Buying from outside Canada

Canada’s ban on non-Canadians buying homes started on January 1, 2023, and was extended. It is currently set to run until January 1, 2027. Budget 2026, tabled November 5, 2026, proposes extending it for existing homes to January 1, 2029, while exempting new homes. Ottawa says legislation and regulations will follow, so until they pass, the January 1, 2027 date stands. Confirm the current status with a BC lawyer before you sign anything. The rules treat agreeing to buy, even with conditions, as a purchase, so the date you sign matters, not just the completion date.

Who it applies to

• People who are not Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered under the Indian Act.
• Corporations and other entities that aren’t listed on a Canadian stock exchange and are controlled by non-Canadians. The officers and directors of a company that breaks the rules can also be held liable.

What property it covers

• Residential buildings with up to three homes, including houses, semi-detached homes and condo units.
• Only property inside a census metropolitan area or census agglomeration. Metro Vancouver is one of these. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has an online map that tells you whether an address is inside one.

What it doesn’t cover

• Residential property outside those census areas, such as some recreational property in rural BC.
• Buildings with four or more homes.
• Vacant land, since March 27, 2023, and buying residential property for development.
• Renting a home to live in, and inheriting a home or receiving one through divorce, separation or a gift.

The official exceptions

The rules list these exceptions. Each comes with conditions, so a lawyer needs to confirm that you meet them before you make an offer.

• Temporary residents working in Canada who hold a valid work permit or work authorization with at least 183 days left on the purchase date, and who haven’t bought another home under the ban.
• International students who meet strict conditions, including five years of tax filings and physical presence in Canada, a price cap of $500,000, and no other home bought under the ban.
• Refugees and protected persons, and some refugee claimants and people given safe haven from international conflicts.
• Accredited diplomats and members of foreign missions.
• Spouses and common-law partners buying together with a partner who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, registered under the Indian Act, or otherwise allowed to buy.

What happens if the ban is broken

A buyer who breaks the ban can be fined up to $10,000, and so can anyone who knowingly helps them, including agents and lawyers. A court can also order the home sold, and the buyer gets back no more than what they paid. I can’t help structure a purchase to get around the ban, and I’ll ask about your status before we start.

BC and Vancouver taxes that apply to foreign buyers

• Additional property transfer tax. In Metro Vancouver and some other BC regions, foreign nationals and foreign corporations pay an extra 20% of the fair market value of their share of a residential property. This is on top of the regular property transfer tax.
• Speculation and vacancy tax. This is a yearly BC tax on residential property in designated areas, including much of Metro Vancouver. Owners declare by March 31 each year. For 2026 the rate for foreign owners is 3% of assessed value, and the province has announced a higher rate for 2027. Exemptions exist, for example for a home that is your principal residence or is rented out for enough of the year.
• Vancouver’s empty homes tax. The City of Vancouver charges a separate yearly tax on homes in the city that sit empty for most of the year, with its own declaration and deadline.

Example: a foreign national buying a condo in Vancouver with an exception that applies to them would typically face the regular transfer tax, the 20% additional tax, and yearly declarations for both vacancy taxes. That’s an illustration only, so get your own advice.

More detail: property transfer tax, speculation and vacancy tax and Vancouver’s empty homes tax.

Commercial and mixed-use in Vancouver

• Commercial property. Offices, retail, industrial and other commercial property aren’t residential property under the ban, so non-Canadians can generally buy them. Regular transfer tax and usually Goods and Services Tax (GST) still apply.
• Apartment buildings. A building with four or more homes is outside the ban. BC’s 20% additional transfer tax still applies to its residential value in Metro Vancouver.
• Mixed-use. Shops with homes above are common on Main Street, Commercial Drive and Kingsway. The 20% tax applies to the residential part only. If the homes above are separate strata lots of three units or fewer, they can be caught by the ban, so have a lawyer check the title.
• Land and development. Vacant land, and buying residential property to develop it, have been outside the ban since March 27, 2023, with conditions.

For more on buying commercial property as a non-Canadian, see buying commercial property from outside Canada.

Moving here first? Renting isn’t affected by the ban. Moving to Vancouver covers neighbourhoods, renting first and your first 30 days.

Sources

• Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act and its regulations (Justice Laws)
• CMHC: the prohibition, exceptions and census area map
• Budget 2026, Chapter 3 (proposed extension to 2029)
• Finance Canada: extension to January 1, 2027 (February 2024)
• BC: additional property transfer tax
• BC: speculation and vacancy tax
• City of Vancouver: empty homes tax

Last checked November 2026.

These rules change often. Get advice from a BC lawyer, and an accountant for the taxes, before you make an offer.