Property Buying Guide

Confirm your visa status — Ensure you hold a valid KITAS, KITAP, or Second Home Visa (Visa Rumah Kedua). Additionally, these are the routes that permit Hak Pakai (Right to Use) ownership. Note that since 2023, ATR/BPN allows passport-only buyers in some scenarios, with KITAS/KITAP issued post-purchase.

Set your budget per region (Kepmen ATR/BPN 1241/2022) — Minimum prices vary by province and property type. Landed: Jakarta IDR 10B; Bali/Java/Banten IDR 5B; Yogyakarta/Central Java/NTB/N. Sumatra IDR 3B; E. Kalimantan/S. Sulawesi IDR 2B; other provinces IDR 1B. Apartments (rumah susun): Jakarta IDR 3B; Banten/Bali IDR 2B; W./C. Java IDR 1B and so on. In particular, add ~10–15% for transaction costs.

Engage a reputable agent — Choose an agent familiar with foreign buyer rules. Specifically, verify they understand Hak Pakai title restrictions and can advise on approved zones for your target province.

Shortlist properties — Confirm the property is eligible for Hak Pakai and meets your provincial minimum threshold. As a result, bali, Jakarta, and Surabaya have specific designated zones for foreign ownership.

Pay booking deposit — Secure the unit with 1–5% deposit. Meanwhile, ensure this is documented and refundable terms are agreed in writing.

Sign PPJB (CSPA) — The Conditional Sale and Purchase Agreement sets out payment terms. Importantly, have your legal counsel review before signing.

Complete payments — Settle per the agreed schedule. Once this is done, all payments must be made through traceable bank transfers — cash transactions are not accepted for title transfers.

Sign AJB before PPAT — The Deed of Sale (AJB) is signed before a government-appointed Notary to formally transfer the Right to Use title into your name. After that, hak Pakai term runs 30 + 20 + 30 = 80 years total across three renewal cycles, per PP 18/2021.

Confirm the property qualifies (state-specific) — Minimum price varies by state: KL/Johor RM 1M; Selangor RM 2M (Zones 1/2) or RM 1M (Zone 3); Penang strata RM 1M (island) / RM 500K (mainland), landed RM 3M (island); Melaka strata RM 500K. Cannot be Malay Reserve land, low-cost, or Bumiputera-allocated units. For this reason, special exceptions: Medini Iskandar (no minimum) and Forest City (RM 500K for SEZ/SFZ MM2H).

Get mortgage pre-approval — Approach Malaysian banks early. In turn, required documents include passport, income proof, and employment letter. LTV typically 60–70% for foreigners.

Make an offer — Sign the Letter of Offer and pay the earnest deposit (2–3% of purchase price) to lock in the deal.

Appoint a solicitor — Engage a Malaysian solicitor to prepare the SPA, handle state consent, and manage title transfer on your behalf.

Sign SPA within 14–21 days — Execute the Sales and Purchase Agreement. Consequently, pay the remaining downpayment to reach 10% total of purchase price.

Apply for state consent — Your solicitor submits the Foreign Acquisition Consent to the relevant state authority. Notably, processing takes 1–3 months depending on state.

Pay flat 8% stamp duty (foreign buyers) — From 1 January 2026 (Budget 2026, Finance Act 2025), foreign individuals and foreign-owned companies pay a flat 8% stamp duty on the instrument of transfer for residential property — up from the 4% rate that applied 2024–2025. Additionally, pRs continue to pay the citizen progressive scale. Plus 0.5% loan agreement stamp duty if applicable.

Settle balance & receive vacant possession — Once consent is approved and loan is disbursed, complete the remaining 90%. In particular, developer delivers keys with a Defect Liability Period (typically 24 months).

Budget for ABSD upfront — Foreigners pay 60% Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (effective since 27 April 2023). Specifically, on a SGD 2M condo, that's SGD 1.2M in ABSD alone, on top of BSD (tiered up to 6% for the portion above SGD 3M). Plan your cash reserves carefully — ABSD cannot be financed via loan.

Get a bank In-Principle Approval (IPA) — Apply to at least 2–3 banks to compare rates. As a result, iPA confirms your loan quantum before you commit to any purchase.

Appoint a lawyer early — Engage your conveyancing lawyer before receiving the OTP so they can immediately review the document upon issue.

Receive OTP — Pay the Option Fee (typically 1–5% of price) to receive the Option to Purchase. Meanwhile, this gives you the exclusive right to buy within the OTP period (usually 3 weeks).

Exercise OTP (within ~3 weeks) — Sign the OTP and pay the remaining downpayment. Importantly, at this point, you commit to the purchase. Total downpayment typically 20–25%.

Pay BSD and ABSD within 14 days — Stamp duties are due within 14 days of signing the agreement (30 days if signed overseas). Once this is done, bSD is tiered (1% / 2% / 3% / 4% / 5% / 6%, with 6% on portion above SGD 3M); ABSD is 60% for foreigners. Late payment attracts penalties.

Lawyers handle conveyancing — Your lawyer issues requisitions, checks title, and liaises with seller's lawyer. After that, timeline is typically 8–12 weeks from OTP exercise to completion.

Completion & title registration — Balance purchase price is paid, keys are handed over, and title is lodged with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) in your name.

Confirm legal entry — Under the Housing Law 2023 (Law 27/2023/QH15) and Land Law 2024 (effective 1 August 2024), you simply need a valid foreign passport with a legal Vietnamese entry stamp. For this reason, no long-term residency required.

Verify foreign quota availability — Apartments are capped at 30% of units per condominium block (or per block in multi-block developments sharing a common base). In turn, landed houses (villas/townhouses) are capped at 250 houses per ward-equivalent area (10,000 population) per Decree 95/2024/ND-CP. Confirm in writing with the developer.

Confirm the building is not in a restricted zone — Certain coastal, border, and national-defense/security-sensitive areas are off-limits to foreign ownership. Consequently, ask your lawyer to verify the project's location status.

Pay reservation deposit — Place a small deposit (typically VND 50–100M) to lock in the unit. Notably, get written confirmation that your unit falls within the foreign quota and that the developer has the required bank guarantee.

Legal review of SPA — Engage a bilingual Vietnamese lawyer to review the Sales and Purchase Agreement. Additionally, ensure payment milestones, penalties, and handover timelines are clearly defined.

Sign SPA and follow payment schedule — Vietnam uses a progress-based payment model tied to construction milestones. In particular, typically 8–10 payment tranches over 2–3 years.

Handover inspection — Conduct a thorough unit inspection before signing the handover minutes. Specifically, document all defects in writing — the developer is responsible for rectification.

Wait for Pink Book — The Ownership Certificate (Pink Book) is issued by the Department of Natural Resources. As a result, initial ownership term is 50 years, extendable once for another 50 years. Delays of 6–18 months post-handover are common.

Submit Letter of Intent (Kaitsuke-Shomeisho) — Express your intent to purchase at a specific price. Meanwhile, seller may counter — negotiation is common, particularly for vacant or older properties.

Receive Important Matters Disclosure — A licensed broker is legally required to read and explain the Juyo Jiko Setsumei-sho (property disclosure document) to you. Importantly, this is non-negotiable.

Sign the Purchase Contract — Execute the Baibai Keiyakusho (sales contract). Once this is done, pay earnest money deposit of 10–20% of the purchase price at this stage.

Arrange a Judicial Scrivener — This specialist handles title registration. After that, they verify documents, prepare transfer filings, and register your ownership in the Legal Affairs Bureau.

Final balance payment — Settle the remaining purchase price on the agreed settlement date. For this reason, all parties typically meet in person at the bank or agent's office.

Title registration (simultaneous) — The Judicial Scrivener submits registration documents to the Legal Affairs Bureau (Homukyoku) on settlement day. In turn, title transfer is reflected within 1–2 weeks.

Disclose nationality at registration — Since 1 April 2026, ALL property buyers (regardless of nationality) must disclose their nationality during ownership registration at the Legal Affairs Bureau. Consequently, data is stored internally and is NOT shown in the public property registry (Touki-bo).

File FEFTA Form 22 (Bank of Japan) — Since 1 April 2026, ALL non-resident acquisitions of Japanese real estate (including personal residences, vacation homes, and investment properties — the former residential exemption has been removed) must file Form 22 with the Ministry of Finance via the Bank of Japan within 20 days of acquisition.

Understand what you can buy — During the temporary ban (1 April 2025 to 31 March 2027), foreign persons CANNOT buy established (resale) dwellings. Notably, you're restricted to new dwellings, off-plan purchases, or vacant land for construction. The redevelopment exception now requires the project to add at least 20 additional dwellings (raised from 1).

Apply for FIRB approval — Submit your Foreign Investment Review Board application via the ATO portal. Additionally, approval is required before signing. Application fees are tiered by property value, start from ~AUD 14,100 for properties under AUD 1M, and are indexed annually each 1 July.

Get mortgage pre-approval — Apply to Australian lenders. In particular, be prepared to show overseas income documentation. Non-resident rates are typically 0.5–1% higher than resident rates.

Engage a buyer's agent (recommended) — A buyer's agent works exclusively for you. Specifically, they can access off-market new builds, negotiate on your behalf, and navigate the state-specific contract nuances.

Sign Contract of Sale (subject to FIRB) — Execute the contract with a FIRB condition. As a result, pay 10% holding deposit, held in trust. Contract is unconditional once FIRB approval is received.

Building & pest inspection — Have an independent inspector assess the property. Meanwhile, in Australia, the buyer bears the risk unless conditions are included. Always inspect before going unconditional.

Pay stamp duty + foreign buyer surcharge — Standard stamp duty (~4–6%) plus Foreign Buyer Surcharge: NSW 9% (up from 8% on 1 Jan 2025), VIC 8%, QLD 8%, TAS 8%, WA 7%, SA 7%; ACT and NT have no surcharge. Importantly, surcharges are state-determined and cumulative on top of standard duty.

Settlement & title transfer — Conveyancer handles final settlement. Once this is done, balance paid, title registered with the state land titles office, and keys handed over on the same day.