Where you stand
- FIRB approvalRequired. Temporary residents are foreign persons, and the ban on established homes applies even to a home you would live in.
- Loan sizeBrokers report most lenders cap temporary residents at about 80% of the property’s value, with a few going higher for strong files.
- DepositAbout 20% plus costs.
- IncomeLenders mostly want Australian income. Overseas income is heavily discounted or ignored.
- Student visasBrokers say you will usually need an Australian citizen or permanent resident as a co-borrower.
What lenders look at
- Your visa. The type, the conditions and how long it has left. A clear visa history helps.
- Australian income. Brokers say lenders mostly want Australian income, and that overseas income is heavily discounted or ignored.
- Your deposit. Brokers report about 20% plus costs.
State surcharges: the rules for temporary residents
Each state decides who counts as foreign for its surcharge, and the answers for temporary residents differ. This is what each revenue office says, and what happens if you later become a permanent resident.
| State | Temporary residents | If you become a permanent resident |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Foreign, including bridging visas. Exceptions: partner (309/820) and retirement (405/410) visa holders who meet the 200-day residence tests. | Yes — if you are no longer a foreign person by the date the property is transferred to you (for example, permanent residency granted before settlement). Apply within 5 years. |
| Victoria | Foreign for the duty surcharge, including if you have applied for a visa that has not been granted. For the absentee owner surcharge, a temporary resident who ordinarily lives in Australia is not an absentee. | None stated. Status is fixed at settlement. |
| Queensland | Foreign for AFAD. For contracts signed on or after 1 August 2026, temporary residents generally also lose the transfer duty home concessions, so they pay full duty plus 8% AFAD. For land tax, a temporary resident who usually lives in Australia is not an absentee. | No. Liability is fixed on the contract date; becoming a permanent resident before settlement does not remove it. |
| Western Australia | Foreign, including partner (820) and bridging visas. | Yes — if you are no longer foreign when the property is transferred to you (for example, permanent residency granted during an off-the-plan build), apply for reassessment on Form FDA42. |
| South Australia | Foreign. | Yes — if you cease to be a foreign person within 12 months of buying. The reverse also applies: if you become foreign within 3 years, the surcharge is imposed retrospectively. |
| Tasmania | Foreign. | Yes — if you cease to be foreign within 6 months of the transaction. If you become foreign within 3 years, the duty is reassessed. |
| Australian Capital Territory | Not foreign if you are “ordinarily resident in Australia” on the ACT’s factors test (time in Australia, visa, family and work ties, assets); otherwise foreign. | Not applicable to duty. The ACT Revenue Office does not state a refund position for the land tax surcharge. |
From each state revenue office, checked October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the revenue office before you sign.
Queensland changed the rules in 2026
For contracts signed on or after 1 August 2026, Queensland temporary residents generally lose the transfer duty home concessions, so they pay full duty plus the 8% foreign acquirer duty.
Moving from a temporary to a permanent visa
Becoming a permanent resident can change your position part-way through a purchase. Some states refund the surcharge if you are no longer foreign by the date the property transfers to you, some fix your status at the contract date, and the FIRB position depends on your visa when you buy. If you are close to a permanent visa, ask a conveyancer and your broker what that means before you sign.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I get a mortgage on a temporary visa?
Brokers report that some lenders do. They say most cap temporary residents at about 80% of the property’s value and mostly want Australian income and a clear visa history.
Do I need FIRB approval on a temporary visa?
Yes. Temporary residents are foreign persons, and established homes are banned until 30 June 2029, even for a home you would live in.
Can an international student get a home loan?
Brokers say student visa holders will usually need an Australian citizen or permanent resident as a co-borrower.
Do I pay the state surcharge?
Usually yes. Each state has its own rules for temporary residents, and a few have exceptions for partner or retirement visa holders. See the table above.
Sources
- Hunter Galloway: Visa home loans (broker page)
- Home Loan Experts: Non-resident mortgages (broker page)
- ATO: Are you a foreign person buying property in Australia?
- ATO: Banning foreign purchases of established dwellings
- Revenue NSW — Surcharge purchaser duty
- SRO Victoria — Foreign purchaser additional duty
- QRO — Additional foreign acquirer duty
- RevenueWA — Foreign buyers duty
- RevenueSA — Foreign ownership surcharge
- SRO Tasmania — Foreign investor duty surcharge
- ACT Revenue Office — Foreign ownership surcharge
- Territory Revenue Office — Stamp duty
Lender figures are broker-reported and indicative. State rules are from each revenue office. Checked 7 October 2026.
Expat Finance is an independent guide. It is not a lender, mortgage broker or credit provider, it does not hold an Australian credit licence, and it does not give credit, legal, tax or migration advice. It is not affiliated with any bank, the ATO or the Foreign Investment Review Board. General information only, not legal, tax, migration or financial advice.