Africa Togo, Prêt Ma Maison: term, share financed, age, salary domiciliation, documents. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Coris Bank International Togo, Crédits: property loan reserved for account holders. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Guichet Diaspora (Togolese Republic): services offered to Togolese abroad. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• DCCFE, Land and State Property Code: download of the text of the law. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• La Question De Droit: quotations of articles 163 and 666 of the Code. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Chronique de la semaine, 1 October 2020: OTR webinar on the notarial deed and the documents asked of foreigners. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• Office of notary Komi Tsakadi: notary's checks, registration at 0.9%, transfer fee of 35 000 FCFA, 7% capital gains tax. Accessed 11 October 2026.

These rules apply to Togo: they differ in neighbouring countries, see for example the Cotonou property guide.