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Can a foreigner buy property in Switzerland?

Purchase by foreigners is closed or allowed only in narrow cases

Switzerland strictly limits property purchases by people who live abroad. The federal law (the so-called Lex Koller) requires a permit, and it is granted only in narrow cases such as business premises or a limited number of holiday 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

A person living abroad needs a permit to buy land. Permits are granted mainly for business use, and rarely for ordinary land.

Houses and flats

Holiday homes and apartments for non-residents are allowed only in designated tourist areas, under quotas set by each canton. Foreigners who live in Switzerland with a settled residence permit, and EU or EFTA nationals who live there, can buy a main residence freely.

Buying through a company

A company controlled by foreigners is treated as foreign, so the same permit rule applies to it.

Limits and closed zones

  • Each canton sets its own quotas and conditions, so the position differs from canton to canton.

What to watch for

  • Do not sign a purchase contract before the permit question is settled. A sale made without the permit required by the law is void.

Understand the legal system first

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

Official sources

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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.