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Buying a home in Ireland from abroad, or as a newcomer
Checked 21 Oct 2026the Central Bank's mortgage measures, Revenue's rules and the scheme operators' published terms.
Anyone can buy a home in Ireland; there is no nationality rule. The hard parts are the mortgage, where lenders ask about residence, permits and foreign income, and the practical side of buying when you are not here. This journey covers both, from the first check to moving in. Every figure is dated and sourced.
This journey assumes: You live outside Ireland, or you have moved here recently on a work or residence permit, and you want to buy a home here.
Check what you can and cannot do
There is no restriction on who can own a home in Ireland. Stamp duty, LPT and capital gains tax are the same for everyone. The limits are on borrowing: an Irish lender wants to see Irish residence, a permit it can rely on, and income it can check.
Find out what a lender will look at
The Central Bank limits are the same: 4 times income for a first-time buyer, 3.5 times for others, 90% of the price. On top, lenders ask how long you have lived and worked in Ireland, what permit you hold (Stamp 1 and Stamp 4 holders are treated differently by each lender), and whether your income is in euro. Foreign income is often counted at a discount or not at all.
The deposit, the currency and the proof
You need at least 10% of the price plus the fees. Savings held abroad count, but the lender and your solicitor will want to trace where they came from: statements for at least six months, and a gift letter for any gift. Moving money into euro takes time and the exchange rate moves; allow for it.
Check whether you count as a first-time buyer
If you have never owned a home anywhere in the world, you are a first-time buyer here: 4 times income, and Help to Buy on a new build if you paid Irish tax over the last four years. Owning abroad, even a share, takes the status away. The First Home Scheme has its own test.
Broker or bank
A broker on the Central Bank register knows which lenders take foreign income, which permits they accept and how many years of residence each wants. A bank shows you its own policy. Check the register before you send a passport or a payslip to anyone.
Get approval in principle
Approval in principle is the lender's letter saying what it would lend, usually valid for six months. From abroad, expect more paperwork: translated and certified documents, foreign credit reports, employer letters. A video call with the lender is normal now.
Choose a solicitor, and a power of attorney if you cannot be here
A solicitor on the Law Society's register does the legal work and can sign for you under a power of attorney if you are abroad on closing day. Documents signed abroad may need to be witnessed by a notary. Identity checks under the anti-money-laundering rules take longer from abroad; start them early.
View, bid and go sale agreed
Video viewings are common, but have someone you trust walk through it, or fly in for the final one. Bid in writing with your approval in principle. The booking deposit (€5,000 to €10,000) is refundable until contracts, and sale agreed is not binding on either side.
Get the home surveyed
Buying from a distance makes the survey more important, not less. A chartered engineer (Engineers Ireland) or building surveyor (the SCSI) is your eyes on the roof, the damp and the extension without paperwork. Ask for a phone call through the report, with photographs.
Loan offer, mortgage protection and home insurance
The lender values the home (about €185) and issues the loan offer. Mortgage protection is required by law with narrow exceptions, and an insurer may ask about your residence and travel. Buildings insurance starts the day you sign contracts.
Contracts and closing
You pay 10% at signing and the deal is binding. On closing day the loan draws down, the seller is paid and the agent releases the keys to you or your attorney. Stamp duty (1%) is filed by your solicitor within 44 days. Shipping belongings from outside the EU brings customs paperwork; allow weeks.
After you buy: LPT, letting and the fixed rate
LPT runs from the next 1 November; register the home on Revenue's online service. If you let the home while you are abroad, the rent is taxed in Ireland and the tenancy must be registered with the RTB. Set a reminder for the end of your fixed rate.
Who you need on this journey
Mortgage advisor (broker)Ticked for you
Movers are capped at 3.5 times income; a broker knows who stretches
Conveyancing solicitorYou will need this
You cannot buy without one
Surveyor or engineer (pre-purchase or structural survey)You will need this
Before you sign
Mortgage protection and home insuranceMost people use one
Needed before drawdown
Snag list (new builds)Optional
For a new build
RemovalsOptional
Closing week
Questions people ask
Can a non-resident get a mortgage in Ireland?
Some lenders lend to people living abroad, usually with a larger deposit, income they can verify and a plan to live in the home. Others only lend to people already resident here. A broker on the Central Bank register can say which lenders consider your case.
Can I buy a house in Ireland on a Stamp 1 or Stamp 4?
Yes, you can buy. Getting a mortgage depends on the lender: most want a permit with time left on it and a record of living and working here, and Stamp 4 holders are usually treated more like Irish residents than Stamp 1 holders. Each lender sets its own policy.
Am I a first-time buyer if I owned a home abroad?
No. The Central Bank rules, Help to Buy and the First Home Scheme all count a home owned anywhere in the world, including a share of one. You would be a second-time buyer: 3.5 times income and 90% of the price.
Do I need to be in Ireland to close?
No. Your solicitor can sign for you under a power of attorney, and documents signed abroad can be witnessed by a notary. Identity checks and money transfers take longer from abroad, so start them early.
Do foreigners pay more stamp duty in Ireland?
No. Stamp duty is 1% up to €1 million, 2% on the part to €1.5 million and 6% above, for everyone. LPT and capital gains tax are the same too.
Can I use savings in another currency for the deposit?
Yes, but the lender and your solicitor will trace where the money came from, with at least six months of statements, and it must be in euro by closing. The exchange rate moves, so allow a margin.