Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval
The Australian federal foreign-investment approval framework that generally requires a foreign person to obtain permission before acquiring residential land.
Foreign Investment Review Board approval is the common name for permission under Australia’s federal foreign-investment framework. For residential land, a foreign person generally applies through the Australian Taxation Office before acquiring the property. The Treasurer administers the framework under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, with advice from the Foreign Investment Review Board.
As at 12 August 2026, current Australian Government guidance generally prohibits foreign persons from buying established dwellings from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029. Limited exceptions support material additions to housing supply and specified commercial or workforce housing. Foreign persons can generally seek approval for new or qualifying near-new dwellings and vacant residential land for development, subject to the conditions attached to the approval.
Federal approval does not replace state or territory transfer duty, foreign-purchaser surcharge, land tax, planning, conveyancing, or registration rules. Definitions, fees, exemptions, and conditions can change, so check the current Australian Taxation Office and Australian Government residential-land guidance before entering an unconditional transaction.
Primary source
Australian Government — Residential land →Last reviewed 12 August 2026. Rates, thresholds, and deadlines change — always verify against the primary source before making decisions.
Related terms
Running rentals in Australia?
Proppi reads your lease agreements, condition reports, and rental statements into the property file — then prepares source-linked work for approval across Australian Taxation Office deduction trails, state tenancy notices, and capital gains tax records with page citations.