Types of Properties Foreigners Can Buy in Singapore | Homejourney

Types of Properties Foreigners Can Buy in Singapore – Quick Overview

Foreigners in Singapore can freely buy most private non-landed homes (condominiums and apartments), selected older Executive Condominiums, and commercial / industrial properties, but face strict controls for HDB flats and landed houses under the Residential Property Act and Land Dealings Approval Unit (LDAU) rules.[1][2]

This cluster guide focuses specifically on the Types of Properties Foreigners Can Buy in Singapore, and supports our main pillar guide on the complete foreign buyer journey in Singapore. For detailed step-by-step processes and financing strategies, you can cross‑reference:

Why Property Type Matters So Much for Foreign Buyers

In Singapore, what you buy is often more important than where you buy. Property type directly determines whether you are even eligible to purchase, what stamp duties apply, and whether you must seek government approval.[1][2][4]

From my own work with foreign clients (including UAE buyers in Singapore, Dubai resident property seekers and Emirati investors), the same mistake appears repeatedly: buyers browse listings on Property Search without first understanding whether that category of property is even open to foreigners. This can waste weeks of viewings and, worse, lead to non-refundable booking fees if eligibility is overlooked.

Homejourney’s goal is to remove this risk entirely by explaining, in plain language, which property types are allowed, restricted, or off-limits – so your short‑list on Property Search is safe, realistic and compliant.

Core Categories: What Foreigners Can and Cannot Buy

1. HDB Flats – Generally Not Allowed for Foreigners

For almost all foreigners, HDB flats are off‑limits. HDB resale flats are reserved for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents meeting specific schemes and income/ethnicity rules. Foreigners cannot buy HDB BTO or resale flats in their own name.[1]

The only typical exception is when a foreigner is married to a Singapore Citizen and the flat is purchased under the citizen spouse’s eligibility; even then, the flat is not truly an unrestricted foreigner-owned asset and remains governed by HDB’s family‑centric rules.

If you are a foreigner currently renting in HDB towns like Punggol or Jurong West, and love the convenience (especially being next to MRT lines like the North‑East Line at Punggol or East‑West Line at Lakeside), you will still need to look at nearby condominiums rather than HDB flats when planning a purchase.

2. Executive Condominiums (ECs) – Only After 10 Years

Foreigners cannot buy new ECs or ECs within their first 5‑year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).[1] During years 6–10, ECs can be sold to Singapore Citizens and PRs only. Foreigners become eligible only when the EC is at least 10 years old, at which point it is fully privatised and treated as a private condo.[1][2]

Example: In Sengkang and Punggol, EC projects like Rivervale Shores EC (hypothetical) would need to pass the 10‑year mark before a foreign buyer can purchase a unit. In practice, these ECs can be 15–25% cheaper than similar‑age private condos in nearby areas, so for long‑term investors this segment is worth monitoring via Projects Directory .

3. Private Condominiums & Apartments – Freely Allowed

This is the main category of residential property open to foreigners. Under the Residential Property Act, foreign individuals are generally allowed to buy non‑landed private residential property – this includes most condominiums and apartments – without special approval.[1][2][3]

Key characteristics of foreigner‑friendly condos:

Tenure: Both 99-year leasehold and freehold condos are open to foreigners.[1]
Type: Standard condo units, penthouses, dual‑key units, and most strata apartments.
Locations: From city‑centre (Districts 1, 2, 9, 10, 11) to heartland suburbs near MRT hubs like Tampines, Bishan, and Jurong East.

For Middle East Singapore property investors who visit seasonally, I often suggest projects within 5–8 minutes’ sheltered walk to MRT interchanges like Raffles Place, Bugis, or Outram Park – this keeps rental demand strong and makes it easy to get around even if you don’t drive.

Use Projects and Property Search on Homejourney to filter for “Condo / Apartment” and exclude landed or EC projects if you want to avoid approval complexities.

4. Landed Residential Property – Restricted, Needs Approval

Foreigners are generally not allowed to buy landed houses (terrace, semi‑detached, bungalows, strata‑landed cluster houses) unless they obtain prior approval from the Land Dealings Approval Unit (LDAU) under the Singapore Land Authority.[1][2][4]

To qualify for approval, guidelines typically require you to:

Be a Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) for at least 5 years, and
Show “exceptional economic contribution” to Singapore (e.g., high taxable income, business or professional contributions).[1][2]

Even with approval, conditions often include:

Using the property as your primary residence.
Land size capped (commonly 15,000 sq ft and outside Good Class Bungalow Areas).[1][2]
Minimum occupation (around 5 years) before you can sell.[2]

Insider note: landed homes in central districts like Bukit Timah or Holland typically sit within or near Good Class Bungalow Areas, making approval extremely difficult for non‑citizens. Even very high‑net‑worth Emirati investors seldom secure such approvals, so expectations must be realistic.

5. Landed Homes in Sentosa Cove – Special Case

Sentosa Cove is a rare exception where foreigners can apply to buy landed homes even without PR status, though LDAU approval is still required.[1][2]

Conditions are similar but slightly more flexible:

Use as a primary residence.
Land size cap can be slightly larger (e.g. up to about 18,000 sq ft for some approvals).[2]
Minimum occupation (around 5 years) before sale.[2]

From personal site visits with overseas clients, the practical consideration here isn’t just price (often S$10–20M+) but lifestyle: Sentosa access relies mainly on car or shuttle; it can feel very quiet after 10 pm compared to River Valley or Tanjong Pagar. For buyers who come from Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, Sentosa’s resort feel is familiar, but do factor in travel time (about 15–20 minutes’ drive to Raffles Place on a typical weekday morning).

6. Strata Landed Homes in Condos – Still Restricted

A common misconception is that all strata landed (cluster houses inside condos) are open to foreigners because they sit within a condominium. In reality, a strata landed house that is not within an approved condominium development is restricted and needs LDAU approval.[1][4]

Homejourney’s listing verification process flags these cases clearly on Projects so foreign buyers do not accidentally commit to an ineligible property.