Short answer
If you hold an EU, EEA or Swiss passport, you can buy in Vienna on the same terms as an Austrian citizen. Everyone else needs approval from the City of Vienna first. The harder barrier is the bank: it wants roughly 20% of the total cost in your own funds, an Austrian income history and, usually, income paid in euros. Purchase costs add another 10 to 12% on top of the price. When that maths does not work, there are four realistic routes left: a bank that grants an exception, help from family, a rent-to-own project, or co-ownership where an investor buys part of the flat with you and you start from about 5%.
This is an overview, not financial, tax or legal advice. Every figure comes from the linked source, with the date it carries.
The three things that actually block expat buyers
- Own funds. Austrian banks want "Min. 20% Equity Of total cost including closing fees", although "Some banks accept 10-15% with a rate premium" (checkeverything.at, updated 27 May 2026).
- Income history. Employees are expected to be past probation on a permanent contract, and the self-employed to show two to three years of Austrian tax statements (siegfried-haas.at, page dated 28 December 2022).
- Currency and status. "Income in foreign currencies usually will not be accepted for a home loan due to regulatory restrictions" (siegfried-haas.at, 28 December 2022). For non-EU buyers, "A residence permit is typically required" (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026).
Note what is not on that list: your salary level. Most expats who get turned down in Vienna can afford the monthly payment. They fail the deposit test, not the affordability test.
Are you allowed to buy at all?
Two different questions get mixed up here: permission to acquire property, and permission to borrow.
Permission to acquire. Under the Wiener Ausländergrunderwerbsgesetz, EU and EEA citizens, plus Swiss nationals, are treated the same as Austrian citizens and need no approval. Third-country nationals and foreign-controlled companies need approval from the City of Vienna before they can be registered as owners (brandauer-rechtsanwaelte.at, 22 June 2026). Until that approval is final, the purchase is "schwebend unwirksam", provisionally ineffective, and the land registry will not enter you as the owner.
Practical points:
- EU, EEA and Swiss buyers can request a Negativbestätigung, a written confirmation that no approval is needed, when the land registry wants proof (wien.gv.at). Administrative fees are 80 to 130 euros per applicant plus 21 euros in federal charges.
- For third-country nationals, plan for a wait. One English-language guide puts provincial approval at "3 to 9 months" (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026); an Austrian mortgage adviser writes that the real estate commission "can take two or three months" (siegfried-haas.at, 28 December 2022). Either way, the timeline belongs in your purchase contract.
Permission to borrow is the bank's decision, and it follows different rules.
What the bank looks at in 2026
The KIM-Verordnung, the binding rulebook for housing loans, "expired on 30 June 2025". It was replaced by "the WIK-Rundschreiben, a non-binding circular", where "The thresholds stayed the same, but banks now have more room to make exceptions" (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026). The Austrian regulator still expects a maximum 90% loan-to-value ratio, a payment of at most 40% of annual net income and a maximum term of 35 years, and lets banks deviate as long as their risk strategy covers it (FMA, 26 June 2025).
What you will be asked for: valid photo ID, payslips, tax returns, optionally a KSV credit report, plus the purchase contract, a land registry excerpt, floor plans, the Energieausweis and photos of the property (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026).
Current pricing for orientation: fixed for 10 years from 3.15%, fixed for 20 years from 3.35%, variable from 2.89%. On a 300,000 euro loan over 25 years at 2.89%, that is "roughly EUR 1,401 per month" (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026).
The number that decides it: total cost, not price
One change that catches people out: the temporary waiver of the land registry and mortgage registration fees for primary residences has ended. English-language guides still say the fees are "waived until 30.06.2026" (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026). Since 1 July 2026 the waiver no longer applies to new applications (brandauer-rechtsanwaelte.at, 9 May 2026). Budget the 1.1% and the 1.2% again.
Worked example, a 300,000 euro apartment: purchase costs of 10 to 12% are 30,000 to 36,000 euros, so the total cost is 330,000 to 336,000 euros. At the 20% the banks ask for, you need roughly 66,000 to 67,200 euros of your own money. At 10 to 15%, which some banks accept with a rate premium, it is 33,000 to 50,400 euros.
Four routes when the bank says no
1. Co-ownership with an investor
You buy the share of the flat you can afford now, investors fund the rest through a regulated structure, and you live in the home from the start and grow your share over time.
The numbers pinyya publishes:
- "With pinyya, you can buy your share of a home with only about 5% down, instead of the typical 20%" (pinyya, Buy a Home).
- Each month you pay the costs of the share you already own, a fair market rent on the share you do not own yet, and an administration fee currently calculated at about 25 euros per month per project (pinyya, Stop renting, start owning).
- There is a one-off setup fee for structuring and documentation.
- You can buy more, pause, or sell part of your share. For a full exit: "Selling your full share requires the property itself to be sold."
For expats specifically, pinyya's own first-home guide states that Austrian citizenship is not required, but legal residence in Austria and standard KYC and anti-money-laundering checks are (pinyya, first-home guide). The eligibility check takes a few minutes and shows what share your numbers support; a consultation covers the detail.
2. A bank that grants an exception
Since the end of KIM-V, deviating from the thresholds is a bank decision rather than a legal barrier (FMA, 26 June 2025), and some banks accept 10 to 15% own funds with a rate premium (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026). What helps: a second or third bank through an independent broker, a household budget that still works at a higher interest rate, and extra collateral. What does not help: applying at one bank, being declined, and treating that as the market's answer.
3. Help from family
A gift counts as your own funds once the money is yours and does not have to be repaid. A guarantee is a different thing: the family member is liable for your loan. Both are common, both belong in writing. This route only exists if the money exists.
4. Rent-to-own
You rent first and buy later at a price fixed at the start. ARWAG offers this on selected Vienna projects: the later purchase price "wird von Beginn an vertraglich fixiert", the net rent paid is credited to the purchase price "zu 100 %", the minimum rental period is five years and the purchase can be made "jederzeit während der Mietphase" (arwag.at). Note the catch that applies to every rent-to-own model: the financing question is postponed, not solved. You still need a bank at the end.
Austria also has a statutory purchase option for subsidised cooperative flats, but it requires Austrian citizenship or equal status and a wait of at least five years (AK Wien).
If you are advising expat buyers
Estate agents and mortgage brokers in Vienna lose deals at the final credit check for two recurring reasons: the client has 5 to 10% instead of 20%, or the income is foreign, fresh or self-employed. The first is a structural problem that co-ownership addresses directly. The second needs either a bank willing to look at the whole picture or a smaller financed share. Get in touch if you want a specific case checked.
FAQ
Can I buy an apartment in Vienna as a non-EU citizen? Yes, with approval from the City of Vienna. Until that approval is final the purchase is provisionally ineffective and you cannot be registered in the land register (brandauer-rechtsanwaelte.at, 22 June 2026). Estimates for how long it takes range from two to three months to three to nine months.
How much deposit do Austrian banks want from expats? Around 20% of the total cost including purchase costs, with some banks accepting 10 to 15% at a higher rate (checkeverything.at, 27 May 2026).
I am paid in US dollars or pounds. Does that count? Usually not on its own: "Income in foreign currencies usually will not be accepted for a home loan due to regulatory restrictions" (siegfried-haas.at, 28 December 2022). Ask the bank early which foreign documents it accepts.
I moved here 18 months ago. Is that long enough? It depends on the contract more than the calendar. Permanent contracts past probation are the baseline; fixed-term contracts and freelance income need more documentation, typically two to three years of tax statements (siegfried-haas.at, 28 December 2022).
What do purchase costs add up to? Roughly 10 to 12% of the price: 3.5% transfer tax, 1.1% for registering ownership, 1.2% for registering the mortgage, up to 3% agent commission plus VAT, plus contract and escrow (brandauer-rechtsanwaelte.at, 9 May 2026).
Are the land registry fees still waived? Not for new applications. The waiver ended on 30 June 2026, and many English-language guides have not caught up.
Can I buy part of an apartment now and the rest later? Yes, that is what co-ownership with an investor does. pinyya puts the entry point at about 5% down and grows your share over time. Full exit is tied to a sale of the property.
Is rent-to-own available in Vienna? On selected new-build projects, yes, for example from ARWAG, with the price fixed up front and rent credited to the purchase price. Subsidised cooperative flats have a statutory purchase option, but that one is limited to Austrian citizens and people with equal status.
Sources
- checkeverything.at, "Mortgage in Austria 2026: Rates, Costs & English Guide", updated 27 May 2026.
- FMA, "FMA erwartet nach Auslaufen der KIM-V solide Wohnkreditvergabe mit Hausverstand", 26 June 2025.
- brandauer-rechtsanwaelte.at, "Grundverkehr Wien: Ausländergrunderwerb 2026", 22 June 2026.
- brandauer-rechtsanwaelte.at, "Kaufnebenkosten beim Immobilienkauf 2026", 9 May 2026.
- wien.gv.at, "Ausländergrunderwerb, Genehmigung und Negativbestätigung".
- siegfried-haas.at, "Mortgages for English Speakers & Expats in Vienna", page dated 28 December 2022.
- AK Wien, "Genossenschaftswohnungen mit Kaufoption", financing contribution as of 1 April 2025.
- arwag.at, "Mietkauf Wohnung Wien", retrieved 23 September 2026.
- pinyya.com, pages "Buy a Home", "Stop renting, start owning" and "How to Buy Your First Home in Austria", retrieved 23 September 2026.
