Legal requirements
Documents needed to buy a house
Citizens of the European Union have the same rights as Austrian citizens when it comes to buying property. However, there are special permits required from non-EU nationals.
The Austrian government has recently relaxed the laws that control how foreigners can purchase and own property in the country. Despite this, those who come from outside the European Union still need to get a permit from the local authority of where they want to establish their homes. This permit can be obtained quickly and usually without problems.
In a few cases the request for a permit can be rejected:
- This can happen when the local authority sees a 'threat to state interests',
- If the property is being bought to artificially inflate market conditions or for other speculative reasons.
- When the person buying agricultural or forest land plans to change the estate's purpose.
As you can see, expats who just want to buy home in Austria should have no problem doing so.
Forest land
The purchase of forest land is regulated for both Austrians and foreigners. Therefore, permission to buy the land is needed in all cases. This will only be granted if there is no conflict between the new owner and public interest. So if the new owner wants to change the land's purpose, it is likely that permission will not be granted.
Also in this section
- Overview: The Austrian property market
- Types of property available: What can you buy?
- Finding a property: Internet, classifieds and estate agents
- Legal requirements: Documents needed to buy a house
- Fees and taxes: Costs of buying property in Austria
- Purchase process: Making an offer and signing the contract