Who Can Buy Property in New Zealand in 2026?
New Zealand has restricted foreign buyers since October 2018, when the Overseas Investment Act was extended to cover residential land. In 2026 that ban is still the starting point: most overseas people cannot simply buy a house. But there are important exceptions — and one significant new one for wealthy investors, introduced in 2025.
This guide sets out who can buy, who needs consent from Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and what to check before you commit.
The short version
Whether you can buy a home in New Zealand comes down to citizenship and visa status. The rules are enforced at the point of sale, and making a false statement about your eligibility carries fines of up to NZ$300,000 according to LINZ guidance.
- No restrictions: New Zealand citizens, wherever in the world they live
- Treated like New Zealanders: Australian and Singaporean citizens, and permanent residents of those countries who are ordinarily resident in New Zealand
- Can buy without consent: residence-class visa holders who are ordinarily resident in New Zealand
- Need LINZ consent first: residence-class visa holders not yet ordinarily resident (one home to live in)
- New since 2025: Active Investor Plus and legacy investor visa holders can buy or build one home worth over NZ$5 million, with consent
- Generally cannot buy: visitors and holders of temporary work or student visas
Citizens and the trans-Tasman exceptions
New Zealand citizens can buy freely, whether they live in Auckland or Aberdeen. Because of trade agreements with Australia and Singapore, citizens of those two countries also sit outside the foreign-buyer restrictions, and permanent residents of Australia and Singapore qualify once they are ordinarily resident in New Zealand.
Everyone else — including British, American, Canadian and EU citizens — counts as an overseas person under the Act unless they hold the right visa and meet the residence tests below.
Residence visa holders: the ordinarily resident test
If you hold a New Zealand residence-class visa, the key question is whether you are ordinarily resident. LINZ applies three criteria: you hold a residence visa, you have lived in New Zealand for at least the preceding 12 months, and you are tax resident, having spent at least 183 days in the country over the past year. Meet all three and you can buy without consent, on the same footing as a citizen.
If you have a residence visa but have not yet clocked up the 12 months, you can still buy or build one home to live in — you just need consent from LINZ before you buy. Consent comes with commitments: you must occupy the property (within three months of settlement), spend at least 183 days a year in New Zealand and keep your visa status. A standard application for non-sensitive residential land costs NZ$2,040 and is usually processed within 10 working days; a free pre-approval valid for one year is also available.
- Ordinarily resident = residence visa + 12 months living in NZ + tax residency with 183+ days
- Not yet ordinarily resident: consent required, one home to live in
- Standard consent fee NZ$2,040; NZ$16,900 where sensitive land is involved
- Conditions include occupying the home within three months and spending 183+ days a year in New Zealand
The new NZ$5 million investor pathway
The biggest change since 2018 was announced on 1 September 2025, when Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed that overseas-based investors holding a New Zealand investor residence visa would be allowed to buy a house in the country. The rule is now in force: holders of the Active Investor Plus visa — and the older Investor 1 and Investor 2 visas — can buy or build one residential dwelling worth more than NZ$5 million.
It is a consent pathway rather than a blanket exemption. Applications are assessed under the national interest test, though LINZ notes that residential purchases of this kind are generally low risk and likely to be consented at the first stage. The property must be residential or lifestyle land — not sensitive land such as beachfront adjoining conservation areas — and a purchase agreement can be made conditional on consent being granted. Fees are NZ$2,040 for an existing dwelling, or NZ$3,500 where you buy land and build to a combined value above NZ$5 million.
- Qualifying visas: Active Investor Plus, Investor 1, Investor 2
- One dwelling only, valued above NZ$5 million (purchase, or land plus build)
- LINZ consent required; assessed under the national interest test
- By February 2026 the government reported the refreshed investor visa had attracted NZ$3.39 billion in committed investment
Temporary visas, and what to watch next
Visitor, student and temporary work visa holders generally cannot buy residential property in New Zealand. Narrow exceptions exist — for example certain investments in large apartment developments — but they are genuinely narrow, and anyone unsure should check LINZ guidance or take legal advice before signing anything.
The direction of travel is worth watching: the government announced wider overseas investment reforms in December 2025 aimed at attracting capital, and settings can change again. Always confirm the current rules with LINZ and Immigration New Zealand before committing. Once you know you qualify, Habio's New Zealand listings and area guides are a useful place to start exploring.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in New Zealand in 2026?
Mostly no. Since 2018 the Overseas Investment Act has barred most overseas people from buying homes. The exceptions are New Zealand, Australian and Singaporean citizens, residence-class visa holders (with LINZ consent if not yet ordinarily resident), and qualifying investor visa holders buying one home worth over NZ$5 million.
Can British citizens buy a house in New Zealand?
Only if they hold a residence-class visa — buying freely once ordinarily resident, or with LINZ consent before that — or a qualifying investor visa for a home worth over NZ$5 million. A British passport alone does not give buying rights.
What does ordinarily resident mean in New Zealand?
According to LINZ it means holding a residence-class visa, having lived in New Zealand for the previous 12 months, and being tax resident with at least 183 days spent in the country over the past year.
How much does Overseas Investment Act consent cost?
NZ$2,040 for a standard one-home application on non-sensitive residential land, NZ$16,900 where sensitive land is involved, and NZ$3,500 for the investor-visa land-and-build pathway. Fees can change, so check current LINZ guidance.
Can investor visa holders buy any home in New Zealand?
No. Active Investor Plus, Investor 1 and Investor 2 visa holders can buy or build one dwelling valued above NZ$5 million, on residential or lifestyle land only, and need LINZ consent first.
Sources
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Markets and rules change — verify the current position with official sources before acting. Published 2 August 2026.