Can foreigners buy property in Australia? Yes, but what you can buy depends on your visa.
I spent 10 years on Australian visas before Steve and I bought property in Australia, so if you’re a Brit on a visa right now, scrolling Domain and wondering if you’re even allowed to buy, that was me for years.
If you’re still working out where in Australia is right for you to buy, check out our Move Regional tool. It breaks down everything you need to find the right town.
In this guide you’ll find the quick answers, a visa-by-visa chart of what you can buy, what’s still possible during the ban on established homes, how FIRB approval works, the extra costs foreign buyers pay, and how to get a home loan on a visa. If you’re in the open home process, make sure you check out my Red Flags For First Homebuyers in Australia guide.
Just so you know: I’m not a mortgage broker, a migration agent or a lawyer. I’m sharing what I’ve learned the hard way. For expert advice on your own situation, book a free call with Hunter Galloway.
The main questions you might have
Can foreigners buy property in Australia?
Yes, but not every type of property. If you’re one of the “foreign persons” under the rules, which includes most visa holders and anyone living overseas, you need FIRB approval. Right now, foreign buyers can only buy new dwellings or vacant land. Established homes are off limits under a temporary ban that started on 1 April 2025.
Can I buy a house in Australia on a visa?
It depends on your visa status. Australian citizens and permanent residents can buy any residential property. On a temporary visa, like a partner, skilled, student or working holiday visa, you can generally buy a new home or land with FIRB approval, but not an established home while the ban is in place. My chart below goes visa by visa.
Can temporary residents buy property in Australia in 2026?
Yes, but only new dwellings or vacant land, and only with FIRB approval. Temporary residents can’t buy established dwellings until the ban ends on 30 June 2029.
Do I need FIRB approval to buy a house?
If you’re a foreign person, yes. FIRB approval is mandatory for foreign property purchases. Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens generally don’t need it. There are a few specific exemptions too, like buying as joint tenants with your Australian citizen or permanent resident spouse.
Can foreigners get a home loan in Australia?
Yes, but it depends on your situation. On a temporary visa, your income, deposit, visa and who you’re buying with all matter. Non residents and foreign investors typically face stricter mortgage requirements, including higher deposits.
Do foreigners pay more to buy property in Australia?
Yes. Foreign buyers pay state stamp duty surcharges, FIRB fees and, in some states, extra land tax. I break it down below.
Can I buy a house on my visa?
This is the visa chart I’d have loved to see when I was on my Australian partner visa.
| Your visa status | Established home? | New home or off the plan? | Vacant land to build on? | FIRB approval needed? | Getting a home loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian citizen | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Standard |
| Permanent resident (e.g. 801, 100, 186, 189, 190) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Generally no | Standard |
| New Zealand citizen (444) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Generally no | Usually standard |
| Temporary partner visa (820, 309) | No, during the ban* | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Options available with an eligible Australian citizen or permanent resident co-borrower; deposit requirements vary by lender |
| Skilled work visa (482, 494, or the old 457) | No, during the ban | Yes | Yes | Yes | Possible, often with a larger deposit |
| Bridging visa | No, during the ban | Yes | Yes | Yes | Case by case, depending on the bridging visa, previous and pending visa, income and any co-borrower |
| Working holiday visa (417, 462) | No, during the ban | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hard, few lenders |
| Student visa (500) | No, during the ban | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hard, few lenders |
| Australian citizen living overseas (expat) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Expat home loans, with their own lenders and rules |
| Foreign non-resident (not a citizen or permanent resident, living overseas) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Hard, few lenders |
*If you buy as joint tenants with your Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen spouse, you generally don’t need FIRB approval. The FIRB residential real estate page lists who doesn’t need to apply.
Please don’t treat this chart as advice. It’s a general guide based on my own research, the FIRB rules change, and your details matter. Hunter Galloway can look at your exact visa on a free call.
If one of you is on a partner visa
One structure Hunter Galloway sees with couples like us is the Australian citizen or permanent resident on the title, and both of you on the loan. The partner on the 820 or 309 visa is on the loan but not on the title, which can avoid paying the extra foreign buyer stamp duty. Whether that suits you depends on your situation, so get advice before you sign anything. Their guides on partner visa home loans and mixed-visa couples buying property explain how it works.
Hunter Galloway’s guides for your visa
- Partner visa home loans
- Bridging visa home loans
- Visa buying eligibility
- Australian expat home loans
What would have happened if I tried to buy property on a partner visa in Australia
I came to Australia on a tourist visa (watch my reel about the new Australia visa laws where you won’t be able to do this anymore), then applied for a partner visa so I could stay with Steve. I ended up spending 10 years on different visas before I became an Australian citizen.
When you’re on visas, you’re just trying to find the quickest route to the next one. Can I stay another year? What am I eligible for next? What’s it going to cost me?
Looking back, I wish I’d understood the whole pathway. I made this visa mistake that cost me an extra four years before I could apply for citizenship (you can find out why here).
If Steve and I had tried to buy while I was still on my temporary partner visa, I’d have counted as a foreign person, and we’d have needed to look carefully at how we bought, as joint tenants or with only Steve on the title, before we signed anything.
Once a permanent visa like the 801 comes through, you can buy like anyone else.
Now that I’m a citizen, I can tell you that knowing your future here is secure is worth so much more than the cheapest route to the next visa. If you’re on that road too, these guides might help:
- Partner visa requirements for Australia
- 8 mistakes to avoid on the partner visa
- Everything I learned applying for citizenship
- My Australian citizenship timeline
- 13 tips for the citizenship test (and I passed!)
- My citizenship ceremony experience
Why you can’t buy an established home right now
From 1 April 2025, a foreign investment ban means foreign buyers are generally prohibited from purchasing established dwellings in Australia, until 30 June 2029. You can read the details on the Foreign Investment Review Board’s residential land page. Established homes, or existing property, are houses and apartments that have already been lived in, which is most of the residential real estate you’ll see for sale.
The government’s aim is to free up housing stock and improve housing availability. The temporary ban covers temporary residents, non residents and foreign owned companies, with only a few exceptions.
I think this catches Brits out the most. So many of us rent for years, fall in love with an area, then assume we can buy the house we’re living in. If you’re a foreign person, right now you can’t.
What you can still buy
The good news is you’ve still got options in the Australian property market.
New dwellings
A new dwelling must not have been occupied for more than 12 months. That includes houses and apartments in a new development, and off the plan purchases. FIRB approval is required even for off the plan purchases, and foreigners can buy multiple new dwellings with approval, so new investment properties are possible. You can generally sell later too, as long as you stick to any conditions on your approval.
Vacant land
Foreigners can purchase vacant land for residential development. You’ll be subject to development conditions, which generally mean the build has to be finished within 4 years, and you can’t sell the land until it is. That rule is there to stop land banking.
For context, foreign buyers are a small part of the market. Foreign buyers made 5,360 purchases in 2022-23.
How FIRB approval works
Foreign investment in residential property is regulated by the federal government. The Foreign Investment Review Board reviews foreign investment proposals and the Australian Taxation Office handles the residential side. Foreign investors must seek FIRB approval before purchasing property, and the application process goes like this:
- Check your eligibility and whether the property type is allowed.
- Apply through the ATO. Your FIRB application and fee are submitted via ATO online services for foreign investors. Start with the ATO’s residential property application guide, and check the current FIRB fees.
- Complete the checks, including verifying your details and anti-money laundering checks.
- Wait for approval. FIRB applications typically take 2 to 4 weeks to process.
My biggest tip
Make any contract subject to FIRB approval, so you’re not locked into a sale you can’t complete. The ATO takes a firm compliance approach and runs an audit program, and foreign buyers face penalties for not obtaining FIRB approval. The FIRB site explains your compliance obligations. Full compliance with the legal requirements protects all the parties involved.
The extra costs nobody warns you about
When we bought, the purchase price was only the start, and that’s even more true for foreign buyers. Every buyer pays stamp duty, often around 4% to 5% of the price. On top of that, state governments in Australia impose foreign buyer stamp duty surcharges on top of standard property acquisition costs, and these can reach 8% or more.
- In Victoria, the foreign purchaser additional duty is 8%
- In South Australia, the foreign surcharge is 7%
- New South Wales has its surcharge purchaser duty
- Queensland charges additional foreign acquirer duty
There are other fees and taxes too. Victoria charges foreign owners an absentee owner land tax surcharge every year, which is 4% from 2024 (it was 2% before that). You’ll pay FIRB fees when you apply, and vacancy fees apply if a property is unoccupied for more than 183 days in a year. So if you can’t live in it, you’ll need to rent it out.
Hunter Galloway’s Queensland stamp duty calculator shows the standard duty before any surcharge. I’m not a tax expert, so please get a professional to run your exact numbers.
Getting a home loan on a visa
We looked at over 100 houses, our budget kept changing, and honestly, we had no idea what we were doing. The only people we trusted through the whole thing were Hunter Galloway. They’re Brisbane-based but help buyers all over Australia, and if you’re on a visa, this is exactly where you want someone who knows which lenders will actually say yes.
“Being on a temporary visa doesn’t automatically rule out a home loan. Your income, deposit, visa and who you’re buying with all matter. It’s worth checking your options before assuming you need to wait for permanent residency.” Jayden, Hunter Galloway
Their free tools are a great place to start your research:
- How much can I borrow?
- Deposit calculator
- LMI calculator
- The Home Buying Hub, their free step by step video course
- Their YouTube channel, which taught me so much about home loans
Book a free call with Hunter Galloway for expert advice on your visa
The main thing to know about buying property in Australia as a foreigner
Buying property in Australia on a visa is more possible than most people think, as long as you know your status first. Think about your long term plans and your visa pathway together, because your visa status decides what you can buy, what you’ll pay and how easily you’ll get a loan. My guide to the Australian visa process can help you map it out.
Whether you stay long term is completely your call. This is about knowing your options before you fall in love with a dream home. I’m not an expert and the rules change, so please book a free call with Hunter Galloway before you decide anything.
Not sure where you could afford to live? Move Regional helps you compare regional towns across Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. And for everything else I learned buying our home, read my 18 tips for buying a house in Australia.
This article is general information, not financial, legal or migration advice. Produced in partnership with Hunter Galloway.
