European limitations on foreign property purchases
European property-purchase rules vary by nationality, residence, property type and location, and can include prohibitions. Finland, for example, introduced restrictions on acquisitions by Russian and Belarusian citizens in 2025, subject to statutory exceptions. For example, only residents can buy real estate in Liechtenstein. In Andorra, Hungary, Denmark, Iceland, Poland and Malta, foreign investors can only buy property after receiving approval from the local authorities.
Nevertheless, most major European countries (e.g., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) allow overseas investors to buy residential and commercial real estate with the same rights as local citizens.
| Belgium | Italy |
| Bulgaria | Monaco |
| Czech Republic | Netherlands |
| France | Norway |
| Germany | Portugal |
| Great Britain | Spain |
| Ireland | Sweden |
Even minor limitations can deter buyers, even if they had their heart set on a specific country. A local company does not automatically remove these restrictions: the law may also examine foreign control and beneficial ownership. The most important thing is to have a reliable guide to help you. This article by Yulia Kozhevnikova, Tranio’s leading real estate expert, is here to do just that.
Territorial restrictions
National security can lead to restrictions in designated areas. In Greece, affected non-EU/EEA buyers may apply for authorisation to acquire property in designated border regions. Separate restrictions apply to military and other protected areas in Turkey and elsewhere.
National preference is also a European reality and there are countries where whole districts are closed to foreign buyers. Austria is an excellent example as there are limitations on most of the country’s federal states: Burgenland, Vienna, Lower and Upper Austria, Salzburg, Carinthia, Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Switzerland is also a frontrunner for national preference. In addition to extremely strict rules on residency and citizenship, the country has a famously restrictive “Lex Koller” property law, whose application depends on the buyer’s residence, nationality, foreign control and intended use. Holiday-home purchases are one permitted category subject to cantonal conditions and quotas. Åland has a separate system of acquisition rights and permits; the absence of Åland domicile does not mean that permission is impossible.
Agricultural land is particularly vital to Europe’s less developed economies in the East and Southeast — particularly in the Balkans and Baltic states. Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia have taken steps to prohibit non-EU/EEA citizens from buying farmland. Croatia is a member of the European Union. EU nationals generally buy ordinary residential property on the same terms as Croatian nationals; agricultural land is subject to separate rules.
Construction and surface area restrictions have been imposed in popular countries where development opportunities are limited by the lack of space. These are embodied by laws prescribing the maximum floor space a foreign citizen may buy and how much surface area they may build on. In addition to that, it is not uncommon to need permission from local authorities. In Switzerland, the usual guidance limits of 200 m² of net floor area and 1,000 m² of land concern authorised holiday homes, with exceptions; they are not a blanket ceiling on every foreign national’s property. In Montenegro, purchases of land for development may not exceed 5,000 sq m.
Restrictions on companies and individuals
creating a legal entity to make the purchase can change the legal and tax structure of a purchase, but it does not automatically remove restrictions. Switzerland, for example, also restricts acquisitions by Swiss entities under foreign control.
Some states regulate purchases by companies separately. In Turkey, foreign commercial companies may acquire property only under the applicable special legislation, and other foreign legal entities face restrictions. Under Switzerland’s Lex Koller, a Swiss company can still count as a person abroad when it is foreign-controlled.
Nationality restrictions also exist. In Turkey, eligibility depends on the citizenship categories authorised under the applicable rules and the location of the property. A company is not a universal way around an individual’s ineligibility: corporate purchases follow their own statutory regime.
The following table contains these and other limitations not mentioned above.
Country |
Limitations on purchase of land |
Limitations on purchase of property |
Territorial limitations |
Limitations on companies and individuals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Foreign citizens cannot buy agricultural lands but can lease it for 99 years |
— |
— |
— | |
Land buyers meet one of the criterion: — EU citizen — Austrian residence permit — land purchase in the name of a company registered in the EU—local authority permission There are exceptions to these rules that depend on the property |
Property buyers meet one of the criterion: — EU citizen — Austrian residence permit — land purchase in the name of a company registered in the EU — local authority permission There are exceptions to these rules that depend on the property |
— |
— | |
Agricultural land is subject to separate statutory rules. |
EU nationals generally buy on the same terms as Croatian nationals; other foreign buyers follow the applicable reciprocity and approval procedure. |
— | A Croatian company is a separate purchaser, subject to the relevant land and corporate rules. | |
Third-country buyers require permission under the acquisition rules. | Permission can cover up to two qualifying units in the combinations allowed by the rules. | — | Corporate purchases are subject to their own permission and foreign-control rules. | |
— | Foreigners can only buy property as their permanent residence or place of business if they meet one of the conditions: — foreigner previously lived in Denmark for at least five years; — EU citizen who works in Denmark; — citizen of a non-EU country who holds a valid residence or business permit in Denmark;. | — | — | |
Only Estonian, EU and EEA citizens can buy agricultural and forest land. In order to purchase more than 10 hectares, permission from the authorities is required | — | Non EU/EEA citizens cannot buy property near state borders. This land can only be owned, with permission from the authorities, by Estonian, EU and EEA citizens, as well as legal entities | — | |
A permit is generally required for acquisitions subject to the non-EU/EEA regime. | Restrictions introduced in 2025 concern Russian and Belarusian purchasers, with statutory exceptions. | Åland has its own acquisition-right and permit system. | Foreign control can also affect permit requirements. | |
— | — | Affected non-EU/EEA buyers can apply for permission for acquisitions in designated border regions. | — | |
Non-EU/EEA citizens cannot buy agricultural land, but can purchase houses with plot of up to 1 hectare | Foreigners should obtain permission to buy real estate from local authorities. Foreign citizens cannot purchase military and strategic objects, national monuments and objects located in reserves. | If the object is located on the territory of the Balaton, Heviz resorts, the authorities may not give permission for the purchase. | If the purchase is made by a company registered in Hungary, permission is not required. | |
Non-EU/EEA citizens cannot purchase agricultural and forest lands | — | Foreign citizens cannot purchase lands in border areas, in reserves, lands in the dune protection zone of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, in the protective zones of water bodies, with the exception of areas where development is envisaged; lands on the territory of deposits. | — | |
Non-EU/EEA citizens cannot purchase agricultural land. Land can be leased from the state for 99 years or purchased through a legal entity registered in Lithuania. | — | — | — | |
Macedonia (FYROM) | Foreign citizens cannot purchase agricultural land in Macedonia but can lease it for up to 99 years with permission of the Ministry of Justice | — | — | — |
— | An AIP permit can be required. The minimum purchase value depends on the property category and is adjusted periodically under the applicable price index. | Special Designated Areas and other statutory exemptions have different permit rules. | An ordinary AIP purchase is generally for personal/family residence and subject to the one-property condition. | |
Foreign individual can buy up to 5,000 sq m of land with a building; otherwise the land must be purchased in a company name | — | Foreigners cannot own plots of land in national parks, real estate at a distance of less than 1 km from the state border, objects on the islands, as well as objects of strategic importance. | — | |
Permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland is required for the purchase of agricultural land with an area of more than 1 hectare. | Non-EU/EEA citizens have to obtain permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland for buying a house with a plot. It is issued to those who can prove their connection to Poland (e.g,. temporary or permanent residence permit, Polish origin, marriage with a Polish citizen). Permission is not required for buyers of apartments. | For buying real estate located in the border area, it is necessary to get permission. | — | |
Agricultural land property purchase by non-EU/EEA citizens is regulated by international agreements on the basis of reciprocity | — | — | — | |
Foreign citizens and companies with more than 50% of foreign share capital cannot purchase agricultural land | — | Foreign companies and individuals cannot buy land near state borders and within the territory of a port | — | |
Foreign citizens cannot buy agricultural and forest land or property close to the land owned by the military | — | — | — | |
Foreign citizens cannot buy agricultural and forest land, except for EU citizens with Slovakian residence permits who have used this land for three years | — | — | — | |
Agricultural land has separate conditions. | EU, OECD and EFTA nationals can acquire without a reciprocity decision; EU-candidate nationals require a positive decision. Other nationalities face further restrictions. | — | The purchaser’s legal status and country of establishment matter. | |
Holiday-home land is normally limited to 1,000 m², with exceptions. | Authorised holiday homes normally have a 200 m² net-floor-area guideline. Other acquisition categories have different conditions. | Holiday-home authorisations depend on cantonal rules and quotas. | Swiss entities under foreign control can remain subject to Lex Koller; incorporation is not a blanket exemption. | |
Eligible foreign individuals may acquire up to 30 hectares nationwide under the general rule. | Property eligibility depends on the purchaser’s nationality, location and statutory acquisition limits. | Military/security restrictions apply; foreign individual ownership is limited to 10% of private property in a district. | Nationality eligibility and separate corporate-purchase legislation apply; a company does not automatically bypass restrictions. |
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