Permit required

A permit is required for purchase of non-commercial property by the following groups:

• Foreign nationals resident outside Switzerland
• Non-EU/non-EFTA nationals resident in Switzerland who do not have a settlement permit (i.e. permanent resident status)
• Companies with their head office outside Switzerland (even if the owner is a Swiss citizen)
• Companies that have their legally registered and actual head office in Switzerland but are controlled by non-Swiss nationals resident outside Switzerland. This is the case if foreign nationals hold more than one-third of the company capital, have more than one-third of the voting rights or have provided significant loans.
• Buyers who purchase a piece of property for the account of a person abroad (fiduciary transaction)

The permit requirements apply not only to the transfer of real estate ownership requiring land registry entries but also to any legal transaction that gives a non-resident actual control over any real estate for which a permit is required. For this reason, these groups are not allowed to invest directly in the housing market or conduct real estate dealings involving residential properties.