When buying a property in Switzerland there are certain regulations that need to be adhered to:
- Non-Swiss families can only own one property in Switzerland at any one time and the size of the property can be a maximum of 200m2 internal livable floor area. For chalets the plot size is also limited to 1000m2. The term 'family' can be defined as husband and wife and / or under-age children. Over the age of 20, a child of an owner may purchase one property in their own name, provided they can prove financial independence.
- Certain Cantons place restrictions on resale of a property within a set amount of time. These regulations differ from Canton to Canton, but it is not unusual for a buyer to be restricted from resale within the first 5 years of ownership for example. Once this time has elapsed it is then possible to resell a property to another non-resident quite easily, subject to the Lex Koller law.
- An owner can occupy a property for up to six months per year with a maximum stay at any one time of three months.
- A property can be rented for a maximum of 11 months and 1 week per year.
EU citizens with a residence permit B and all foreigners with a residence permit C are not subject to the restrictions above.
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