New to BC real estate
The federal ban on foreign buyers covers homes inside census metropolitan areas and agglomerations, and BC adds a separate 20% tax when a foreign national does buy. Moving to the Lower Mainland, or buying from outside Canada: start with the relocation guides, then the rules and costs below.
Moving here
Guides by where you are coming from.
The rules and the costs
What applies to a buyer who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- The foreign buyer banWho counts as non-Canadian, the seven exemptions, and how the two taxes stack.
- Property transfer taxThe brackets, and the additional tax for foreign buyers.
- Closing costs in BCWhat else is due at completion.
- Default insuranceWho qualifies for thirty-year amortization, and how the premium is priced.
Last reviewed by Bronson Job PREC, REALTOR®. Licence CC BY 4.0. How we verify.
I’m Bronson Job, a REALTOR® (PREC) with Momentum Realty Inc., so I earn a commission when I help someone buy or sell. This is general information, not advice on your situation, and I take no payment from any third party named here. How I verify.