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And which permit counts for what?
Can foreigners buy property in Switzerland?
Yes, many foreigners can buy property in Switzerland. The rules come from the Lex Koller. That is the common name of the federal law on purchases by persons abroad (Bundesgesetz über den Erwerb von Grundstücken durch Personen im Ausland, BewG). It does not look at your passport alone. It asks whether you count as a “person abroad”.
Persons abroad need an authorisation from the canton to buy (Art. 2 para. 1 BewG). Two groups count as persons abroad. First, EU and EFTA nationals without lawful and actual residence in Switzerland. Second, nationals of other countries without a settlement permit, the C permit (Art. 5 para. 1 BewG).
Everyone else buys like a Swiss citizen. And even persons abroad need no authorisation for a main residence in Switzerland where they lawfully and actually live (Art. 2 para. 2 let. b BewG).
What this means for you: check two things first. Where do you live, and which permit do you hold?
Which permits allow you to buy freely?
Two groups can buy freely, just like Swiss citizens. The first is EU and EFTA nationals with lawful and actual residence in Switzerland. The second is anyone with a settlement permit, the C permit, whatever their nationality (Art. 5 para. 1 BewG).
The Canton of Zurich puts it the same way. EU and EFTA nationals are not persons abroad if they have lawful and actual residence in Switzerland. For these buyers, the Lex Koller sets no limits at all.
A few other cases are exempt from authorisation too. They include legal heirs, relatives in the direct line and co-owners (Art. 7 BewG).
What this means for you: with EU citizenship and residence here, or with a C permit, the Lex Koller is not your hurdle. Financing is. The affordability calculator shows how a bank will look at your figures.
| Your situation | What you may buy | Authorisation |
|---|---|---|
| EU or EFTA national living in Switzerland | Like a Swiss citizen | Not needed |
| C permit, any nationality | Like a Swiss citizen | Not needed |
| B permit, national of a country outside the EU and EFTA | One main residence that you live in yourself | Not needed for the main residence |
| EU or EFTA cross-border commuter, usually with a G permit | A second home in the region where you work, for your own use | Not needed |
| Foreign national living abroad | A holiday home in places the canton designates, within a quota | Needed |
Can you buy with a B permit from outside the EU?
Yes, with a B permit you can buy the home you live in. With a B permit and a nationality outside the EU and EFTA, you count as a person abroad. But you need no authorisation for a main residence at your place of actual residence (Art. 2 para. 2 let. b BewG). That can be a house or a flat.
The Federal Office of Justice sets out the conditions in its information sheet. You must live in the home yourself. You may not let it, not even in part. You buy in your own name. Only one unit is allowed. A plot larger than 3,000 m² leads to a review by the authority.
Building land is possible too, if building work on your main residence starts within one year.
What this means for you: a second home or a flat to let would need an authorisation. Once you hold a C permit, you buy like a Swiss citizen.
Can you buy a holiday home in Switzerland from abroad?
Persons abroad can buy a holiday home only with an authorisation, and only within a quota. The cantons may allow persons abroad to buy a holiday home or a unit in an aparthotel (Art. 9 para. 2 BewG). An aparthotel is a hotel whose units are sold to individual owners but still run as a hotel (Art. 10 BewG).
The canton decides in which places this is possible, usually tourist resorts (Art. 9 para. 3 BewG). Each year, the Federal Council sets a quota of authorisations for each canton, within a national ceiling (Art. 11 BewG). Cantons and municipalities can add further limits, up to a complete halt.
So a holiday home is not a right. It depends on the place, the quota and the rules of the canton.
What this means for you: ask the competent cantonal office before you look at properties. The rules differ from canton to canton.
Canton of Zurich
Who decides in the Canton of Zurich?
In the Canton of Zurich, the land registry office (Grundbuchamt) first checks whether you may buy. If the case is not clear, it refers the matter to the district council (Bezirksrat). The district council examines the facts. It then confirms that no authorisation is needed, or it grants one.
The Canton describes the main residence rule in the same terms as federal law. Nationals of other countries may buy a home without authorisation if they live in it themselves, at their place of lawful and actual residence.
You now know which rule applies to you. With a search profile, you will hear when one of our properties matches what you are looking for.
To be honest
What if you are not sure which rule applies?
Then ask before you sign anything. In Zurich, the land registry office and the district council clarify it. Your situation on the day of purchase counts: residence, permit and how you will use the home.
Watch out for indirect routes too. Buying shares in a property company or a right to buy a property can also count as an acquisition (Art. 4 BewG).
What do foreign buyers often ask?
What is the Lex Koller?
The common name for the federal law on the acquisition of real estate by persons abroad (BewG). Persons abroad need a cantonal authorisation to buy property in Switzerland, unless an exception applies (Art. 2 BewG).
Can EU citizens buy property in Switzerland?
Yes, if they have lawful and actual residence in Switzerland. They then buy like Swiss citizens. EU citizens living abroad count as persons abroad. The main route open to them is a holiday home within a cantonal quota.
Can Americans buy property in Switzerland?
US nationals follow the rules for countries outside the EU and EFTA. With a C permit, they buy freely. With a B permit, they may buy one main residence and live in it themselves. Living abroad, they need an authorisation.
Do you need a Swiss residence permit to buy property?
Not always, but it makes a big difference. Without residence in Switzerland, a foreign national counts as a person abroad. An authorisation is then needed, unless an exception applies, such as an inheritance (Art. 7 BewG).
Can cross-border commuters buy a flat in Switzerland?
Yes, if they are EU or EFTA nationals working in Switzerland. They may buy a second home in the region where they work, without authorisation. They must live in it themselves and may not let it (Art. 7 let. j BewG).
Can you avoid the Lex Koller by buying through a company?
No. Shares in a company whose actual purpose is acquiring property also count as an acquisition, unless they are listed on a Swiss stock exchange. The same applies to purchase and pre-emption rights on a property (Art. 4 BewG).
Sources
- Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (BewG, SR 211.412.41), Art. 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9–11, in German · retrieved 30.09.2026
- Federal Office of Justice: acquisition of real estate by persons abroad, with information sheet, in German · retrieved 30.09.2026
- Canton of Zurich: acquisition of real estate by persons abroad, in German · retrieved 30.09.2026
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General information, not individual advice. The law, the tax assessment and advice from professionals for your situation are what count.
