Australian citizen living overseas
Generally treated as an Australian buyer for foreign-investment purposes. Lenders can still assess overseas residence and foreign income differently.
For Indonesian and overseas buyers
Buying in Australia from overseas? Know your pathway before you commit.
Citizenship, residency, visa, income currency and available cash can change what you may buy and which lenders may consider you. Ferdi helps you find the realistic starting point first.
Guidance in English or Bahasa Indonesia · Perth-based, Australia-wide
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Individual experiences differ; lending outcomes and timelines vary.Start with your buyer status
Which pathway looks most like yours?
Your passport is only one part of the answer. Where you live, your Australian residency or visa and how you earn income can change both the property rules and the finance options.
Australian permanent resident
Generally exempt from foreign-investment approval for residential property. Where you live and how you earn income still matter for finance.
Temporary visa holder
Visa type, Australian tax residency, co-borrower and income source all matter. Current restrictions on established dwellings may also apply.
Foreign citizen or non-resident
Usually needs foreign-investment approval and is generally directed toward a new dwelling or vacant residential land, subject to current rules and conditions.
Property rules first
Confirm what you may buy before choosing how to finance it.
From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027, foreign persons—including temporary residents—are temporarily banned from purchasing established dwellings unless a limited exception applies.
New dwellings and vacant residential land may still be available, generally with approval and conditions. A developer may already hold a new-dwelling exemption certificate for a specific project.
Important
Do not sign an unconditional contract first.
Foreign buyers generally need approval or a valid exemption certificate before acquiring residential property. A contract may be made conditional on approval, but your solicitor or conveyancer should prepare and confirm the wording.
AUD Finance provides credit assistance—not FIRB, legal, tax or immigration advice.
Indicative finance guide
Start with a realistic loan-and-cash range.
There is no single foreign-buyer LVR. For planning, start with a conservative range around 60–70% LVR for an eligible scenario, assessed case by case through selected lenders. The actual result can be lower.
Check my numbersProperty value100%Illustration: 65% loan
A practical starting budget
- Loan: plan around 60–70% as an indicative starting range
- Deposit: plan around 30–40% or more
- Plus: normal transfer duty, foreign-buyer surcharge, FIRB fee, legal and other costs
LVR depends on residency, visa, accepted income currency, country risk, income evidence, property, valuation, loan size and selected-lender policy. This is not a pre-approval or product promise.
Extra purchase costs
Foreign-buyer surcharge sits on top of normal stamp duty.
Think of normal transfer duty as roughly comparable to Indonesia's BPHTB: a similar purchase-tax concept, but with different Australian rules and calculations. A foreign purchaser may then pay a second state surcharge on top.
Normal transfer duty
Most purchasers pay state duty calculated on the property's dutiable value, unless a concession or exemption applies.
Foreign-buyer surcharge
An additional percentage for a foreign purchaser. It does not replace normal transfer duty.
FIRB application fee
A separate federal application fee again—not part of either state duty amount.
Example: AUD 800,000 purchase · General duty, full foreign surcharge and no concession or exemption. FIRB, legal and other costs are excluded.
Normal duty ≈ $32.3k
Foreign surcharge = $56k
Total state duties ≈ $88.3k
Normal duty ≈ $43.1k
Foreign surcharge = $64k
Total state duties ≈ $107.1k
Normal duty ≈ $30.2k
Foreign surcharge = $72k
Total state duties ≈ $102.2k
Illustration checked on 14 August 2026 and rounded to the nearest $100. Actual duty depends on the contract date, dutiable value, property, ownership, state definitions, exemptions and concessions. Obtain legal and tax advice before relying on a cost estimate.
Start with rough figures
Five details can reveal the likely pathway.
Sensitive supporting documents can follow through a secure channel after the first review.
01
Passport, Australian residency or visa status, and current country of residence
02
Employment type, employer or business details, income amount and currency
03
Recent payslips or up to two years of tax returns and business financials, depending on income type
04
Deposit funds, savings history, existing properties, debts and regular expenses
05
Target state, property type, approximate price and whether FIRB approval has started
Foreign buyers · selected lenders only
Fewer lenders. A clearer, more realistic pathway.
Foreign-citizen and non-resident applications are not available across the full lender panel. Ferdi researches a selected group whose current policy may accept your residency, country of residence, income currency, deposit and target property.
- The general panel logos do not mean every lender is available to a foreign buyer.
- Policy is checked case by case before an application is prepared.
- No lender is presented as suitable before the full position is reviewed.
A six-step pathway
Know the order before money moves.
Ferdi coordinates the finance work and explains when you need legal, tax or foreign-investment help.
Check my starting position- 01
Confirm residency and goal
Who is buying, where they live, visa status and intended property use.
- 02
Set an indicative cash and loan range
Income currency, evidence, existing debts, deposit and likely purchase costs.
- 03
Confirm property and FIRB pathway
Work with your lawyer or conveyancer before making an unconditional commitment.
- 04
Research suitable lender policy
Compare mainstream or specialist options that may accept the scenario.
- 05
Apply and provide secure evidence
Submit the right income, savings, identity and property documents.
- 06
Coordinate approval to settlement
Keep finance, valuation and professional parties moving together.
Before you choose a property