Do New Zealand citizens have the same property-buying rights in Australia as Australian PR holders?

1. When New Zealand citizens purchase an owner-occupied home in Australia, they receive the same policy treatment as Australian citizens and permanent residents. There is no need to submit a FIRB application or pay an application fee, they may buy either a new or an established property, and they are not required to pay the overseas buyer stamp duty surcharge. There are two distinct standards to keep clear: at the federal FIRB level, New Zealand citizens who hold or are eligible for the Special Category Visa (SCV, subclass 444) are exempt from applying; Queensland's Additional Foreign Acquirer Duty (AFAD) is stricter, requiring the person to already hold an SCV at the time of signing the contract for it not to apply, while those merely residing in New Zealand who do not yet hold an SCV must still pay it.

2. The situation is different if the purchase is an investment property. If the buyer is already in Australia at the time of signing the contract and has activated the subclass 444 visa, thereby obtaining an SCV, they are likewise exempt from the FIRB application and the stamp duty surcharge, and may buy either a new or an established property.

3. If the Queensland Commissioner of State Revenue, based on the evidence available, considers that a person entered Australia for the purpose of avoiding AFAD by obtaining a Special Category Visa, then AFAD still applies.

This article refers to the Australian Government official websites:

https://foreigninvestment.gov.au/getting-started/investment-information/residential

https://qro.qld.gov.au/duties/investors/afad/foreign-persons/