Buying property in Australia as a foreign buyer, explained clearly.
FIRB approval, state duties, financing, and the legal process are different for every buyer and every state. We're building this hub state by state, starting with the rules that apply right now in Western Australia and Perth.
At a glance: WA
- FIRB approval required for most foreign buyers
- 7% foreign buyer duty surcharge on top of standard duty
- No statutory cooling-off period once you make an offer
- No annual foreign-owner land tax surcharge, unlike NSW/VIC/QLD
Four things to get right, in order
Most foreign buyers run into the same four checkpoints. Sort them in this order and you'll avoid the mistakes that cost people the most time and money.
Confirm your FIRB status
Work out whether you're a foreign person under Australia's foreign investment rules — this shapes everything else.
Budget the real cost
WA's 7% foreign buyer duty surcharge, your FIRB fee, and how WA's tax treatment compares to other states.
Arrange finance
What loan-to-value ratios, deposits and documentation to expect as a non-resident borrower.
Make your offer safely
WA has no statutory cooling-off period — understand Offer and Acceptance before you sign anything.
of purchase price, in cash, at settlement
What does a $700,000 Perth apartment actually cost a foreign buyer?
A line-by-line worked example — deposit, WA transfer duty, the 7% surcharge, FIRB fee and settlement costs — showing why the cash you need is a lot more than just the deposit.
Why we're starting in Western Australia
Property law, duties and taxes in Australia are set partly by the federal government and partly by each state — and they genuinely differ. Rather than publish shallow, generic content that glosses over those differences, we're going deep on one market first: Perth and the rest of Western Australia.
WA also happens to have some real structural differences worth understanding on their own terms — no statutory cooling-off period, a 7% foreign buyer duty surcharge, and currently no annual foreign-owner land tax surcharge, unlike NSW, Victoria or Queensland.
Phase 2: more states
Once the WA guides are thorough and accurate, we'll expand coverage to NSW, Victoria, Queensland and beyond — each with their own foreign buyer duty and land tax surcharge rules.
Have a state you'd like prioritised? Let us know.
Guides
View all guides →Financing a Perth Property Purchase as a Foreign Buyer
Deposit expectations, loan-to-value limits, how lenders treat foreign income, and the costs that catch overseas buyers off guard.
Read guideFIRB ApprovalFIRB Approval: What Foreign Buyers Need Before They Purchase in WA
Who counts as a 'foreign person', the current ban on established dwellings, the application process, fees, and what happens if you skip it.
Read guideDuties & TaxWA Foreign Buyer Duty & Ongoing Property Taxes
The 7% foreign transfer duty surcharge in WA, how it stacks on top of standard transfer duty, and why WA's land tax treatment differs from NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Read guideGrowth & InfrastructureMajor WA Infrastructure Projects Worth Knowing About
New rail lines, freeway extensions, an expanding regional airport, and a new container port — the public infrastructure pipeline reshaping accessibility across WA.
Read guideLegal & SettlementHow Buying Actually Works in WA: Offer, Acceptance & Settlement
Why WA has no statutory cooling-off period, how the Offer and Acceptance contract works, and what a settlement agent does that's different from other states.
Read guideThe ProcessBuying Off-the-Plan & New Builds in WA
Deposit bonds, sunset clauses, Home Indemnity Insurance, and why most foreign buyers now end up here rather than buying an established home.
Read guideFIRB ApprovalDoes FIRB Apply to Me? A Breakdown by Visa & Residency Status
Permanent residents, New Zealand citizens, buying with an Australian spouse, and temporary visa holders all sit under genuinely different rules — not one 'foreign person' bucket.
Read guideDuties & TaxSelling & Exit: CGT Withholding for Foreign Owners
The 15% withholding on your sale price, why the main residence exemption usually doesn't apply to foreign residents, and how the CGT discount works differently for you.
Read guideLegal & SettlementStrata Title & Apartment Ownership in WA
How strata companies, levies and by-laws work in WA — increasingly relevant now that apartments and units are the most FIRB-compliant path for foreign buyers.
Read guideThe ProcessA Worked Example: What a $700,000 Perth Apartment Actually Costs
A concrete, line-by-line walkthrough of duty, FIRB fees, deposit and settlement costs for a foreign buyer purchasing an off-the-plan Perth apartment.
Read guideLegal & SettlementRenting Out Your WA Property (Landlord Obligations)
Bonds, rent increase limits, pet rules, and why a local property manager is close to essential when you're managing a tenancy from overseas.
Read guide