Can expats buy property in Germany?

German property law lets people of any nationality buy. The challenge for expats is rarely the purchase itself — it is the mortgage. German banks underwrite carefully, and they prefer borrowers with stable German income, a permanent or sufficiently long residence permit, a SCHUFA history that includes at least a couple of years in Germany, and a meaningful share of equity.

Plenty of expat profiles work in practice: international employees with a Blue Card, dual-income couples, and self-employed people with consistent earnings can all get financed. The application package usually just needs more documentation than a German-born borrower would face. Equity from abroad is normally accepted as long as the source of funds can be properly documented (account statements, contracts, gift letters).

Purchase costs (Kaufnebenkosten) — property transfer tax, notary, land registry, and broker fees if there is one — typically add 10% to 15% on top of the purchase price, depending on the federal state. These costs are gone immediately and have to be earned back through years of price appreciation or rent saving.

Buying tends to make the most financial sense when your residence horizon is at least 7–10 years. Property is a long-cycle asset class, the upfront costs are real, and German tenancy law makes long-term renting unusually stable as an alternative — so there is rarely a rush to buy in the first couple of years.