Can a foreigner buy in Switzerland?

Sometimes, with permission. A main home for a resident is straightforward; a holiday flat or an investment by a non-resident needs Lex Koller authorization inside quota — start with the canton, not the listing.

Why is Zurich cheaper to close than Geneva?

Zurich abolished its transfer tax; Geneva charges about 3%. Same franc, different canton, different cash at the notary.

ISO-3166 (Confoederatio Helvetica). Switzerland is sivrce.com/ch.

Switzerland · CHF

Real estatein Switzerland

Switzerland is the tightest foreign-buyer regime on this site: Lex Koller permits, cantonal notaries and 26 rulebooks behind one franc. sivrce opens with Zurich and Geneva — the same currency, different cantons, different transactions.

Geneva

Cantonal notary path

Lex Koller checked

3D map

Lex Kollerpermit regime for non-resident buyers

0% / ~3%transfer tax: Zurich vs Geneva

Reference ratethe mortgage rate that moves rents

20%Lex Weber cap on second homes per commune

What a purchase really costs

CHF 1'000'000 home in Zurich

Notary & land-register (cantonal scale ≈0.5%): CHF 5'000
Cash needed at the notary: CHF 1'005'000

≈ +0.5% over the price. Lex Koller makes Switzerland the tightest foreign-buyer regime on this site: buyers without residence or establishment need cantonal authorization inside federal quotas, and some cantons add their own restrictions. Zurich levies no transfer tax at all — registry fees only — while Geneva charges around 3%. Notary scales are cantonal: confirm the canton’s schedule before wiring.

Rentals run on rules

The rent side, in three lines

Rent increases track the federal reference mortgage rate — a rate cut entitles tenants to a reduction claim.
Deposits cap at three months’ rent (art. 257e CO) and must sit in a blocked account in the tenant’s name.
Geneva and Vaud require the official form for the initial rent and every increase — no form, no increase.

Tenants are organised and the law favours them. Underwrite the reference rate and the form, not the asking rent alone.

Cities

Two cities, 26 cantonal rulebooks

Transfer tax, notary scale and foreign-buyer practice are cantonal. Zurich and Geneva share a currency and almost nothing else about closing a purchase.

Buyers without Swiss residence or establishment need cantonal authorization inside federal quotas, and some cantons add their own restrictions on top. EU/EFTA residents buying a main home are largely outside the permit; holiday flats and pure investments are inside it.

Closing costs are cantonal: Zurich levies no transfer tax at all — registry fees only — while Geneva charges around 3% in cantonal and communal duties. Notary scales are cantonal too. One national average would be a number nobody pays.

Rents track the federal reference mortgage rate, deposits cap at three months in a blocked account, and Geneva and Vaud require the official form for the initial rent and every increase. Lex Weber caps second homes at 20% per commune. sivrce.com/ch is the canonical Switzerland URL.

FAQ

Can a foreigner buy in Switzerland?: Sometimes, with permission. A main home for a resident is straightforward; a holiday flat or an investment by a non-resident needs Lex Koller authorization inside quota — start with the canton, not the listing.
Why is Zurich cheaper to close than Geneva?: Zurich abolished its transfer tax; Geneva charges about 3%. Same franc, different canton, different cash at the notary.
Why is the path /ch?: ISO-3166 (Confoederatio Helvetica). Switzerland is sivrce.com/ch.

All markets: sivrce.com · Georgia marketplace: sivrce.ge · Prices and availability are published only when a verified listing exists. Market currency: CHF.