Can I still buy a house overseas in 2026? List of stamp duty surcharges in various countries, guide for Chinese families to avoid pitfalls in home purchases

Over the past three years, fluctuations in the Chinese yuan exchange rate, changes in domestic asset returns, and the demand for children to study and live abroad have collectively driven a wave of overseas property consultation fever. But if we talk about buying a house overseas in 2026, the logic is completely different from five years ago. The policies of various countries towards overseas buyers have shifted from 'welcome' to 'screening', and tax costs, holding costs, and exit paths need to be recalculated. This article clarifies the policy changes and key points for avoiding pitfalls in major markets.

1、 Overview of Major Market Policy Changes

Starting from January 1, 2026, Malaysia will increase the stamp duty on foreign property purchases from 3% to 10%, directly increasing the purchase cost by 7 percentage points. Taking high-end apartments in Kuala Lumpur city center as an example, a property worth 2 million ringgit will see an increase of approximately 140000 ringgit in stamp duty. The policy appears to be a tax adjustment, but its deeper meaning is to screen high-quality investors.

In the UK market, non UK residents who purchase residential properties in England and Northern Ireland are required to pay an additional 2% tax on top of the standard stamp duty; If you already own other residential properties, there will be an additional 3% property surtax. Rental income also needs to pay personal income tax.

Australia prohibits overseas buyers from purchasing second-hand houses, and New South Wales imposes an additional 9% stamp duty surcharge on overseas buyers. South Australia also imposes a 7% surcharge on foreign nationals purchasing real estate.

Starting from the 2026 fiscal year, Japan will expand the scope of foreign investment home purchase applications and require the provision of passport and other information.

Relatively open markets include: Thailand launches the 2026 long-term residency program, which grants long-term visas by investing 3 million Thai baht to purchase property without freezing funds or meeting age restrictions. The comprehensive purchase cost in Dubai is about 7% -10% (including 4% transfer fee from the land bureau), with no annual property tax, no rental income tax, and no capital gains tax. Türkiye continues to use US $400000 real estate investment as the threshold for naturalization.

2、 Four accounts that must be settled before buying a house

One is the purchase cost: stamp duty, lawyer fees, intermediary commissions, appraisal fees, registration fees, which are usually between 8% and 15% of the house price, depending on the country.

The two items are holding costs: property fees, property taxes, housing insurance, and maintenance funds. Some countries also have vacancy taxes. Taking the UK as an example, the annual property and municipal fees for a two bedroom apartment in London may exceed £ 4000.

Three are tax costs: Is rental income taxed locally? Is it necessary to declare for remittance back to China? What is the capital gains tax for future sales? These issues need to be confirmed with cross-border tax consultants before signing the contract.

Four are exit costs: How is the liquidity of the property? Are there any restrictions on overseas sellers in the local area when you want to sell in the future? What is the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on returns?

3、 Separate decision-making should be made for self occupied needs and investment needs

If it is for children to study abroad and live on their own, the decision-making focus should be on the school's surroundings, commuting time, safety level, and rental flexibility, rather than short-term appreciation space. If it is for asset allocation, the decision-making focus should be on currency diversification, rental return rate, and exit liquidity.

The two needs cannot be confused. Many families make mistakes by using investment logic to buy a house that is not suitable for self occupation, only to realize when their children go to school that the commute is too far; Or you can use the self occupied logic to buy a property with high exchange rate fluctuations and poor liquidity, which cannot be sold when you want to exit.

Another common issue is loans. Overseas home purchase loans have stricter requirements for non resident applicants than for local residents, with loan ratios typically ranging from 50% to 60% and interest rates higher than those for local residents. If a loan is needed, it is necessary to confirm in advance the credit policy of the lending bank for Chinese residents.

4、 Leasing and Property Management

Buying a house is easy, but maintaining it is difficult. If the property is for rent, local leasing regulations, lease protection, rental levels, and vacancy periods need to be considered. In some European countries, landlords are not allowed to arbitrarily increase rent or evict tenants, and rental rights are more biased towards tenants. In some cities in Southeast Asia, the supply of apartments is high, and the vacancy rate may be high.

Property management is also an implicit cost. If a person is in China, they need to entrust a local property management company to handle maintenance, tenant communication, and fee payment, usually charging 8% to 12% of the annual rent as a management fee.

5、 The logic of city selection under different needs

For children's education and housing, priority should be given to choosing the school district or walkable area in the city where the school is located, such as Zone 1-2 in London, Northern Sydney, Australia, and York District in Toronto, Canada. This type of area has good liquidity and a stable customer base when selling after graduation.

When buying a house for asset allocation, priority should be given to core cities with strong rental demand and high tourist traffic, such as Dubai city center, Bangkok's Sukhoi, and Tokyo's Minato Ward. The rental return rate for such areas is usually between 3% and 6%, and the holding cost can be covered by short-term or long-term leasing during the year.

For elderly care and self occupied housing, priority should be given to cities with pleasant climate, complete medical facilities, and mature Chinese communities, such as Penang in Malaysia, Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Fukuoka in Japan. The cost of living in such cities is relatively low, but practical issues such as winter medical care, language barriers, and emergency return flights need to be considered.

Regardless of the needs, it is recommended to first stay in the target city for one or two weeks, experience commuting, security, and living facilities on site, and then decide whether to make a move.

6、 November Shanghai Overseas Real Estate Exhibition: On site Comparison of Markets in Various Countries

From November 20th to 22nd, 2026, the Overseas Immigrant Study and Property Expo, as well as the Enterprise Overseas Development and Financial Services Expo, will be held at the Shanghai World Trade Exhibition Center for three days, with an expected attendance of about 8000 visitors. The exhibition property zone invites developers, real estate brokers, law firms and cross-border tax consultants from Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Dubai, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Türkiye and other markets to participate in the exhibition.

Families present can complete on-site tasks such as obtaining the latest tax rate tables from various countries, comparing quotes for similar properties in different cities, consulting on loan and capital exit routes, and understanding property management and leasing services. For participating developers and brokers, a three-day exhibition is an important channel for directly connecting with high intention buyers.

Consultation hotline: 13681692751 (same as WeChat). Exhibition official website: www.qs-expo.com