Buying Property in Australia as a Foreigner: Rules, Fees and Process
Before buying a home in Australia, establish who is buying, the ownership structure, the legal property category and the proposed transaction. Foreign-investment approval, lending and a visa answer different questions. This guide explains the checks to organise before a binding offer, with current federal restrictions and an application-fee example.
Can a foreigner buy property in Australia?
Some purchases can be considered under the foreign-investment framework, but there is no permission covering every foreign buyer or residential property. An individual’s citizenship, residence and current visa matter, as do joint ownership, companies and trusts. Have a conveyancer or solicitor classify the actual buyer and acquisition. A local bank account, tax number or planned permanent visa does not settle the purchasing question.
The established-home restriction runs to 30 June 2029
The Treasury residential-land guidance updated on 1 July 2026 states that foreign investors are generally prohibited from buying established dwellings from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029. Limited exceptions have their own conditions and may still require approval. Do not rely on an older guide describing a temporary resident buying one established home to live in, or an earlier March 2027 end date. Have the current rule checked against the real transaction.
New homes, established dwellings and vacant land
A marketing description such as new, off the plan or renovated is not a legal classification. Use the development, title and sale documents to establish which rules apply.
Property category | Question to resolve |
Established dwelling | Does the general restriction apply, and is there a genuine exception? |
New or near-new dwelling | Is individual approval needed or is the sale covered by developer approval? |
Vacant residential land | What approval, construction deadline and disposal conditions apply? |
Does a developer’s approval cover the buyer?
Developers can obtain foreign-investment approval for qualifying new-home sales. Where the particular sale is covered, a foreign customer will generally not need a separate application. Ask for the actual approval and have its coverage, limits and conditions checked. This does not make every new apartment exempt. For vacant residential land, approval generally requires construction within four years and prohibits sale before construction is completed; read the individual conditions.
A practical order for the purchase
Start with all buyers, their status, intended ownership and an overall budget. Arrange a legal review of the property category, title, approval requirements and state charges. Seek finance information in parallel. Establish whether approval must be obtained before acquiring the interest, or whether a contract properly conditional on approval is appropriate. Complete relevant inspections and contractual checks, satisfy finance and approval conditions, then proceed to settlement. Ask about auction commitments and deposit consequences before bidding or paying.
Documents to assemble before signing
Prepare a factual buyer summary, passports, current visa or residence information, joint ownership details and any company or trust structure. Add the proposed address, price, contract and developer approval if relevant. Funding and lending reviews may require income, asset and source-of-funds records. Ask each professional for their own required list and submission responsibility. Explain discrepancies honestly rather than editing an issued record. A preliminary checklist is not evidence that an application is complete.
What are the 2026–27 foreign-investment application fees?
Treasury’s version 8 schedule gives the following ordinary notifiable-action bands for residential land other than established dwellings. These are selected bands, not universal minimum charges. Different actions, certificates and fee-adjustment rules can change the amount.
Consideration in Australian dollars | Ordinary application fee in Australian dollars |
A$75,000 to A$1,000,000 | A$15,600 |
Over A$1,000,000 to A$2,000,000 | A$31,300 |
An A$800,000 new-home example
Suppose an A$800,000 new-home acquisition requires an individual application, falls within the ordinary band above and has no fee adjustment. The application fee would be A$15,600. That does not establish purchasing eligibility or give the total settlement budget. Keep the price, application fee, state duties and any foreign-purchaser surcharge separate from legal work, inspections, lending, insurance, management and ongoing costs. Obtain a dated estimate for the actual state, buyer and ownership structure.
How much deposit or mortgage can a foreign buyer obtain?
There is no single lending ratio to promise every overseas buyer. A lender’s assessment can depend on income currency and source, liabilities, visa status, deposit and the property. Conditional pre-approval is different from an unconditional loan and from foreign-investment permission. Ask for the lender’s conditions, valuation requirements, fees and settlement dependencies. Check cross-border payment and source-of-funds requirements with the relevant banks before a payment deadline.
Approval timing is not the settlement timetable
Treasury states that the statutory 30-day decision period does not begin until the correct fee has been paid. Extensions, further information and other procedures can affect an individual case. Do not treat that period as a guaranteed completion date for either approval or the purchase. Finance, inspections, contract deadlines and settlement need their own coordinated timetable, including an explanation of what happens if a condition is not satisfied.
After settlement: registration and vacancy obligations
Check the applicable Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets requirements, vacancy returns and possible vacancy fees. Retain approval, contract, settlement and holding records. A property manager’s rental services do not automatically include every owner obligation. Allocate responsibilities explicitly, and review the requirements before leaving the property empty, developing, transferring or selling it.
Will buying a home obtain an Australian visa?
A purchase does not obtain a visa or convert a provisional visa to permanent residence. Conversely, a visa grant does not resolve every property, lending or state-tax requirement. If you hold a subclass 491 visa, the linked specialist guide discusses regional and provisional-visa issues in more detail. Assess migration eligibility separately from the decision to buy or rent.
Discuss a migration and relocation plan with PremierVisa
For an initial enquiry, describe your location, current visa, occupation, family members and intended move. If a property commitment already exists, identify the state, property type and deadlines without placing private records in public comments. Ask for the responsible professional, written scope and itemised fees. Conveyancing, taxation and lending need the appropriate separate professional input. An enquiry or property budget does not establish visa eligibility or guarantee investment returns.
Official-source check
Reviewed on 13 November 2026 using the current Treasury residential guidance and 2026–27 fee schedule. Recheck applicable rules and obtain transaction-specific advice before signing or applying.
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