Foreign purchases are tightly controlled by the Lex Koller law: non-resident foreigners are generally limited to a holiday home in designated tourist areas under cantonal quota, with approval not guaranteed. Foreign residents holding a Swiss permit may buy a primary home to live in, and a permanent (C) permit removes the restrictions.
Before you buy in Switzerland, always:
General guidance only — rules change; confirm the current position with a qualified local lawyer.
Our free ownership checker and the Overseas Property Playbook walk through how foreign ownership works step by step — the questions to ask and the traps to sidestep.
One-off buying costs are modest but vary by canton, with notary, land-registry and any transfer tax together around 3-5% (near zero in Zug, about 3.3% in Geneva); note that Lex Koller restricts non-resident foreigners, so you generally buy your main home once resident with a permit.
Vaud around Lake Geneva (Lausanne, Montreux), low-tax Zug, Italian-speaking Ticino around Lugano, and Geneva for international amenities.
Basic private health insurance (LAMal) is mandatory from day one, and retirees typically pay around CHF 400-600 a month each depending on canton, age and excess, buying access to excellent, uniformly high-standard care. It is a significant fixed cost to plan for. Extremely safe, orderly and clean, with English widely spoken in cities and business; driving is on the right and everyday life is easy though notably expensive for British retirees.
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