Can Foreigners Buy Property in Japan? Rules and FEFTA (2026)

Yes, foreigners can buy homes, apartments and commercial property in Japan whatever their nationality, and they don’t need a visa, residency or government permission to do so. Japan puts freehold land and buildings on the same legal footing for foreign and Japanese buyers, with no minimum spend and no reciprocity condition. The one administrative step specific to overseas buyers is a post-purchase report under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (外国為替及び外国貿易法, FEFTA), which non-residents file within 20 days of buying. Since April 2026, every buyer, Japanese citizens included, also gives their nationality when the purchase is registered. The same rules apply to houses, apartments and commercial property anywhere in Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Yokohama.

Japan Ownership Rules at a Glance

• Ownership right: open to all nationalities, residents and non-residents alike, individuals and companies. No approval, minimum investment or reciprocity requirement.
• Visa / residency: not required to buy, own or register property.
• Property types: freehold land, detached houses, apartments (manshon) and commercial property.
• Farmland: buying farmland (農地) needs permission from the local agricultural committee (農業委員会), and the buyer must farm the land.
• FEFTA reporting (from 1 April 2026): non-residents report the acquisition of real property to the Minister of Finance through the Bank of Japan within 20 days, whatever the purpose, including a personal home.
• Nationality disclosure (from April 2026): all buyers provide a passport or residence-card copy at registration (Legal Affairs Bureau, 法務局). This is an administrative record and does not appear on the public property registry.
• Rules current to November 2026.

Do you need a visa or residency to buy property in Japan?

No, you do not need a Japanese visa, residence card or any residency status to buy, own or register property in Japan. People living entirely outside the country can buy, and so can visitors who entered visa-free. You can complete a purchase remotely from overseas, using an apostilled affidavit of identity instead of the certificate of residence (住民票) that resident buyers provide. You don’t have to visit in person, though many buyers view the property themselves or appoint a representative to act for them. For the full buying process, see our guide on how to buy a house in Japan as a foreigner.

What can foreigners buy – land, houses or apartments?

Foreign buyers can acquire all of these, freehold land, detached houses, apartments (manshon) and commercial property, on the same basis as Japanese buyers. When you buy an apartment, you own the unit together with a proportional share of the land the building sits on. Japan has no foreign-ownership quota within a building, so you can buy a unit however many of the others are already foreign-owned. If you are buying in the capital, our guide to buying a home in Tokyo covers wards, prices and the local process.

Can foreigners buy farmland in Japan?

Farmland is the one type of property where foreign buyers face a real barrier. Under Article 3 of the Agricultural Land Act (農地法), anyone buying farmland, Japanese or foreign, needs permission from the municipality’s agricultural committee (農業委員会), and a purchase made without it is void. The committee checks that the buyer will farm all of the land, which in principle means at least 150 days of farm work a year, so you cannot buy farmland as an investment or a weekend plot.

For foreign applicants, the committee also checks residence status (在留資格) and, since April 2025, how long the applicant can still stay (在留期間). It refuses permission when the status will end soon with no prospect of renewal, so in practice non-residents and people on short-term visas cannot buy farmland.

Rural akiya are where this comes up most, because some are sold with fields or rice paddies attached. You can buy the house and its residential plot as normal, but any plot used as farmland needs the committee’s permission. The committee goes by how the land is actually used, not only its category in the land register, so check each plot with them before you commit.

What is the FEFTA reporting requirement, and what changed in April 2026?

Non-residents who acquire property in Japan must file a post-purchase report under FEFTA with the Minister of Finance, through the Bank of Japan, within 20 days of the acquisition. Until 1 April 2026, property bought as the buyer’s own home (or a relative’s) was exempt from this report. That exemption has been removed, so the report now covers every non-resident purchase, whatever its purpose.

The buyer can file the report, or an agent based in Japan such as the broker or a judicial scrivener (司法書士) can file it for them. The report is a notification for statistics and monitoring, not an approval, so it does not hold up the purchase. Separately, since April 2026 all buyers, Japanese and foreign, provide a passport or residence-card copy at registration; this is kept as an administrative record and is not shown on the public registry. Another law, the Important Land Survey Act (重要土地等調査法), requires reporting for certain land near designated facilities and on remote islands. A bill to require prior government permission for purchases in some of these areas, for Japanese and foreign buyers alike, was before the Diet in November 2026 but was not yet law. As of November 2026, Japan has no nationality-based restriction on buying or owning property.

Primary source: Ministry of Finance – Reporting Requirement Under the FEFTA for a Non-Resident Acquiring Real Property Located in Japan → https://www.mof.go.jp/english/policy/international_policy/real_property/index.html

General information only, not legal advice; confirm current rules via the linked primary source or a qualified judicial scrivener (司法書士).

FAQ

Can Americans, Australians, British, Canadian, Chinese or Singaporean citizens buy property in Japan?
Yes, and nationality makes no difference to the right to buy or own property in Japan. The same rules apply to everyone, and non-residents of any nationality file the same FEFTA report.

Can non-residents or tourists buy property in Japan without living there?
Yes, residency is not required, and you can complete a purchase remotely from overseas. Non-residents file the FEFTA report within 20 days of acquisition.

Can foreigners get a mortgage in Japan?
Sometimes. Permanent residents and long-term visa holders with Japanese income can often get a standard residential mortgage, while non-residents have fewer options and these vary by lender. Many non-resident buyers pay in cash. See our guide to home and investment loans for foreigners in Japan.

Do foreigners pay extra tax to buy property in Japan?
No, there is no nationality-based surcharge. The same purchase and ongoing taxes apply to all owners, though non-residents have some extra reporting obligations and must appoint a tax representative. See our article on Property Taxes in Japan: Buying, Selling and Ongoing Costs.

Can foreigners invest in Japanese real estate?
Yes, non-residents can buy rental or investment property on the same legal basis as residents. The FEFTA report applies to these purchases too.

Housing Japan, Your Real Estate Partner

What next? Housing Japan has guided international buyers through the Tokyo market for over 25 years. Our bilingual team, licensed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, can handle an overseas purchase from start to finish, including the FEFTA filing and tax-representative arrangements for non-residents.

Housing Japan K.K. has operated as a licensed Tokyo real estate brokerage since 2000. Tokyo Governor Licence No. (3) 98912. BPR Place Kamiyacho 7F, 1-11-9 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 〒106-0032.