Complete Guide to Stamp Duty in Australia (Updated July 2026)
Firstly, in general, overseas buyers can purchase residential property in Australia, but they must comply with Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) rules, and can usually only buy new dwellings, off-the-plan properties or newly built development projects. Before 1 April 2025, overseas buyers holding an eligible Australian temporary visa (usually with a validity of more than 12 months) could, after obtaining FIRB approval, purchase one established dwelling to live in, but not for investment. From 1 April 2025, overseas buyers face a complete restriction on purchasing established dwellings and, in general, cannot buy an established dwelling even to live in themselves. This temporary restriction currently applies until 30 June 2029. Should the policy be updated in the future, Aobo Realty will share the news with everyone as soon as possible.
The official explanation of the established-dwelling ban can be found on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website:https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/new-legislation/in-detail/international/banning-foreign-purchases-of-established-dwellings
In the 2016 financial year, the Victorian Government introduced a stamp duty surcharge targeting "overseas buyers" of residential property, making it the first state in Australia to implement an overseas stamp duty. New South Wales and Queensland subsequently followed. Let's now take a look at the specific additional stamp duty policies in these three states.
Brisbane – Queensland Overseas Stamp Duty Policy (Investment)
Applies to: foreign persons or Australian temporary residents
Local stamp duty: Queensland local stamp duty is calculated on a progressive rate, so the actual amount varies with the property price. It is approximately 3%–5% of the total purchase price of a dwelling (apartment or townhouse) (based on a price of A$800,000 to A$2,000,000). If you purchase a house and land package, stamp duty is only charged on the land portion of the price.
Additional Foreign Acquirer Duty (AFAD): 8%
The detailed calculation method for local stamp duty on investment is shown in the image below:
For details, see the Queensland Revenue Office website:https://qro.qld.gov.au/duties/transfer-duty/calculate/rates/
Case study: In Queensland, an A$800,000 apartment or townhouse would incur A$21,850 in stamp duty, plus A$64,000 in overseas stamp duty. If you purchase a house and land package, stamp duty is only charged on the land portion of the price.
For more information, please refer to the Queensland Revenue Office website:https://qro.qld.gov.au/duties/investors/afad/
Melbourne – Victoria Overseas Stamp Duty Policy (Investment)
Applies to: foreign persons or Australian temporary residents
Local stamp duty: Victorian local stamp duty is calculated on the progressive land transfer duty rate, so the actual amount varies with the property price. It is approximately 5.37%–5.5% of the total purchase price of a dwelling (apartment or townhouse) (based on a price of A$800,000 to A$2,000,000). If you purchase a house and land package, stamp duty is only charged on the land portion of the price.
Additional foreign purchaser stamp duty: 8%
The detailed calculation method for local stamp duty is shown in the image below:
For more information, please refer to the Victorian State Revenue Office website:
Sydney – New South Wales Overseas Stamp Duty Policy (Investment)
Applies to: foreign persons or Australian temporary residents
New South Wales local stamp duty is calculated on the progressive land transfer duty rate, so the actual amount varies with the property price. It is approximately 3.8%–4.6% of the total purchase price of a dwelling (apartment or townhouse) (based on a price of A$800,000 to A$2,000,000). If you purchase a house and land package, stamp duty is only charged on the land portion of the price.
The detailed calculation method for local stamp duty is shown in the image below:
Additional foreign purchaser stamp duty: 9%
For more information, please refer to the Revenue NSW website