How to buy a house in Switzerland as a foreigner

If you’re relocating to Switzerland, or simply looking to invest in property overseas, you may be wondering how to buy a house in Switzerland as a foreigner. When buying an overseas property it’s important to understand the local rules, requirements, and market. This guide on how to buy a house in Switzerland is here to help.

We’ll also look at how Wise can help you if you’re buying property abroad, or if you love to travel often. Use Wise for international transfers with the mid-market rate, and for a powerful multi-currency account which lets you spend and withdraw around the world conveniently.

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What's the property market like in Switzerland?

We’ll look at some specifics about property pricing a little later - but it’s often helpful to understand the broader picture and trend when considering property costs.

So how much does it cost to buy a house in Switzerland today, compared to in the past?

The Swiss property market shows a steady upward climb in official statistics¹, with both apartments and single family homes gaining in value year on year since 2017. Growth trends aren’t completely smooth - and as in many countries, single family properties outpaced apartments during the global pandemic.

Analysts observe steady growth coming from 2024 into 2025, and predict further rises in price of around 3% to 4% this year.²

Naturally, prices vary a lot depending on the location of properties, with urban hubs seeing intense competition, while some areas look to be facing a bubble risk where costs may come down over time. Do your own research on the specific market conditions in the area you’re considering buying in, before you proceed with your purchase.

Can an Irish citizen buy a house in Switzerland?

Not all foreigners can buy a property in Switzerland. Whether or not you are entitled to buy property there will depend on several factors including your nationality and your residency status.

If you’re an Irish citizen - or from another EU/EFTA country - you have enhanced rights compared to other third country nationals, but rules may still apply.³ Let’s break down the most common scenarios.

Irish citizens living in Switzerland

Irish citizens living in Switzerland can buy property there without any additional restrictions or rules. Your rights are the same as a Swiss person, and the process to buy a home in Switzerland will also be the same.

Irish citizens who are cross border commuters in Switzerland

Irish citizens who are cross border commuters in Switzerland, living in another country close by and holding a G permit to work legally in Switzerland can buy property without permission, subject to a couple of conditions.

You can only buy property in the area of the country in which you work, and you can not rent out your Swiss property while you’re working in Switzerland as a cross border commuter.

Irish citizens who do not live or work in Switzerland

Irish citizens who do not live or work in Switzerland can buy property only with permission from the local authorities where the property is located.

You will need to apply to the local canton to get permission to buy your preferred property.⁴ The decision to approve or deny this request is based on the type of property, the proposed use of the property, and the specific location.

If your request is granted it allows you 3 years to complete your property purchase. If your request is denied you have the right of appeal.

It’s worth noting that approval is likely to be given to own a property for specific use only - it may not be possible to then change the use of the building or home you’ve bought at a later stage.

How much does it cost to buy a house in Switzerland? 💰

Ultimately the cost of any particular property can vary hugely based on the specific location, design, age and other factors. That can make it pretty tricky to compare the costs of buying a property in Switzerland against what you might get at home.

To level the playing field a little, we’ve looked at average costs per square meter for homes in 3 different popular cities in Switzerland, and also added the same detail for Dublin to give a bit of local context.

*Details correct at time of research, 20th March 2025

As you can see, the average costs of buying property in Switzerland are high - even compared with Dublin. Zurich property is likely to be 3 times the price of a place in Dublin on average, while Bern is double the average cost.

The information we’ve used here is taken from Numbeo, which aggregates live user feedback about the cost of living in different countries. This data changes as prices go up and down, so you might want to take a look while setting a budget for your new property in Switzerland, to get the latest.

You can also conveniently compare individual cities in Switzerland with different cities in Ireland, based on cost, to see how your budget might work out if you’re planning a move.

What are the taxes involved when buying property in Switzerland?

When you buy a property in Switzerland it’s not just the cost of the property itself you need to consider. There will also be additional taxes, legal fees and other duties, both at the point of purchase and on an ongoing basis.

Much of the tax you pay in Switzerland is dictated by the specific canton you live in, so you will need to make sure you’re clear on the local information based on the property location.
However, in general, these are the official and governmental costs you need to look out for when buying property in Switzerland⁹:

• Property transfer tax - this is paid at the point of purchase to the canton and usually 1% to 3% of the property price
• Income tax on the imputed rental value of the property - if you live in the home you pay ongoing income tax on the ‘imputed rental value’, which is about 60% - 70% of the market rental value of the home. In return you can offset some of the costs of home ownership against the taxes you would otherwise pay
• Property tax - ongoing tax of around 0.01% to 0.3% of the estimated value of the property
• Wealth tax - your property must be declared when you complete your tax return and there may be wealth tax to pay.

The taxes you pay on a property that’s used as a holiday home might vary a little. Take professional tax advice to help you keep to all your duties if this is the case.

Buying property abroad? Wise can help moving your money

If you’re about to buy a property in Switzerland, check out Wise to help you manage the costs of overseas payments.

Wise supports payments to 140+ countries including Switzerland, with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees. You can get everything set up from your phone via the Wise app or laptop via the website, and your money will be delivered to your recipient’s bank account - quickly or even instantly.

Sending money abroad can be daunting - but it doesn’t have to be with Wise.

You can also benefit from progressive fee discounts on Wise large value transfers. If you send more than 20,000 GBP - about 24,000 EUR - either in one payment, or over the course of a month, you’ll be automatically entitled to discounts on the fees you pay.

And you’ll still get the mid-market rate on all currency conversion, making this a low cost, secure and convenient option for buying an international property from Ireland.

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How can I find property in Switzerland?

When buying an overseas property the best place to start is online, allowing you to browse and get a feel for the market in your preferred location. You can then progress to talk with individual real estate agents to get more information and ideas about your potential new home in Switzerland.

Here are a few great local Swiss websites to start your property search:

• Immoblier.ch
• Homegate.ch
• ImmoScout24.ch

Checklist for buying property in Switzerland as an Irish citizen ✅

We’ll finish up with a quick roundup of the steps you’re likely to need to take to buy property in Switzerland as an Irish citizen:

1. Check if you need permission to buy a Swiss property based on your residency - get approved by the canton if you do need to take this step
2. Start your search for properties on umbrella websites, and once you have found places you like employ a local agent and lawyer to support your search
3. Make an offer on your preferred property, and sign a reservation contract once your offer is accepted
4. Pay any required deposit and complete due diligence checks, through your local Swiss lawyer
5. Once everything is approved, have the sales contract notarised, and register the property in your name
6. Use Wise to send the money to your lawyer to cover the property cost and any additional fees.

Good luck with your new Swiss home - and remember to check out Wise as a smart way to send low cost payments, both for your property purchase and your new life overseas.

Sources used:

1. Swiss statistics bureau - property prices
2. UBS - property price analysis February 2025
3. Swiss authority information - foreign property ownership
4. Canton information - foreign property ownership
5. Numbeo - cost of living Dublin
6. Numbeo - cost of living Zurich
7. Numbeo - cost of living Geneva
8. Numbeo - cost of living Bern
9. Swiss authority information - property tax

Sources last checked on date: March 20, 2025