Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Switzerland in 2026
Without a residence permit a foreigner can only buy a holiday flat in a resort, within the canton's quota. Prices, the Lex Koller rules, taxes and what changes in 2026-2029.
In short
- Prices: the average asking price is about $12,000 per m2, about $27,000-29,000 in Zurich and Geneva transactions.
- Without a residence permit only a holiday flat in a resort with a cantonal permit is possible.
- With a residence permit you can buy your main home where you actually live.
- No residence is granted for buying.
- The main risk: buying through a company to get around the law, which makes the deal void.
In detail
Switzerland is one of Europe's most expensive and tightly regulated housing markets. Purchases by foreigners are limited by the federal law on the acquisition of real estate by persons abroad, usually called Lex Koller. Without a residence permit a foreigner can only buy a holiday flat in a resort approved by the canton and within its quota. A detailed look at the rules and transaction support is on the page property in Switzerland; here are short answers to the main questions.
How much an apartment in Switzerland costs in 2026
In June 2026 the average asking price for flats nationwide was about 9,530 francs per square metre, about $12,000, up 4.5% over the year. The spread between cantons is huge.
| Where | Price per m2 |
|---|---|
| Zurich city, transactions | ~$29,000 |
| Geneva, transactions | ~$27,000 |
| Expensive cantons: Zurich, Zug, Geneva, Basel-Stadt | $15,000-19,000 |
| National average | ~$12,000 |
| Cheapest cantons: Jura, Glarus, Uri | $5,500-7,900 |
An 80 m2 flat in central Zurich costs over two million dollars, while in a mountain canton it costs several times less. Swiss watches are precise; Swiss prices are less predictable.
Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Switzerland
- With a residence permit - yes, a main home where you actually live, with no permit. The canton looks at actual residence: family, work, children's school.
- With a permanent residence permit, and for EU citizens living in Switzerland, Lex Koller sets no limits.
- Without a residence permit - only a holiday flat with a cantonal permit, in resorts the canton has designated and within the annual quota. 17 cantons allow such purchases, with living space up to 200 m2 and one such flat per family.
- Commercial premises - offices, production, hotels - are bought without a permit.
In municipalities where second homes exceed 20%, new holiday flats are hardly built under a separate law. Russian citizens buy under the general Lex Koller rules, while people on sanctions lists cannot make deals.
How the purchase works: step by step
- Checking the right to buy: whether you need a cantonal permit and where you can realistically get one.
- Choosing the property and checking the land register.
- An application to the canton if the purchase needs a permit.
- Contract before a notary and entry in the land register.
- A mortgage if needed: banks require at least 20% equity, at least 10% of it not from pension savings.
How much the paperwork costs: taxes and fees
- Transfer tax is set by the canton: none in Zurich, about 3% in Geneva, up to 3.3% in Vaud including the municipal tax.
- Notary and land register - usually a fraction of a percent of the price.
- Every year - cantonal and municipal wealth tax, tax on rental income, and in some cantons a property tax.
- On sale - a cantonal land gains tax, with the rate falling the longer you own.
A flat outside a resort or over the quota gets the deal cancelled
The law does not stop you from buying a flat in Switzerland on your own. But mistakes cost more than the taxes: a holiday flat outside a resort approved by the canton, a purchase over the annual quota, a company purchase that gets around Lex Koller and ends with the canton demanding a sale. We check whether you need a permit and in which canton you can realistically get one, find the property, check the land register, prepare the cantonal application and handle the deal before the notary. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first application.
The cost of support depends on the canton, your status and whether a permit is needed; our manager in the chat will calculate it.
What changes in 2026-2029
On 15 April 2026 the Federal Council opened a consultation on tightening Lex Koller, which ran until 15 July 2026. The proposals would require a permit for a main home for non-EU citizens with residence permits too, with a forced sale within two years of leaving, cut holiday-home quotas and close purchases of commercial premises for letting.
In a referendum on 28 September 2025 voters abolished the tax on the imputed rental value of one's own home: from 1 January 2029 it will be gone, along with deductions for repairs, and cantons will be able to introduce a tax on second homes.
Does buying give residence
No. The route to Swiss residence runs through work, business or lump-sum taxation, not through a flat. More on the pages Swiss residence through lump-sum taxation and Switzerland: all programmes.
How we help
The law does not stop you from filing on your own. But mistakes cost more than the taxes: a holiday flat outside an approved resort or over the quota, a purchase through a company to get around the law, after which the canton demands a sale. We check whether a permit is needed and where to get it, find the property, prepare the cantonal application and handle the deal before the notary.
Property in Switzerland
The right to buy, the cantonal permit, land register checks and the deal.
Learn more →Swiss residence
Lump-sum taxation and other routes to a residence permit.
Learn more →Account in Switzerland
A bank account for the purchase and life in the country.
Learn more →FAQ
Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Switzerland?
How much does an apartment in Switzerland cost in 2026?
Does buying an apartment give residence in Switzerland?
Can a Russian citizen buy an apartment in Switzerland?
What tax applies when buying an apartment in Switzerland?
How much equity do you need for a Swiss mortgage?
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