Investment property: Germany

Updated 6 October 2026

Germany: we find a property for your goal, check its legal title and see the deal through to registration.

A foreigner can buy a flat, house or commercial property in Germany without permits or nationality restrictions. The deal must be notarised, and ownership arises only on entry in the land register. Buying does not grant residence: relocation is via work, business, study or family. Dollar amounts use the European Central Bank rate of 5 October 2026, $1.12 per euro.

How the deal works

1. Search and checks: land register extract, encumbrances, and for a flat the owners' association documents, meeting minutes and reserve fund.
2. Financing: German banks lend to non-residents too, with a larger deposit and income checks.
3. Notarial contract. The notary reads it aloud; an interpreter is mandatory if the buyer does not speak German.
4. A priority notice in the land register protects the buyer until full registration.
5. Payment of tax and price, then registration of the owner.

Documents and timing

• Passport and a German tax identification number: the notary must report it to the tax office with the deal, and a foreigner is assigned one if they lack it.
• The draft contract must by law reach a consumer buyer at least two weeks before signing, to allow time to review it.
• Registration of the owner in the land register follows payment of tax and price and can take from several weeks to several months, depending on the court's workload.

Risks

• A flat in a building facing major repairs: the association may levy a large contribution.
• Limits on short-term tourist letting in big cities.
• Tenants' statutory rights when buying a let flat.
• Selling within 10 years: tax on the gain.

What we do

We shortlist a property, check the land register and owners' association documents, calculate taxes and costs, and support the notarial deal with an interpreter and the registration with locally licensed partners. If you need a German bank account or mortgage, we help in parallel.

Can a Russian citizen buy property in Germany

Yes. The law does not restrict buying homes by nationality, and a Russian buys an apartment or house in their own name just like an EU citizen. The difficulties start not at the notary but with the money. Since 1 April 2023 Germany has banned paying for property in cash, crypto, gold or raw materials: the price is paid by bank transfer only. The notary and the bank check where the money came from and may stop the deal if in doubt.

Russian citizens without an EU residence permit face one more limit: German banks do not accept deposits above 100,000 euros from them under the EU sanctions regulation. So funds for a purchase are transferred in parts or straight to the seller's account, and the source of funds is documented in advance. Persons and companies on sanctions lists cannot buy at all: their assets in Germany are frozen.

Apartment prices by city

The eastern states and small towns are the cheapest, Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg the most expensive. For letting, demand matters more than the price per metre: university cities and big employment centres let faster, while in a small town an apartment may stand empty for months.

Purchase costs: a worked example

Dollar amounts at the European Central Bank rate of 5 October 2026, about $1.12 per euro, rounded up. The transfer tax arrives as a separate notice after the deal, and the owner can be entered in the land register only after it is paid.

Owner taxes: letting and sale

• Property tax is paid to the municipality every year; since 2025 it has been calculated on new valuations, and for many apartments the amount has changed.
• Second home tax is charged in a number of cities, Berlin among them, to an owner who uses the apartment as a second home rather than letting it.
• Letting. Rental income is taxed in Germany even for a non-resident. Expenses and building depreciation are deducted, so the net tax base is usually well below the rent.
• Sale. A private individual's gain is tax-free if the property was owned for more than 10 years or you lived in it in the year of sale and the two previous years. An earlier sale's gain is subject to income tax.

Does a purchase give German residence or citizenship

No. Germany grants no residence permit for buying property, whatever the amount. Relocation is arranged through work, business, study or family: skilled workers have the EU Blue Card and work visas, job seekers the opportunity card, freelancers the freelancer visa. An owned apartment does solve the housing needed for address registration. Citizenship is granted after 5 years of lawful residence, since 2024 without giving up a Russian passport; see German citizenship.

How to buy property in Germany remotely

1. Property check using the land register extract and the owners' association documents - remotely, from copies.
2. Tax ID is assigned to a foreigner at the deal and reported by the notary.
3. Power of attorney. The most convenient is one certified by a German notary or a German consulate. A document made in another country is legalised with an apostille and translated, and its acceptability is agreed in advance with the notary handling the deal.
4. Signing at the notary is done by the representative; the buyer receives the draft contract two weeks ahead and approves it remotely.
5. Payment of the tax and price by bank transfer and registration of the owner in the land register.

The whole deal from choosing an apartment to the land register entry usually takes two to four months, most of it spent on registration.

This topic in other countries

• Property in Turkey for foreigners
• Property in the UAE for foreigners
• Property in Georgia for foreigners
• Property in Cyprus for foreigners
• Property in Montenegro for foreigners
• Property in Spain for foreigners
• Property in Greece for foreigners
• Property in Bulgaria for foreigners
• Property in Thailand for foreigners
• Property in Armenia for foreigners
• Property in Kazakhstan for foreigners

For this country: moving to Germany, taxes in Germany, Berlin guide, Munich guide, buying an apartment in Germany.

A comparison of countries, prices and programmes is in our overview of where to buy property abroad.

What we do

• Property shortlist for your investment goal
• Legal due diligence on the property
• End-to-end transaction support
• Ownership structuring (company, trust)
• Property management and letting

See also

Company formation · Business account · Personal account · All country programs

FAQ