Can a foreigner buy property in Austria?

Foreigners may buy, but with permission, zones or type limits

Austria lets foreigners buy property only under rules made by each province. Buyers from outside the EEA usually need approval, and several provinces limit secondary homes.

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

Each of the nine provinces has its own law. A buyer from outside the EEA normally needs approval from the provincial authority.

Houses and flats

Approval is also required for houses and apartments if the buyer is from outside the EEA. EEA citizens can buy a main residence freely, but secondary homes are limited in some provinces.

Buying through a company

A foreign company is treated as a foreign buyer, and the same approval rules apply.

Limits and closed zones

Tourist provinces such as Tyrol restrict holiday homes strictly, for every buyer who is not a local.

What to watch for

Check the provincial law of the exact place. An approval refused or not obtained can make the contract ineffective.

Understand the legal system first

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

Read the Austria legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Austria with another country →

Official sources

Austrian government portal (oesterreich.gv.at)

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.