Can a foreigner buy property in Australia?

Purchase by foreigners is closed or allowed only in narrow cases

In Australia, a foreign person needs approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board for most property purchases. Approval is mostly for new homes and vacant land, and a temporary ban on foreigners buying existing homes has applied since 2025.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the structure of the rule, not prices, taxes or quotas. Confirm the current position with the official source listed below, and with a lawyer in the country, before you pay anything. This is general information, not legal advice.

Land

Foreign buyers need approval for vacant land, usually on a condition that they build on it within a set time.

Houses and flats

Foreign buyers can usually buy new dwellings. A temporary ban on buying established homes has applied since 2025, so check whether it is still in force. Rules for temporary residents have been different from those for other foreigners, so ask the Board which group you are in.

Buying through a company

A company with foreign owners is treated as a foreign person above certain ownership levels.

Limits and closed zones

Farmland and commercial property have separate approval rules.

What to watch for

Buying without a required approval can lead to being forced to sell, and to penalties. Ask the Board or an Australian lawyer first.

Understand the legal system first

Australia belongs to the Common law family. Property is registered and transferred differently in different traditions, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Australia legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
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Official sources

Foreign Investment Review Board

TheLawToKnow Tools’s guide to foreign property ownership is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.