Status the text uses

Foreign person acquiring an interest in residential land.

What the text supports

A foreign person must notify the Treasurer, by applying through the Australian Taxation Office, before acquiring an interest in residential land, at any value. The purchase must not go ahead until a no-objection notification (commonly called FIRB approval) is given or the statutory waiting period ends. A contract can be signed if it is conditional on that approval. 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. The ban is set by policy, not by the Act, and its end date was extended from 31 March 2027 in the 2026–27 Budget. New and near-new dwellings, off-the-plan dwellings and vacant residential land can still be bought with approval. If the developer of a new development holds an exemption certificate, the buyer generally does not need their own approval. Australian permanent residents, and New Zealand citizens who hold or are eligible for a special category visa, are exempt from these requirements, including the ban. When a foreign person buys or sells residential land, they must notify the Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets. The notice is generally due within 30 days of settlement when buying, and within 30 days of the day the owner became aware, or ought reasonably to have become aware, of the sale when selling. Australian permanent residents, and New Zealand citizens who hold or are eligible for a special category visa, do not need to give it when they buy residential land. 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. State and territory surcharge duties and land taxes for foreign buyers apply separately and are not covered here.

Updated 4 October 2026: Added the deadline for the Register of Foreign Ownership notice, and who does not need to give it when buying.

Updated .

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Official sources

Full method and the matrix: Foreign and non-resident buyer rules.