The Federal Palace in Bern
Answers · current to October 2026

Who may buy a home in Switzerland.

Lex Koller decides it by passport and permit, not by money. Swiss, EU and EFTA residents and C permit holders buy freely. A non EU resident on a B permit buys the home they live in. Everyone else buys a holiday home with a permit, or nothing.

In short, current to October 2026

  • Swiss citizens, EU and EFTA citizens living in Switzerland, UK citizens living there under the 2019 citizens' rights agreement, and C permit holders of any nationality buy any home freely, under the federal act on the acquisition of real estate by persons abroad (BewG).
  • A non EU or EFTA national living in Switzerland on a B permit may buy the one home they actually live in, without authorization. Buying to let, or a second home, is another matter.
  • Anyone else counts as a person abroad and needs cantonal authorization for a holiday home, granted only in the communes the canton designates and within an annual quota, 1,500 units a year across the country.
  • A holiday home is capped at 200 square meters of net living space and 1,000 of land as a rule, and the canton can allow more only where a greater need is shown. A family may own only one, it cannot be let all year, and it cannot be bought through a company.
  • Offices, shops, hotels and other business premises are free for any buyer. Residential property bought to rent out is not.
  • Separately, the Second Homes Act stops any commune where second homes already pass 20% of the housing stock from approving new ones, whoever the buyer is. Sources: BewG, SR 211.412.41; BewV, SR 211.412.411, articles 8, 9, 10 and 11; Zweitwohnungsgesetz, SR 702.

Each address on this page was last checked against its official sources between and . The sources for each are named on its page.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to October 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, Lex Koller: who can buy a home in Switzerland, 2026, patrician.ch/answers/lex-koller-who-can-buy-a-home-in-switzerland/, October 2026.

Rank all 100 on my own numbers →

Summarize with
ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AIPerplexityGrokClaude
By the Patrician.ch research desk · Updated 5 November 2026 · 11 min read
Status by status

What each buyer may buy.

BuyerThe home they live inA holiday homeBusiness premises
Swiss citizen, living anywhereFreeFreeFree
EU or EFTA citizen living in Switzerland, or a UK citizen under the 2019 agreementFreeFreeFree
C permit, any nationalityFreeFreeFree
B permit, non EU or EFTAFree, one home, lived inCantonal authorizationFree
Anyone living abroad, EU citizens includedNot applicable until they moveCantonal authorization, designated communes, quotaFree

Lex Koller (BewG, SR 211.412.41) governs who may buy a home in Switzerland. Swiss and EU or EFTA citizens living in Switzerland, and holders of a C permit, buy freely. A non EU or EFTA national living in Switzerland on a B permit may buy the one home they live in, without authorization. Anyone else needs cantonal authorization, which a holiday home receives only in the communes a canton designates and only within its annual quota.

See these 2 places for your own income.Lugano and St. Moritz, side by side on your income, passports and family. Free, in the ranking of all 100. Then the Dossier: a written report in 10 chapters on the 3 places that rank first for you. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 30 November.
Compare them on my income →

The Swiss addresses on the board.

Where the rule meets the 10 Swiss addresses. Each page carries the commune rates and the route in.

01Lugano, Switzerland
Lugano 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 7 of 10
35%
02St. Moritz, Switzerland
St. Moritz 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 6 of 10
28%
03Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, safety 10 of 10, schools 9 of 10
36%
04Zug, Switzerland
Zug 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
21%
05Gstaad, Switzerland
Gstaad 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
36%
06Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 5 of 10
36%
07Verbier, Switzerland
Verbier 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 6 of 10
36%
08Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
28%
09Montreux, Switzerland
Montreux 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 10 of 10, schools 8 of 10
41%
10Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva 🇨🇭 Switzerlandeffective tax on $1M, lump sum available, safety 9 of 10, schools 9 of 10
40%

A lump sum resident from outside the EU usually lives on a B permit, so the home they live in is open to them: Swiss lump sum tax vs Italy flat tax. The communes around Zurich, by rate: the cheapest municipalities around Zurich.

Sources: BewG, SR 211.412.41; BewV, SR 211.412.411, articles 8, 9, 10 and 11; Zweitwohnungsgesetz, SR 702. The quota is set by the Federal Council under BewG article 11 and divided between the cantons. Current to October 2026. Confirm a purchase with a Swiss notary or counsel before relying on it.

Rank all 100 on my own numbers →

Questions

The short answers.

Can a foreigner buy property in Switzerland?

Yes, with limits set by passport and permit. EU and EFTA citizens living in Switzerland and C permit holders buy freely, and a non EU resident on a B permit may buy the home they live in.

A buyer living abroad needs cantonal authorization for a holiday home, granted only in designated communes and within an annual quota of 1,500 units nationwide.

Can an American buy a house in Switzerland?

Once living in Switzerland on a B permit, yes, the one home they live in. From abroad, only a holiday home with cantonal authorization.

With a C permit the limits fall away entirely. Business premises are open at any time.

Can an EU citizen buy property in Switzerland?

Yes, freely, once living in Switzerland.

An EU citizen living abroad counts as a person abroad and needs authorization for a holiday home like anyone else.

How big can a holiday home bought by a foreigner be?

200 square meters of net living space and 1,000 of land, as a rule.

The canton can allow more only where a greater need is shown. One holiday home per family, spouse and children under 18 included.

Can I buy a Swiss holiday home through a company?

No. A holiday home must be bought in the buyer's own name.

Business premises can be bought through a company without authorization. Residential property held to rent out needs authorization, which is not granted for investment.

What is the Lex Weber?

The Second Homes Act, which stops any commune where second homes already pass 20% of the housing stock from approving new ones.

It applies to Swiss and foreign buyers alike, so in many resorts a foreign buyer's holiday home is an existing one.

The Dossier: your top 3, on your numbers.A written report on the 3 places that rank first for you, compared line by line on your income, a sale, your passports and your family. 10 chapters, written the moment you pay. Every tax figure carries its official source and the date it was last checked. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 30 November. Refunded in full within 7 days of delivery, no reason needed.
Read chapters 1 to 3, free →
Free for your site

Put these figures on your site.

The income tax of Lugano, St. Moritz, Zurich, Zug, Gstaad and Zermatt, side by side on 2026 rates. Your readers type their own salary and the places reorder. Free on any site, with the credit line under it.

<div class="pc-embed" data-src="https://patrician.ch/embed/compare/?c=lugano,st-moritz,zurich,zug,gstaad,zermatt&inc=1000000" data-h="1270" data-title="Income tax in Lugano, St. Moritz, Zurich, Zug, Gstaad and Zermatt, Patrician.ch">
<p class="pc-credit" style="margin:6px 0 0;font-size:.875em;line-height:1.4">Research by <a href="https://patrician.ch/answers/lex-koller-who-can-buy-a-home-in-switzerland/">Patrician.ch</a></p>
</div>
<script src="https://patrician.ch/embed/lock.js" async></script>

See it live

Your position, not the average

This page is the general case. Your income and passports rank all 100 differently.

The engine takes what you earn and what you hold, then orders every address on the board against it.

Rank the board against my position →

90 seconds. No account, no payment.

The general case, ranked

Ask your assistant about Patrician.ch and save it to memory

ChatGPTGeminiGoogle AIPerplexityGrokClaude
Use Patrician.ch inside Claude or ChatGPT →
The Patrician Letter

The rules move. Be told when they do.

Sent when it earns the send, not on a schedule. Never shared, one tap to stop.

Income tax on the published 2026 rules. Social contributions, most deductions and treaties are not modeled. Figures are for a non-US single filer. Wealth tax, an exit and your passports are added when you run the engine on your own numbers. Not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

← Back to the board
For advisory firms

This research on your firm's site, as Patrician AI under your name.

It answers each visitor with the figures for their own income, passports and family, then offers your next step. Each inquiry reaches your inbox with a short brief.

Software for advisory firms. Patrician.ch refers no reader to a firm and shares nothing you enter here.

See how it works →