Under the proposed reform of the ‘Lex Koller’ law, people living outside the European Union or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) may have to get a permit before they can buy property in Switzerland. Some restrictions already exist, but the reform would further tighten the terms under which property may be acquired by foreigners.
The justice ministry says the changes would close loopholes in the current legislation External linkand reduce the administrative burden for the local authorities.
People from countries not in the EU or EFTA may have to sell their apartments or houses if they leave Switzerland.
Both right and leftwing politicians support the changes, but property investors and the homeowners’ association have rejected the proposal, saying it is xenophobic.
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Foreign property purchase to face restrictions
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Under the draft bill, buying property in Switzerland for people living outside the European Union or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) could become subject to approval by the authorities. The reform is aimed at closing loopholes in the current legislation and reducing the administrative burden for the local authorities, according to a statement by…
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The study analysed the average price of a detached house in the canton, according to a reportExternal link in the Tuesday edition of Zurich’s Tages-Anzeiger. In 2008, this amounted to CHF980,000 ($1 million), but by 2015 buyers would have had to fork out CHF1.3 million. This increase is the main reason that fewer people are…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.