Can a foreigner buy property in Canada?

Residential land is covered by the federal ban. Provinces set their own rules for farmland, and several limit or condition purchases by non-residents.

Houses and condominium units are covered by the ban, unless an exception applies. The exceptions include permanent residents and certain people with Canadian work or study permits.

The ban reaches companies that are controlled by non-Canadians. Buying through a company does not avoid it.

• The federal ban covers residential property in and around towns and cities. Commercial property is not covered by it.
• Some provinces tax foreign buyers or limit foreign ownership of farmland and shoreline.

• The federal law was enacted as a measure with a fixed end date. Check the current position on the government's own site.
• Property is a provincial matter in Canada, so the buying procedure and the extra rules differ between provinces.

Canada 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 Canada legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
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• Justice Laws: Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act