The Federal Council has launched a consultation on sweeping changes to the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Immovable Property by Foreign Non-Residents (popularly known as the “Lex Koller”). Announced on 15 April 2026, the draft would require nationals of non-EU/EFTA states to apply for an individual permit before purchasing a primary residence anywhere in Switzerland. Today, third-country citizens with a Swiss residence permit can buy a home without prior authorisation. Under the new rules they could keep the property only while they actually live in it; if they leave Switzerland they would have to sell within two years. The package also targets investment purchases. Foreign buyers would no longer be able to acquire commercial buildings merely to rent them out; only owner-occupied business premises would remain exempt from the permit requirement. Holiday-home purchases would be squeezed as well: cantonal quotas for second-home sales to foreigners would be cut, and transfers between two foreign owners—currently outside the quota—would again count against it.
![Swiss Government Proposes Tougher ‘Lex Koller’ Rules to Curb Foreign Home-Buying]()
For foreign buyers who now have to juggle immigration rules with the evolving Lex Koller regime, VisaHQ can provide timely assistance. Its dedicated Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) combines digital application tools with human expertise, helping expatriates and corporate mobility teams secure residence permits, track compliance obligations and understand how property-purchase restrictions may affect long-term relocation plans—all while liaising with the relevant cantonal authorities on the client’s behalf.
By focusing the Lex Koller on its original purpose—preventing speculative foreign demand—the government hopes to cool an overheated market that has pushed average purchase prices up by more than 20 % since the start of 2024 and exacerbated the country’s housing shortage. The measures are also framed as a response to the populist “No to a 10-Million Switzerland” initiative, which will go to a national vote in June and seeks to cap immigration. For globally mobile employees the draft creates fresh complexity. Third-country executives posted to Switzerland may need to rethink long-term housing strategies, while multinationals that buy staff apartments could lose the blanket exemption they currently enjoy—although the Federal Council has signalled limited relief for hotels that purchase staff accommodation. Real-estate lawyers warn that due-diligence timelines for relocations could lengthen by several months once cantonal permit queues build up. Companies have until 15 July 2026 to comment. If parliament adopts the bill in 2027, HR and mobility teams will need new policy language clarifying when—if ever—foreign assignees may buy Swiss property and what happens when they repatriate. In the interim, employers are likely to direct incoming staff toward rentals or corporate leases to avoid regulatory uncertainty.
For foreign buyers who now have to juggle immigration rules with the evolving Lex Koller regime, VisaHQ can provide timely assistance. Its dedicated Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) combines digital application tools with human expertise, helping expatriates and corporate mobility teams secure residence permits, track compliance obligations and understand how property-purchase restrictions may affect long-term relocation plans—all while liaising with the relevant cantonal authorities on the client’s behalf.
By focusing the Lex Koller on its original purpose—preventing speculative foreign demand—the government hopes to cool an overheated market that has pushed average purchase prices up by more than 20 % since the start of 2024 and exacerbated the country’s housing shortage. The measures are also framed as a response to the populist “No to a 10-Million Switzerland” initiative, which will go to a national vote in June and seeks to cap immigration. For globally mobile employees the draft creates fresh complexity. Third-country executives posted to Switzerland may need to rethink long-term housing strategies, while multinationals that buy staff apartments could lose the blanket exemption they currently enjoy—although the Federal Council has signalled limited relief for hotels that purchase staff accommodation. Real-estate lawyers warn that due-diligence timelines for relocations could lengthen by several months once cantonal permit queues build up. Companies have until 15 July 2026 to comment. If parliament adopts the bill in 2027, HR and mobility teams will need new policy language clarifying when—if ever—foreign assignees may buy Swiss property and what happens when they repatriate. In the interim, employers are likely to direct incoming staff toward rentals or corporate leases to avoid regulatory uncertainty.
