Singapore

Yes, foreigners can freely purchase private condominiums and apartments in Singapore. However, landed properties — houses, bungalows, semi-detached, and terraced homes — are generally restricted to Singapore citizens and PRs.

That said, foreigners may apply to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for landed property approval. Such approval, however, is granted at the government's discretion and is rarely approved in practice. Sentosa Cove is the notable exception, where no SLA approval is needed. Even so, the full 60% ABSD still applies there for non-FTA foreigners.

Overall, all foreign buyers are subject to 60% ABSD, except 5 FTA-exempt nationalities (see below). HDB flats, meanwhile, are not available to foreigners at all.

Currently, the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) for most foreign nationals is 60% of the purchase price, in effect since the April 2023 cooling measures. In addition, foreign-owned entities pay 65%. Singapore citizens buying their first home, by contrast, pay 0% ABSD.

FTA Exemption Details

• 🇺🇸 US: nationals (citizens) only — green-card holders/PRs do NOT qualify
• 🇮🇸 Iceland, 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇨🇭 Switzerland (EFTA): both nationals AND PRs qualify

As a result, qualifying buyers pay the same rates as Singapore citizens: 0% on the 1st residential property, 20% on the 2nd, and 30% on the 3rd or later. You can also apply for remission via your conveyancing lawyer through the IRAS myTax Portal. Note, however, that BSD (1–6% progressive) still applies on top of this.

Yes. Foreign individuals can obtain home loans from Singapore banks, typically up to 75% LTV for their first property (foreigners may receive lower LTV in practice). After that, LTV drops to 45% on a 2nd housing loan and 35% on a 3rd or later.

In addition, the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) is capped at 55% of gross monthly income, stress-tested at 4% p.a. or the prevailing rate, whichever is higher. Major lenders include DBS, OCBC, UOB, Maybank, CIMB, and Standard Chartered. CPF, however, cannot be used by foreigners.

For residential properties acquired on or after 4 July 2025, the SSD holding period was extended from 3 to 4 years. In addition, rates were raised by 4 percentage points at each tier. As a result, the new schedule runs 16% if sold within 1 year, 12% within 2 years, 8% within 3 years, 4% within 4 years, and 0% after that.

Essentially, this change reverts to pre-2017 rates and targets short-term flipping, particularly sub-sales of uncompleted units. HDB sellers, however, are unaffected due to the 5-year MOP. As a result, it pays to plan your exit strategy before purchasing.

Singapore has no capital gains tax, so gains from a property sale are not taxed. That said, SSD applies within the holding period described above.

Rental income is taxable, however: non-residents pay a flat 24% on rental income with no personal reliefs, while tax residents (≥183 days/year in Singapore) pay progressive rates of 0–24% on net rental income. In addition, allowable deductions include property tax, maintenance fees, agent commission, insurance, mortgage interest, and repairs.