🇨ðŸ‡
Lex Koller Foreign-Buyer Permit and Second-Home Restriction in Switzerland
Document Checklist
Valid passport
Required: Valid passport — passport number, country of issue, and expiry date are entered into the cantonal application file
Cost: Free at the application stage (passport issuance is a separate process in the applicant's home country)
Identity anchor for the cantonal Lex Koller authority. Full legal name as shown on the passport must match across the application form and the property contract.
Ausweis B / Ausweis C / permis B / permis C
Swiss residence-permit card (where applicable)
Required: Residence-permit card showing B (residence) or C (settlement) status where the applicant relies on the residence-based exemption
Cost: Free at the application stage (permit issuance is a separate process)
EU and EFTA nationals with a lawful and actual residence on a B or C permit, and third-country C-permit holders with actual residence, are not persons abroad and are exempt for property they personally use, including a primary residence. Third-country B-permit holders rely on the current owner-occupied primary-residence exemption.
Kaufvertragsentwurf / projet d'acte de vente
Draft purchase contract
Required: Draft purchase contract drawn up by the Swiss notary, including property address, lot and plan, purchase price, vendor details, intended use, and expected settlement date
Where to get: Drafted by the Swiss notary handling the sale; commonly drafted subject to obtaining cantonal authorisation
The deed cannot be executed and the transfer cannot be recorded in the land register without the cantonal Lex Koller authorisation; the act is null and void if signed without authorisation.
Grundbuchauszug / extrait du registre foncier
Land-register extract
Required: Current land-register extract for the property — confirms title, encumbrances, and any existing Lex Koller restriction note
Where to get: Requested from the cantonal land registry (Grundbuchamt / registre foncier) for the canton where the property is located
Future buyers, lenders, and creditors will see any Lex Koller restriction note recorded in the land register — plan financing and resale accordingly.
Property description and zoning
Required: Floor area, plot size, designated use, zoning class — and for a holiday home, confirmation of tourist-zone designation and size compliance
Conditions: Holiday-home net floor up to about 200 m² and land up to about 1,000 m² (larger sizes require justified need); year-round letting prohibited
Holiday homes are admitted only in cantonally designated tourist zones. Size limits and tourist-zone designation must be confirmed before lodging the application.
Statement of intended use
Required: Written declaration whether the property will be used as a primary residence, a holiday home for personal use, or an own-business premises (commercial own-use)
Where to get: Drafted by the applicant or the notary; signed by the applicant
Intended use drives the eligibility route. An own-use commercial premises (a hotel the foreign buyer operates, a manufacturing plant, an office occupied by the buyer's business) is permit-free under current rules; investment-only commercial real estate is restricted and generally not authorised.
Funding-source declaration
Required: Written declaration of the source of funds for the acquisition, with bank confirmation where applicable
Where to get: Drafted by the applicant; bank confirmation issued by the financing institution
Cantonal authorities require a clear funding source. Mortgage financing through a Swiss bank also generates a separate mortgage deed (Schuldbrieferrichtung) cost at completion.
Corporate documentation (legal-entity buyers)
Required: Register of commerce extract, articles of association, beneficial-owner statement, and control-structure documentation
Conditions: Swiss-registered entities under foreign control fall within the person-abroad definition; nominee and trust acquisitions on behalf of a foreign principal are also caught
Routing a residential acquisition through a Swiss SA or SARL does not bypass Lex Koller. Beneficial-owner transparency is essential — concealed foreign control is criminally sanctioned.
Vollmacht / procuration
Power of attorney to the notary
Required: Power of attorney authorising the Swiss notary or legal representative to file the cantonal application and represent the buyer in the procedure
Where to get: Drafted by the notary; signed by the applicant and (where required) authenticated
The notary commonly files the application on behalf of the buyer. The power of attorney must be in place before the application is lodged.
View full guide
→