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BC Real Estate Q&A

Can a foreign buyer take title with a Canadian spouse in BC?

Last reviewed by Bronson Job PREC, REALTOR®Sources: Government of Canada, BC GovernmentCC BY 4.0How we verify

A note from me: I’m Bronson Job, a REALTOR® (PREC) with Momentum Realty Inc., so I earn a commission when I help someone buy or sell. These guides are general information, not advice on your specific situation, and I take no payment from any third party named in them. How I verify.

Direct answer

Usually yes, provided the two of them take title together, and the rule is a written exemption rather than a workaround. The exemption covers a non-Canadian who is the spouse or common-law partner of a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person registered under the Indian Act. The exemption is in the Regulations to the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act. Both spouses must be on title; the exemption does NOT cover a foreign buyer purchasing alone with a Canadian spouse "co-signing" without going on title. However, BC's 20% Foreign Buyer Additional Property Transfer Tax still applies, prorated to the foreign spouse's ownership share. Worked example on a $1.5M Vancouver condo purchased 50/50 by a Canadian-citizen and a non-Canadian spouse: standard PTT = $28,000 (paid at full rate); BC APTT on the foreign spouse's 50% share = 20% × $750,000 = $150,000. Total tax due at registration = $178,000. Practitioner note: many couples structure ownership 99% Canadian / 1% foreign to minimize APTT exposure while preserving the federal exemption, but BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) and CRA scrutinize artificial allocations. Always document the economic substance with a real-estate lawyer.

Primary sources

Backed by Fact Bank entries

Sources: Justice Canada · CMHC
Verified sources (2)· re-verified Sep 5, 2026Show sources

Every claim on this page is sourced to a primary government, regulator, or industry-association URL. We re-verify quarterly; the verification dates below show when each source was last confirmed against the live government page.

Fact ID: ca.foreign_buyer_ban.exemptions · v2View in Codex →
Spot an issue? Report an inaccuracy · How we verify
Sources: BC Government
Verified sources (1)· re-verified Sep 5, 2026Show sources

Every claim on this page is sourced to a primary government, regulator, or industry-association URL. We re-verify quarterly; the verification dates below show when each source was last confirmed against the live government page.

Fact ID: bc.ptt.foreign_buyer_additional · v1View in Codex →
Spot an issue? Report an inaccuracy · How we verify
Sources: CMHC · Government of Canada
Verified sources (3)· re-verified Aug 2, 2026Show sources

Every claim on this page is sourced to a primary government, regulator, or industry-association URL. We re-verify quarterly; the verification dates below show when each source was last confirmed against the live government page.

Fact ID: ca.foreign_buyer_ban · v3View in Codex →
Spot an issue? Report an inaccuracy · How we verify

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See also

Bronson Job PREC, REALTOR® at Momentum Realty Inc. — Langley + Fraser Valley + Greater Vancouver
Bronson Job PRECREALTOR® · Momentum Realty Inc.GVR Member #6015742 · FVREB Member #FJOBBR