Federal Foreign Buyer Ban — Exemption Categories
Also known as: Foreign buyer ban exemptions · Non-Canadian exemptions
The 7 categories of non-Canadian persons exempted from the federal Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act.
The federal foreign-buyer ban (in force through January 1, 2027) prohibits most non-Canadians from purchasing residential property in Census Metropolitan Areas, but several categories of persons are exempted. The 7 main exemption categories: (1) Canadian citizens; (2) permanent residents; (3) persons registered as Indian under the Indian Act; (4) refugees and protected persons; (5) foreign nationals married to or in common-law partnership with an exempt person, when buying jointly; (6) certain temporary residents (work permit holders meeting 183-day residency conditions in the prior year + Cdn tax filings; international students at designated institutions meeting 5-year residency + tax-filing conditions); (7) diplomats and consular staff.
In addition to the person-based exemptions above, the Act has property-based exclusions: residential property of 4+ units is NOT covered, and certain land transactions (inheritance, divorce, gift, security-interest enforcement) are not classified as "purchase" for purposes of the Act. Always confirm eligibility with a real estate lawyer before any offer where buyer status is in question — penalty for violation includes up to $10,000 fine plus a court order to sell at a loss.
Related terms
- Federal Foreign Buyer Ban — Federal legislation prohibiting most non-Canadians from purchasing residential property in Census Metropolitan Areas, in force through January 1, 2027.
- BC Foreign Buyer Additional PTT — Specified Areas — The 5 BC regional districts where the 20% Foreign Buyer Additional Property Transfer Tax applies: Metro Vancouver, Capital, Fraser Valley, Nanaimo, and Central Okanagan.
- BC Foreign Buyer Additional PTT — A 20% additional Property Transfer Tax payable by foreign nationals, foreign corporations, and taxable trustees buying residential property in five specified BC regional districts.
- BC Speculation and Vacancy Tax — An annual BC tax on residential property held in specified urban areas not used as a principal residence or rented at least 6 months — rates double for the 2026 tax year to 1% (Cdn citizens / PRs) and 3% (foreign owners + satellite families).
See also
Use any of these formats. Codex content is licensed under CC BY 4.0 — attribution required.
@misc{bronsonjob-ca_foreign_buyer_ban_exemptions,
author = {Job, Bronson},
title = {{Federal Foreign Buyer Ban exemption categories}},
howpublished = {BC Real Estate Codex},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions},
urldate = {2026-05-08},
note = {Fact ID: ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions, version 1.}
}Job, B. (2026). Federal Foreign Buyer Ban exemption categories. *BC Real Estate Codex*. Retrieved 2026-05-08, from https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions
Federal Foreign Buyer Ban exemption categories — Bronson Job PREC, BC Real Estate Codex (2026-05-08). https://www.bronsonjob.com/codex#ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions
Fact id: ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions · v1 · machine-readable: /api/v1/facts/by-id/ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions.json
Verified sources (1)· re-verified 2026-05-08Click to expand
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- CMHCretrieved 2026-05-08Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act — Exemptionshttps://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/consultations/prohibition-purchase-residential-property-non-canadians-act
ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions · v1View in Codex →License: This definition is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: "Federal Foreign Buyer Ban — Exemption Categories", BC Real Estate Glossary by Bronson Job, https://www.bronsonjob.com/glossary/foreign-buyer-ban-exemptions.
