Singapore Foreigner ABSD 2026: 60% Rate, FTA Remission, BSD & Property Rules

Statutory Overview & Housing Framework

Singapore's Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) is a stamp duty on residential property acquisitions and is administered by IRAS under the Stamp Duties Act. From 27 April 2023, the standard ABSD rate for a foreign individual buying any residential property is 60% of the higher of the purchase price or market value. The current IRAS FTA remission gives the same stamp-duty treatment as a Singapore Citizen to nationals and Permanent Residents of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and to nationals of the United States. The remission is therefore not a permanent blanket 0% exemption: an eligible FTA buyer generally follows the Singapore Citizen ABSD schedule according to the buyer's residential-property count, including 0% for a first residential property, 20% for a second and 30% for a third and subsequent property. Ordinary BSD still applies to every property acquisition, including a first home, and the current residential BSD rate reaches 6% on the portion of value above S$3 million. For a S$2 million residential purchase, current BSD is S$74,600; a standard foreign buyer would also face S$1.2 million ABSD, while a qualifying US citizen or qualifying Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian or Swiss national/PR buying a first residential property would generally have no ABSD if the FTA remission conditions are satisfied. The original page also contained several material errors: the trust ABSD rate is 65%, not 60%; all foreign persons purchasing landed residential property, including at Sentosa Cove, require approval under the Residential Property Act; and a mixed-use property can require separate analysis of the residential component rather than automatically attracting 0% ABSD across the whole property.

Key Statutory Rules & Housing Criteria

What ABSD do foreign buyers pay in Singapore in 2026?

IRAS currently applies 60% ABSD to a foreigner buying any residential property. The rate is calculated on the higher of the purchase price or market value. This is separate from Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD), which also applies to the acquisition of residential property. The 60% rate is not a one-time rate for a first home: an ordinary foreign buyer remains subject to 60% for every residential property acquisition unless a specific remission or other relief applies.

Which foreigners qualify for Singapore's FTA ABSD remission?

IRAS currently identifies five qualifying country groups. Nationals and Permanent Residents of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are accorded the same stamp-duty treatment as Singapore Citizens. Nationals of the United States of America are also eligible. The relevant criterion is the buyer's nationality or qualifying permanent-resident status under the applicable FTA. A US Green Card holder who is not a US citizen does not qualify merely because they are a US permanent resident, because the IRAS FTA remission specifically lists nationals of the United States rather than US permanent residents.

FTA remission does not mean 0% ABSD on every property

A qualifying FTA buyer receives the same stamp-duty treatment as a Singapore Citizen. Therefore, the buyer's residential-property count matters. A qualifying FTA buyer who owns no residential property can generally receive 0% ABSD on the first residential property after the FTA remission is applied. The second residential property generally attracts 20%, and the third and subsequent property generally attracts 30%. Other stamp duties, including BSD, remain payable.

How Singapore BSD works for foreign buyers

BSD is separate from ABSD and is payable on acquisitions of immovable property regardless of the buyer's nationality or property count. For residential property acquired on or after 15 February 2023, the current BSD rates are 1% on the first S$180,000, 2% on the next S$180,000, 3% on the next S$640,000, 4% on the next S$500,000, 5% on the next S$1.5 million and 6% on the amount above S$3 million. BSD is therefore payable even when an FTA buyer receives 0% ABSD on a first residential property.

S$2 million example: ordinary foreigner vs qualifying FTA buyer

For a residential property with a purchase price and market value of S$2,000,000, current residential BSD is S$74,600. An ordinary foreign buyer would additionally pay 60% ABSD, or S$1,200,000, making combined BSD and ABSD S$1,274,600 before any other transaction costs. A qualifying FTA buyer purchasing a first residential property would generally receive 0% ABSD under the FTA remission and therefore pay the S$74,600 BSD only, assuming the remission conditions are satisfied. The original S$69,600 BSD example is outdated under the current BSD bands effective from 15 February 2023.

Joint purchases by buyers with different profiles

IRAS states that when two or more buyers of different profiles jointly purchase a residential property, the highest applicable ABSD rate applies to the entire value of the property. This is not a pro-rata calculation in which each co-owner simply pays ABSD on their percentage share. For example, an ordinary foreign buyer purchasing jointly with a Singapore Citizen can cause the 60% foreign rate to apply to the entire property value. However, married-couple remission rules can change the outcome where the conditions are met, so the raw highest-rate rule should not be presented as an absolute rule without checking whether a statutory remission applies.

Married couple remission: what if one spouse is a Singapore Citizen?

IRAS provides a specific ABSD remission for eligible married couples where at least one spouse is a Singapore Citizen. For a joint purchase of a first matrimonial residential property, full ABSD remission may be available if both spouses do not own any residential property and the property is purchased under both names only. For a second residential property, an ABSD refund may be available if the statutory conditions are satisfied, including selling the first property within six months after the relevant purchase/TOP/CSC date and meeting the other conditions. This means a foreign spouse married to a Singapore Citizen is not automatically trapped at the 60% rate when purchasing a qualifying matrimonial home together.

ABSD on residential property purchased through a trust

The original page's 60% trust statement is wrong. Residential property acquired to be held in trust is generally subject to 65% ABSD (Trust) upfront. IRAS states that where the statutory identifiable-beneficiary remission conditions are met, part or all of that 65% may be refunded. The refund is based on the difference between the 65% ABSD (Trust) paid and the ABSD that would otherwise be payable based on the highest profile of the beneficial owners. The remission application must be made within six months after execution of the instrument. A trust therefore requires separate analysis from an ordinary individual FTA purchase.

Foreign ownership of landed residential property

ABSD and foreign-ownership permission are separate issues. The Singapore Land Authority currently states that a foreign person who wishes to purchase landed residential property in Singapore, including at Sentosa Cove, must seek approval under the Residential Property Act. Therefore, an FTA ABSD remission does not remove the foreign-ownership approval requirement. This applies to landed residential property such as detached houses, semi-detached houses and terrace houses where the Residential Property Act requires approval.

Executive Condominiums and foreign buyers

The original statement that foreigners can only buy an Executive Condominium after a universal '10-year privatization mark' is too simplistic. A foreign buyer generally cannot purchase a new EC during its initial restricted period because new EC eligibility follows HDB's eligibility rules. After the EC becomes fully privatised, foreign buyers can generally buy the private residential unit without Residential Property Act approval. The buyer must still consider the property's status at the date of purchase, the applicable ABSD/BSD rules and any other resale restrictions.

ABSD and commercial, mixed-use and shophouse properties

ABSD is a duty on residential property acquisitions, not a blanket tax on every property transaction. However, the original statement that every commercial office, retail shop, shophouse and industrial property automatically incurs 0% ABSD is too broad. Whether ABSD applies depends on whether the property or interest being acquired is treated as residential under the stamp-duty rules. A mixed-use property or a shophouse with permitted residential use can require separate residential-property analysis, and IRAS specifically states that an HDB shop with living quarters or a shophouse with a portion permitted for residential use can be included in a buyer's residential-property count. BSD can apply to both residential and non-residential property, with different rate schedules.

When must ABSD and BSD be paid?

IRAS states that BSD and ABSD must be paid within 14 days after the date of the signed Contract or Agreement when the document is executed in Singapore. Where the Contract or Agreement is executed overseas, the duty must generally be paid within 30 days after the document is received in Singapore. IRAS states that stamp duty is an upfront cost and cannot be deferred or paid by instalments. Late or insufficient payment can attract penalties, and IRAS states that a penalty of up to four times the unpaid duty can be imposed under the Stamp Duties Act.

How the FTA remission is applied

IRAS currently states that qualifying foreigners can stamp via myTax Portal (Stamp Duty Login) to obtain the FTA remission certificate. If the transaction involves a trust instrument, the FTA remission application follows a separate online waiver or assessment process and requires supporting documents such as the trust instrument and, where applicable, the Option to Purchase or Sale and Purchase Agreement. Conveyancing lawyers commonly handle the stamping and supporting-document workflow, but the statutory remission remains subject to IRAS's conditions and evidence requirements.

Can CPF pay ABSD?

IRAS states that CPF funds may be used to pay stamp duty subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable CPF schemes. This is not a foreigner-specific benefit, and a buyer who has no CPF funds obviously cannot use CPF to settle ABSD. A foreign buyer should therefore not rely on CPF for payment and should arrange sufficient funds for the full stamp-duty liability by the statutory payment deadline.

ABSD is only one part of a foreign property purchase

Foreign buyers should budget for more than ABSD. Depending on the property and transaction, costs can include BSD, legal and conveyancing fees, valuation and mortgage costs, agent fees where applicable, property tax, maintenance or management charges and possible Seller's Stamp Duty if the property is later sold within the applicable holding period. Landed-property buyers also need to consider Residential Property Act approval. The FTA remission reduces ABSD exposure but does not remove these other obligations.

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