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Buying from abroad · updated October 2026

Can foreigners buy property in the UK?

Can foreigners buy property in the UK? Yes: there is no nationality or residency restriction on buying a home in England.

What changes for an overseas buyer is the cost and the paperwork: an extra 2% stamp duty, stricter source-of-funds checks, and UK tax on rent and on sale.

Book a call →Stamp duty for non-residents

01 · The short answer

Yes, and here is what comes with it

Anyone can own property in England, whatever their passport or where they live.

Buying property does not give you a UK visa or any route to residence (DavidsonMorris).

Your solicitor, lender and estate agent must check your identity, your overseas address and where your money comes from (Law Society).

Have bank statements, sale contracts or payslips ready that trace the deposit back to its source.

Yes

01 / Ownership

No nationality restriction

Foreign buyers can own freehold or leasehold homes in England.

No

02 / Immigration

Property does not buy a visa

There is no residence route based on buying property.

Checks

03 / Anti-money-laundering

Source of funds, every time

Identity, overseas address and where the money came from.

02 · Stamp duty

Stamp duty for non-UK residents

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is charged in bands on the price you pay (GOV.UK).

Non-UK residents pay an extra 2% on top (HMRC).

Anyone who will own another home worth £40,000 or more anywhere in the world usually pays the higher rates, 5 points above standard (HMRC).

England and Northern Ireland, rates since 1 April 2025. The next UK Budget is on 28 October 2026, so check the rates again before you exchange.

Only home

Standard

Higher rates

Owns another home

Adds

Non-resident

Up to £125,000
0%
5%
+2%
£125,001 to £250,000
2%
7%
+2%
£250,001 to £925,000
5%
10%
+2%
£925,001 to £1.5m
10%
15%
+2%
Over £1.5m
12%
17%
+2%
Swipe to compare

03 · Worked example

A £600,000 flat in SE1

Here is what three different buyers pay on the same £600,000 flat.

A non-resident who owns a home in Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia pays the higher rates of £50,000 plus the 2% surcharge of £12,000.

First-time buyer relief does not apply, because the price is over £500,000.

£0k
£17k
£35k
£52k
£69k
£20,000
£32,000
£62,000
UK resident, only homeNon-resident, no other homeNon-resident, owns a home abroad

Calculated from GOV.UK SDLT rates (England, from 1 April 2025) for a £600,000 purchase.

04 · Residence test

Who counts as non-resident for stamp duty

You are non-resident for SDLT if you were in the UK for fewer than 183 days in the 12 months before you buy.

If one joint buyer is non-resident, all the buyers are treated as non-resident.

You can claim the 2% back if every buyer then spends 183 days in the UK in a continuous 365-day period around completion (HMRC).

01

Before you buy

Count your UK days

Fewer than 183 in the previous 12 months means non-resident.

02

Joint purchase

One non-resident counts for all

The surcharge applies to the whole purchase.

03

After completion

Spend 183 days in the UK

In a continuous 365-day period starting no earlier than 364 days before completion.

04

Within 2 years

Claim the 2% back

Apply to HMRC within two years of completion.

05 · Through a company

Buying through an overseas company

Buying through a company changes the tax and adds reporting duties.

Take advice before you decide; the right answer depends on your wider affairs.

Flat 17% stamp duty over £500,000

Companies buying a home over £500,000 usually pay a flat 17%, plus the 2% if non-resident.

Reliefs exist for genuine rental businesses and developers.

06 · While you own it

Tax on your rent

UK rental profit is taxed in the UK.

Your agent deducts tax under the Non-Resident Landlord scheme unless you have NRL1 approval.

Income tax on property income rises to 22%, 42% and 47% from 6 April 2027 (House of Commons Library).

Basic rate on property income20%
Higher rate40%
Additional rate45%

07 · When you sell

Tax when you sell or pass it on

Non-residents must report a UK home sale and pay any tax within 60 days of completion, even if no tax is due (HMRC).

Gains are taxed at 18% or 24%, measured from the value on 5 April 2015 if you owned it before then.

UK property stays within UK inheritance tax whoever owns it and wherever they live, including when held through an overseas company (HMRC).

To report a sale and pay0 daysEven if no tax is due
Lower CGT rate0%Residential property
Higher CGT rate0%Residential property

Source: HMRC, Capital Gains Tax for non-residents (updated 13 January 2026).

08 · Borrowing

Can you get a mortgage?

Yes, but from fewer lenders and usually with a bigger deposit than UK buyers need.

HSBC UK, for example, lends up to 75% of the value to eligible non-residents living in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, among other places.

Read our guide to mortgages for non-UK residents.

Maximum loan-to-value0%HSBC UK non-resident residential mortgages, as published October 2026

09 · Before you buy

Buying to let in Elephant & Castle

If you are buying a flat in SE1 or SE17 to let, check the flat, not just the building.

We can give you an honest view on a flat in Strata SE1, One the Elephant or Elephant Park.

Ticked0/6

Tick what you have already checked.

FAQ · can foreigners buy property in the UK

Questions, answered

What owners, buyers and parents abroad ask us first.

Yes. There is no nationality or residency restriction on owning a home in England, though overseas buyers pay an extra 2% stamp duty and face source-of-funds checks.

Yes. You can buy and complete from abroad through a UK solicitor, who will still need to verify your identity and source of funds.

No. There is no residence route based on buying property.

It depends on days in the UK, not your visa. If you were in the UK for at least 183 days in the 12 months before buying, you are usually UK resident for stamp duty.

Usually yes. The higher rates apply if you will own another home worth £40,000 or more anywhere in the world when you complete.

£32,000 if it is your only home, or £62,000 if you own another home anywhere in the world, at the rates in force since 1 April 2025.

Yes. You must report a sale of UK residential property within 60 days of completion, and gains are taxed at 18% or 24%.

Sources · every fact on this page

Where the facts come from

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so check the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.

[1]Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property ratesGOV.UK
[2]Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residentsHMRC · updated 1 Apr 2025
[3]Stamp Duty Land Tax: buying an additional residential propertyHMRC · updated 1 Apr 2025
[4]Apply for a repayment of the non-UK resident Stamp Duty Land Tax surchargeHMRC · updated 15 Jul 2022
[5]Stamp Duty Land Tax: corporate bodiesHMRC · updated 2 May 2025
[6]Register an overseas entity and its beneficial ownersCompanies House · updated 1 Feb 2026
[7]Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings: the basicsHMRC · updated 4 Mar 2026
[8]Capital Gains Tax for non-residents: UK residential propertyHMRC · updated 13 Jan 2026
[9]Changes to the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals: technical noteHMRC
[10]Property, savings and dividend income tax rates (CBP-10450)House of Commons Library · updated 8 Jul 2026
[11]Source of funds: clean or consistent with riskThe Law Society
[12]Buying a house in the UK as a foreignerDavidsonMorris
[13]Mortgages for non-UK residentsHSBC UK · accessed 5 Oct 2026
[14]Autumn Budget 2026: when is it and what will it contain?Which? · 28 Sep 2026

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