Legal blog by Mag. Osai Amiri, Msc
Purchase of property by a third-country national in Vienna, Austria
Third-country nationals may purchase a property, i.e., an apartment or a house, provided that they are residing lawfully in Austria at the time of purchase and the purpose of the property is to meet their personal housing needs. Third-country nationals are individuals who are from countries that are neither members of the European Union nor of the European Economic Area.
Four steps to acquiring property for third-country nationals in Austria.
In principle, the purchase of property by third-country nationals involves a total of four steps:
It should be emphasized that the exact regulations for the purchase of real estate by a third- country national vary from federal state to federal state. In Vienna, obtaining the approval of the land registry office is not required under certain circumstances. For example, it is not mandatory if the purchase of real estate is made by a husband and wife and one of them is an Austrian citizen.
An exception to the requirement of obtaining approval can also be requested by some persons on their own, e.g., employees of certain international organizations based in Vienna.
As a natural person and third-country national, one may purchase a maximum of one property.
- Holding a residence permit
- Concluding a sales contract for a real estate property
- Obtaining the approval of the land registry office (“Grundverkehrsbehörde”)
- Registration of the acquisition of the real estate in the land register
It should be emphasized that the exact regulations for the purchase of real estate by a third- country national vary from federal state to federal state. In Vienna, obtaining the approval of the land registry office is not required under certain circumstances. For example, it is not mandatory if the purchase of real estate is made by a husband and wife and one of them is an Austrian citizen.
An exception to the requirement of obtaining approval can also be requested by some persons on their own, e.g., employees of certain international organizations based in Vienna.
As a natural person and third-country national, one may purchase a maximum of one property.