Building in Senegal from France

Updated 4 October 2026

Sending money: the euro and the CFA franc have a fixed rate

The West African CFA franc is pegged to the euro: 1 euro is always worth 655.957 FCFA. From France, you carry no exchange rate risk. A budget worked out in euros today is worth the same in CFA francs six months from now. What changes from one way of sending to another is the cost.

Senegal is not part of the SEPA area: a transfer from your French bank to a Senegalese bank is an international transfer, with sending fees and sometimes receiving fees. Money transfer services and apps often advertise low fees, but some apply a rate slightly below 655.957. To compare two offers, look at one thing only: how many CFA francs arrive for 1,000 euros sent.

Pay large amounts (the plot, building instalments) by transfer to an identified account, never in cash handed to a go-between, and keep every receipt. If you open a bank account in Senegal, France asks you to declare it with your income tax return (form 3916): check with your tax office.

Power of attorney at the Senegalese consulate

You will not be in Dakar for every signature. A power of attorney lets someone you trust sign for you: at the notary's for the purchase, at the town hall or the land office for a file. Senegalese notaries usually ask for a power of attorney with a certified signature. From France, the simplest route is the Senegalese consulate for your area: Paris, and other cities depending on where you live (list and areas covered (to be checked)).

Make it precise: the person's name, the property (land title number or plot reference), the acts allowed and a time limit. A general power of attorney over all your property gives too much power. Before the appointment, ask the notary which wording they accept, and the consulate which documents to bring (to be checked).

One hour apart, two in summer

Senegal stays on GMT all year round. In winter, when it is noon in Paris, it is 11 am in Dakar; in summer, 10 am. Building sites start early: you can reach the site foreman before your working day or at lunchtime, on site, by video call.

Being close is a real advantage: with a direct flight, many Senegalese in France travel home once or twice a year. But between two trips, a build can fall months behind or hide poor work. Set regular checkpoints: a weekly video call from the site, dated photos at each stage, and an independent visit before every large payment.

The documents to prepare

• Your Senegalese ID card or passport, valid, with your name spelled the same way on every document.
• For the plot: the land title, the lease or the council allocation in the seller's name, a recent statement of rights over the land, and the boundary survey plan.
• The deed of sale drawn up by the notary and proof of every payment.
• The house plans and the building permit, applied for on the TELEDAC platform.
• A written contract with the builder or the jobbing contractor: an itemised quote, a schedule, payment by stages.
• In France: your transfer receipts and, if you borrow, the loan terms (French banks rarely lend against a property in Senegal (to be checked)).

The scams seen from France

• The plot presented at a diaspora fair or meeting, with a plan and photos, but no land title number you can have checked. A stand is not a guarantee.
• The same plot sold to several buyers, each with their own « paper ».
• Land from the national domain sold as if it had a title: a council allocation gives a right of use, not ownership.
• The relative who runs the build and asks for advances without invoices, always urgently.
• Photos of another site, or the same photos sent again for months.

From plot to keys: the steps

1. Set the total budget, with a margin for the unexpected.
2. Check the plot: the documents at the land office, then on site the boundary markers, access, neighbours and water in the rainy season.
3. Buy at the notary's and follow the transfer into your name.
4. Have the plans drawn, then the file signed by an architect.
5. File the building permit on TELEDAC and follow it up.
6. Choose the builder, sign a contract, set the payment stages.
7. Build: foundations, walls, slab, roof, services, finishes. Have each stage checked before paying for the next.
8. Handover: a full walk-through, a list of defects to fix, water and electricity connections.
9. The keys: if the house stays empty, plan for someone to watch it.

Where SEETLU fits

SEETLU observes and proves. We do not build, we do not manage the works, we do not sell materials and we never touch your money: you pay the notary, the builder and the State directly.

• Land check: from 75,000 FCFA, with sealed photos and a written report.
• House plans: from 150,000 FCFA; the file is signed by our partner architect.
• Building permit: we prepare and follow up your file, from 450,000 FCFA, State fees on top.
• Before you build package (land, plan, permit): 650,000 FCFA, State fees on top.
• Site monitoring: from 39,000 FCFA a month, a report within 24 hours in your client area.
• Pre-purchase inspection, if you buy a house that is already built: 125,000 FCFA for the first day.

Frequently asked questions

Read also: the 7 signs of a construction scam and all our guides.

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