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Market guide · Singapore
Buying property in Singapore as a foreignerA foreigner can buy a condo freely. The tax adds 60%.
Singapore lets a foreign buyer own an apartment without approval, then charges most of them an extra 60% of the price in stamp duty. Houses with land need government approval, and holiday letting is illegal.
Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, from 27 April 2023
Private home prices in the second quarter of 2026, against the first
+0.5%
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Duty on the price if you sell within the first year
16%
Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, homes bought from 4 July 2025
Shortest period a private home may be let
3 months
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Can foreigners buy property in Singapore?Apartments are open. Houses with land are not.
What this means for youFor most foreign buyers the practical choice is an apartment. Approval for a house with land is decided case by case and normally looks for at least five years as a permanent resident.
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A foreigner may buy a condominium unit, or a flat in an approved condominium development, without approval. Public housing (flats built by the Housing and Development Board) has its own eligibility rules.
Houses with land, including on Sentosa Cove, need approval from the Land Dealings Approval Unit. A permanent resident still counts as a foreigner under this law.
A house bought with approval must be lived in by the owner, may not be let, and may not be sold for five years. An application takes about 30 working days.
From: Singapore Land Authority; Residential Property Act
Stamp duty for foreigners buying in SingaporeStamp duty can add more than half the price again.
What this means for youBudget for the duty before you look at a property, and have the cash ready. It is due within 14 days of signing and cannot be paid in instalments.
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Most foreign buyers pay Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty of 60%, on the higher of the price and the market value. Ordinary buyer's stamp duty of 1% to 6% is charged on top.
Nationals of the United States, and nationals and permanent residents of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, are treated like Singapore citizens under trade agreements. A citizen pays no extra duty on a first home.
Paying late can bring a penalty of up to four times the unpaid duty.
From: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore
Singapore property market in 2026Prices are nearly flat, and selling early is taxed.
What this means for youBuy only if you can hold for at least four years. A sale before then is taxed on the full price, in a market that is barely rising.
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Private home prices rose 0.5% in the second quarter of 2026. Houses with land rose 2.5%; apartments fell 0.1%. Rents rose 0.7%.
A home bought from 4 July 2025 and sold within one, two, three or four years pays seller's stamp duty of 16%, 12%, 8% or 4%. After four years there is none.
Resales made up 62% of private home sales in the quarter.
From: Urban Redevelopment Authority; Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore
Renting out property in SingaporeNo holiday lets, and a higher tax on a rented home.
What this means for youWork out your return on long lets only, after the higher yearly tax. Short stays are not an option here.
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A private home may not be let for less than three months in a row. Short-term letting is illegal.
Yearly property tax is based on what the home could rent for in a year. A home you rent out is taxed at 12% to 36% of that figure; a home you live in, at 0% to 32%.
A bank may lend up to 75% of the value to a borrower with no other home loan, and total debt repayments are capped at 55% of monthly income.
From: Urban Redevelopment Authority; Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore; Monetary Authority of Singapore
Living in Singapore and permanent residenceBuying a home does not buy the right to stay.
What this means for youSort out your right to live here separately from the purchase. A property does not lead to permanent residence.
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Buying a home is not one of the routes to permanent residence. The routes are family ties, an employment pass, study, and the Global Investor Programme.
Hospitals have English-speaking staff, and healthcare is described as expensive, so check your insurance before treatment. Violent crime and theft are described as rare.
Sons who become permanent residents through their parents can be liable for National Service, registering at 16½ and enlisting at 18.
From: Immigration and Checkpoints Authority; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Questions buyers ask
Buying property in Singapore: short answers.
Can foreigners buy property in Singapore?
Yes. A foreigner can buy a condominium unit without approval. A house with land needs approval from the Land Dealings Approval Unit of the Singapore Land Authority, and public housing has separate eligibility rules.
How much stamp duty does a foreigner pay in Singapore?
Most foreign individuals pay Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty of 60% from 27 April 2023, plus ordinary buyer's stamp duty of 1% to 6%. Both use the higher of the purchase price and the market value.
Which foreigners do not pay the 60% stamp duty in Singapore?
Nationals of the United States, and nationals and permanent residents of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, receive the same stamp duty treatment as Singapore citizens under free trade agreements.
Can I rent out my Singapore condo for short stays?
No. A private home may not be let for less than three consecutive months, and short-term letting is illegal.
Does buying property in Singapore give permanent residence?
No. Buying a home is not a route to permanent residence. The routes listed by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority are family ties, employment-pass status, study and the Global Investor Programme.
Is there a tax when I sell property in Singapore?
Seller's stamp duty applies to a home bought on or after 4 July 2025 and sold within four years: 16% in the first year, 12% in the second, 8% in the third and 4% in the fourth. After four years there is none.
Public and private healthcare providers include English-speaking medical staff.
Male permanent residents sponsored by parents or admitted as foreign students can be liable for National Service, with registration at 16½ and enlistment at 18.
Normal landed-property approval factors include at least five years of permanent residence and exceptional economic contribution; approval is case-specific.
Inheriting a home in Singapore: A foreign heir may take a condominium unit or flat without approval. A house or land needs the Singapore Land Authority’s approval, and where a foreign heir may not keep it, the executor must transfer or sell it within 5 years of the death (the time can be extended). This covers permanent residents too.
Nationals and permanent residents of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and nationals of the United States, receive the same stamp duty treatment as Singapore citizens under free trade agreements.
Life expectancy at birth was approximately 83 years in 2024.
Economic output was approximately USD 603.87 billion in 2025, measured at current prices.
Economic output per person was approximately USD 98,814 in 2025; this is not household income.
The UK travel authority describes healthcare as expensive; insurance and payment arrangements need checking before treatment.
The economy grew by 5.0% in 2025 after removing price inflation.
The emergency ambulance number is 995.
Consumer prices rose by 0.9% on average in 2025.
Travel-health advice identifies dengue, chikungunya and Zika among mosquito-borne health risks.
The UK travel authority describes violent crime and theft as rare, while warning that online and telephone scams are common.
Same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are not recognised locally, which can affect family immigration arrangements.
Permanent residents remain foreign persons under the Residential Property Act.
Electricity access covered 100% of the population in the 2024 indicator.
Internet use covered approximately 94% of the population in 2024.
World Bank · UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Immigration and Checkpoints Authority · Singapore Land Authority · IRAS: Estate duty · IRAS, Foreigners eligible for ABSD remission under FTAs, checked 8 October 2026
How a review works
The same six steps, in every market.
DefineClarify intended use, decision participants, timing and constraints.
MapIdentify the property, proposed right and jurisdiction-specific route.
OrganiseAssemble the available title, project, contract, payment and cost evidence.
SeparateLabel what is known, missing, concerning or requires professional confirmation.
CoordinateKeep legal, tax, valuation, immigration and engineering conclusions attributed.
DecidePresent a plain-language record so you can proceed, compare, pause or walk away.
This guide is general. What applies to you depends on your nationality, where you pay tax and the property itself, and that is what a review of your own purchase in Singapore establishes.
