Switzerland Property Buying Guide for Non-Residents

The Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad, usually called Lex Koller, restricts purchases by people who are not resident in Switzerland and by foreign nationals without a settled status. It exists to stop foreign demand from absorbing the housing stock, and it is enforced by cantonal authorities who can order a sale if you breach it.

The practical sorting is this:

• Swiss citizens buy freely, wherever they live.
• EU/EFTA nationals who live in Switzerland (B or C permit) generally buy freely, including a second home in some cases.
• Non-EU nationals with a C permit (settled) are treated like Swiss residents.
• Non-EU nationals with a B permit may buy their primary residence only, to be occupied by themselves.
• Non-residents need a cantonal permit, and permits are issued only for holiday homes within an annual quota, or for commercial property used in the buyer's own business.

The federal government opened a consultation in April 2026 on tightening the law further, with one proposed easing for hotel staff housing. Parliament is still handling related motions, so rules for 2026-27 purchases may shift. Treat any summary, including this one, as a starting point and have a Swiss lawyer confirm your status before you sign a reservation.

Each year the federal government allocates a quota of holiday-home permits to cantons. Tourist-oriented cantons such as Valais, Graubünden and Ticino use their allocation, while some cantons restrict foreign second-home purchases further through local rules. A holiday home is capped at 200 square metres of net living area, and many resort municipalities apply a separate cap on second homes in total, which can make buildings in those places hard to get a permit for.

Resales are sometimes easier than new builds because certain developments hold a pre-assigned quota for foreign buyers. Ask the seller or notary whether the property carries one. A permit can take weeks to arrive, so your purchase contract should be conditional on it. You can browse what is currently listed through our Switzerland property pages, including apartments, houses and villas.

Swiss conveyancing is carried out by a notary, not by estate agents or buyer's lawyers alone, and the land register (Grundbuch) is the legal proof of title.

1. Check your status and quota. Ask a lawyer whether you need a permit and whether the property or canton has quota available.
2. Reservation. Some developers take a reservation agreement and deposit, often refundable only if the permit is refused.
3. Financing. If you are borrowing, get a bank's written commitment; see our Swiss financing guide.
4. Draft contract. The notary prepares it after reviewing the land register extract, encumbrances and any easements.
5. Permit application. The notary or lawyer files it with the cantonal authority; completion is conditional on approval.
6. Signing (public deed). Both parties attend before the notary, and the contract is read out. A deposit or the balance is typically paid via a bank or the notary.
7. Land register entry. You become owner on registration, and the cantonal land register issues confirmation.

Whole process commonly takes between two and four months for a resale with a permit, longer in cantons that process foreign applications slowly.

Notary. Mandatory for the transfer. In most cantons the notary is a neutral public official who drafts the deed, checks the land register and handles payments. In Geneva, Vaud and others the notary is the person who also collects transfer taxes and fees.

Lawyer. Not mandatory but advisable for non-residents. Pay one to assess Lex Koller status, review the contract and check for community rules in condominium blocks (PPE/Stockwerkeigentum), where owners' meeting minutes and the renovation fund matter.

Estate agent. Commission is typically 2-3% of the price, paid by the seller in many cantons. Mandates are frequently exclusive, and agents are not regulated uniformly across cantons.

Bank and mortgage adviser. Swiss lenders are conservative with non-residents; expect high equity requirements.

• Land register extract. Confirms owner, mortgages (Schuldbrief), easements and annotations such as pre-emption rights.
• Building permits and plans. Check that extensions and conversions were permitted, especially attic and basement spaces.
• Condominium records. Request the regulation, the last three owners' meeting minutes, the annual accounts and the renovation fund balance.
• Energy and heating. Oil boilers and old windows can force costly renovations under cantonal energy rules.
• Zoning and second-home limits. Make sure the property is not in a zone that forbids foreign owners or holiday letting.
• Hazard maps. Avalanche, landslide and flood zones affect insurability in alpine areas.
• Tax position. Ask what cantonal property taxes, imputed rental value tax and wealth tax will apply to you.

Switzerland has no single national transfer tax. Fees and taxes are set cantonally and sometimes by municipality, so ranges are wide. All figures are approximate and should be verified locally.

Owning property in Switzerland does not grant residence. Non-EU nationals cannot obtain a permit simply by purchasing a home. Some cantons offer lump-sum (forfait) taxation for wealthy foreign residents, with minimum assessed living expenses set cantonally, but this is a tax agreement with residence rights granted separately and not for everyone. EU/EFTA citizens can live in Switzerland under free movement if they have work, sufficient means or study status. If residency is your goal, speak to the cantonal migration office before buying, because the order of events matters for permit eligibility.

• Paying a reservation deposit before confirming Lex Koller status.
• Assuming transfer taxes are uniform across cantons; a move of a few kilometres can change costs by tens of thousands of francs.
• Skipping the condominium renovation fund check and facing a special levy soon after.
• Underestimating mortgage equity requirements, typically 20-25% of the purchase price from own funds for residents, higher for non-residents.
• Using a purely exchange-rate view: CHF strength can raise the cost of your purchase abroad but also stabilise returns.

For price context see our Switzerland market analysis or browse budget options such as cheap Swiss property if you are testing the lower end of the market. Work out financing figures with the mortgage calculator, and if you want a human check, contact us.