Decision Guide
What Can Foreigners and PRs Buy in Singapore?
Private condo, landed, HDB and EC are open to different buyer profiles by very different amounts. Here is the eligibility map, plus what to price in before you view anything.
Three residential categories
Which one you can buy is decided by your residency status. Confirm the category before you view.
Non-landed private
Condos & apartments
Most open to foreign buyers.
Landed
Terrace, semi-D, bungalow
Restricted; approval needed.
Public housing
HDB flats & EC
Citizen-first; PR limited.
Who can buy what
| Property type | Citizen | PR | Foreigner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private condo / apartment (non-landed) | |||
| Landed on mainland | Case-by-case approval (SLA) | Approval rarely granted | |
| Landed in Sentosa Cove | ✓ with approval | ✓ with approval, own-stay | |
| New HDB flat (BTO) | |||
| Resale HDB flat | ✓ after 3 yrs PR, with a PR or citizen | ||
| New EC from developer | Only in a citizen + PR household | ||
| Resale EC (after 5-yr MOP) | ✗ until 10 yrs, then privatised |
ABSD rate by buyer profile
Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty is charged on top of Buyer's Stamp Duty, on the count this purchase brings you to.
| Buyer | 1st property | 2nd | 3rd or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Permanent Resident | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
Rates as of 27 Apr 2023. On a S$3M condo, a foreigner's ABSD alone is S$1.8M; a PR's first-property ABSD is S$150k.
Three separate gates
Affording the down payment is not the same as being able to buy. Each gate is independent.
- Eligibility — can your residency status hold this property type at all?
- ABSD — the stamp-duty surcharge for your profile and property count.
- LTV — the loan-to-value cap that sets your minimum cash + CPF.
Before you shortlist
- How long do you plan to hold? A 60% ABSD is very hard to earn back over a short hold.
- If you sell later, who is the buyer pool? Landed, Sentosa Cove and very large units sell slower.
- Could your residency status change (naturalisation, PR renewal, marriage) during the hold?
Published 2026-08-29