Rules, foreign-specific costs, cities and articles for foreign buyers in Australia.
Rules for foreign buyers
Who counts as foreign
foreign person
Treated as foreign: temporary residents, foreign individuals and foreign-controlled companies. Treated as local: permanent residents and New Zealand citizen who holds or is eligible for a special category visa.
Foreign investment approval (FIRB approval) for residential landApproval
A foreign person must notify the Treasurer, by applying through the Australian Taxation Office, before acquiring an interest in residential land, at any value.
Ban on foreign purchases of established dwellingsBan
From 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029, it is the Government's policy that foreign persons, including temporary residents and foreign-owned companies, are generally banned from buying established dwellings, with limited exceptions in the guidance.
Verified against the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Regulation 2015, and official Treasury and ATO guidance, .
Foreign-specific costs and filings
Buying
Register of Foreign Ownership notice on buyingNotification
When a foreign person buys or sells residential land, they must notify the Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets.
Other foreign-specific costs at this stage are not covered here yet.
Holding
Annual vacancy feeVacancy fee
Under Part 6A of the Act, foreign owners whose application was made on or after 9 May 2017, or who bought under a developer's exemption certificate applied for from that date, must lodge an annual vacancy fee return and pay a fee if the dwelling is not residentially occupied or genuinely available for rent for at least 183 days in a 12-month period.