Quick answer: the ban on foreign persons, including most temporary visa holders, buying established homes started on 1 April 2025 and was due to end on 31 March 2027. The Government has extended it to 30 June 2029. New homes, off-the-plan apartments and vacant land to build on are still allowed with FIRB approval. Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens aren’t affected.
Many of the families we help are on 482, 491, 494 and 485 visas, waiting for PR. When the ban was introduced, the plan for a lot of them was simple: wait until April 2027, then buy. That plan now needs another look, because the ban runs for more than two extra years.
What changed
In the 2026–27 Budget, the Government announced it would extend the temporary ban on foreign purchases of established homes by two years and three months, to 30 June 2029. The ATO now applies the extended date. Limited exceptions remain, mainly for investments that significantly add to housing supply.
Who it affects, and who it doesn’t
- Affected: foreign persons, which includes most temporary residents (for example 482, 491, 494, 485, 461, student and bridging visa holders) and foreign-owned companies and trusts.
- Not affected: Australian citizens, permanent residents, and New Zealand citizens on a 444 visa.
- Often not affected: a temporary visa holder buying jointly with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or NZ citizen spouse or de facto partner, as joint tenants. FIRB approval generally isn’t needed in that case.
What temporary visa holders can still buy
- New homes that haven’t been lived in, including house-and-land packages.
- Off-the-plan apartments and townhouses.
- Vacant land to build a home on, with construction finished within FIRB’s timeframe. Our construction loan guide explains how those loans are paid out in stages.
Each of these needs FIRB approval before you sign. For a new home or vacant land, the application fee is $15,600 for a property up to $1 million and $31,300 up to $2 million (2026–27 fees). Foreign persons also pay a state surcharge on top of stamp duty, 9% in NSW.
What this means for your plans
- If PR is likely before mid-2029: waiting for PR is now often a better plan than waiting for the ban to end. Once you’re a permanent resident, established homes open up, FIRB fees and surcharges disappear, and first home buyer help such as the 5% Deposit Scheme can apply.
- If PR is a long way off: a new build or house-and-land package with FIRB approval and around a 20% deposit may beat several more years of rent. Compare the total cost, including the FIRB fee and surcharge, before deciding.
- Mixed-status couples: check the joint-tenant spouse exemption first. It can remove FIRB, the ban and, in NSW, the surcharge for partner visa holders who meet the residence test.
- Already signed a contract or got FIRB approval before 1 April 2025? Special transitional rules apply. Talk to your solicitor and to us before settlement.
Our visa-by-visa guide covers lender rules for each visa, and the Nepali version is here. We work in English, Nepali and Hindi.
Common questions
When does the foreign buyer ban on established homes end?
It began on 1 April 2025 and was due to end on 31 March 2027. The Government has extended it to 30 June 2029.
Can temporary visa holders still buy property in Australia?
Yes. With FIRB approval they can buy a new home, an off-the-plan apartment or vacant land to build on. What they generally can’t buy until 30 June 2029 is an established (previously lived-in) home.
Does the ban apply to permanent residents or New Zealand citizens?
No. Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens on a 444 visa are not foreign persons for these rules.
I’m on a temporary visa and my partner is a citizen. Does the ban apply?
If you buy together as joint tenants with your Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen spouse or de facto partner, FIRB approval generally isn’t needed, so the ban doesn’t stop you buying an established home.
How much is the FIRB fee?
For a new home or vacant land, the fee is $15,600 for a property up to $1 million and $31,300 up to $2 million (fees from 1 July 2026, indexed each year).
Sources: ATO, extending the ban on foreign purchases of established dwellings; ATO, residential fees for a foreign person. Checked 6 October 2026. General information only, not legal, migration or financial advice.
