Visa and PR home loans
Home loans for New Zealand citizens
New Zealand citizens usually live here on the Special Category visa (subclass 444), granted on arrival. It is technically a temporary visa, but for buying a home it works much more like permanent residence, with a few state residence tests to watch.
On this page
| Visa status | Temporary visa |
|---|---|
| FIRB approval to buy a home | Not needed |
| Established (existing) homes | Can buy, no approval needed |
| New homes and vacant land | Can buy, no approval needed |
| 5% Deposit Scheme | Confirm with a participating lender |
| Help to Buy | Not eligible (Australian citizens only) |
Checked against the Foreign Investment Review Board, Home Affairs and Housing Australia on 26 October 2026.
What lenders look at
Many lenders treat a New Zealand citizen living in Australia much like a permanent resident. What they look at most is how settled you are here, and how much of your financial life is still in New Zealand.
Time living in Australia
A 444 is granted each time you arrive. Lenders look at how long you have been living and working here, not just the visa.Income earned here
Lenders assess Australian income. Salary from a New Zealand employer, or rent from a house there, is harder to use and often isn't counted.A New Zealand mortgage
If you still own a home in New Zealand, its loan repayments count as a commitment, converted to Australian dollars, and the property is an asset.Credit history
Your New Zealand credit history doesn't carry over to an Australian credit file. A few years of Australian accounts in good order help.Savings moved across
Money brought from New Zealand needs statements showing it leaving one account and arriving in the other.Your passport
The 444 sits on your New Zealand passport. Lenders and some grant schemes ask to see a current one.
FIRB and the established-home ban
New Zealand citizens who are not ordinarily resident in Australia are generally foreign persons. But New Zealand citizens who hold, or are eligible for, a Special Category visa are exempt from needing FIRB approval to buy residential land, and that includes established homes during the ban on foreign purchases.
If you live here on a 444, you don’t need FIRB approval to buy a home, new or established. If you live in New Zealand and are buying from there, check with FIRB how the exemption applies to you before you sign.
If your partner is not a New Zealand or Australian citizen and holds a temporary visa, their status brings FIRB back in for a joint purchase. The partner visa guide explains how joint tenancy changes that.
Duty, concessions and grants in each state
Each state has its own way of deciding when a New Zealand citizen is “foreign” for its surcharge, and whether a 444 holder counts as a permanent resident for its first home schemes. The table uses each state’s rules for 444 holders.
| State | Foreign buyer duty surcharge | First home duty concession | First Home Owner Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 9% unless the 200-day test is met | Yes | Yes, $10,000, new homes |
| VIC | 8% unless the 6-month residence test is met | Yes | Yes, $10,000, new homes |
| QLD | No | Yes | Yes, $30,000, new homes |
| WA | No | Yes | Yes, $10,000, new homes |
| SA | Confirm | Confirm | Confirm |
| TAS | No | No current scheme | Yes, $20,000, new homes |
| ACT | No surcharge | Yes | No grant (closed) |
| NT | No surcharge | House and land package exemption only | Yes, $50,000, new homes |
- NSW: not a foreign person for surcharge if you meet the residence requirement: 200 days in Australia in the 12 months before the contract, or living in the property for 200 continuous days within 12 months. For the First Home Owner Grant you must be living in Australia at the commencement date.
- Victoria: from 26 November 2025, a New Zealand citizen is not foreign if ordinarily resident here for six consecutive months within the 12 months before or after settlement. The first home grant is open to New Zealand citizens whether or not they hold a 444.
- Queensland: a New Zealand citizen holding a 444 when entering the transaction is a permanent resident for its additional foreign acquirer duty and first home schemes.
- Western Australia: a 444 holder is not a foreign individual. Its first home owner grant rules also refer to an intention to reside permanently in Australia, read from an older version of the Act, so confirm that point with RevenueWA.
- Tasmania: a 444 holder is not a foreign natural person, and must be living in Australia when applying for the grant.
The ACT and the NT charge no foreign buyer surcharge on duty. South Australia shows “Confirm” because we couldn’t verify its pages directly.
Deposit and LMI
The 5% Deposit Scheme is for Australian citizens and permanent residents. Its documents define “permanent resident” by reference to Australian citizenship law and don’t mention New Zealand citizens or the 444 visa. We don’t state either way whether you qualify: the participating lender confirms eligibility, so we ask before building a plan around a 5% deposit.
Help to Buy requires all applicants to be Australian citizens, so it isn’t available to New Zealand citizens who haven’t taken out Australian citizenship.
On a standard loan, lenders that treat you like a permanent resident apply their usual deposit rules, with LMI above 80% of the value. If a lender treats you as a temporary resident instead, expect a lower maximum LVR. That difference is one reason lender choice matters for New Zealand citizens.
Permanent residence and citizenship
You don’t need to change visas to buy a home. Some New Zealand citizens apply for Australian permanent residence anyway; the subclass 189 has a New Zealand stream (see the Home Affairs 189 page). Permanent residence would settle the 5% Deposit Scheme question, and Australian citizenship would open Help to Buy.
Whether that is worth doing for you is a migration question, and one for a registered migration agent. For the home loan itself, the 444 is usually enough.
Documents checklist
For a New Zealand citizen the passport does the visa work. The rest is standard.
- Passport
- Visa grant notice
- VEVO check showing visa conditions and expiry
- Recent payslips
- Employment contract or employer letter
- Bank statements showing savings and deposit source
- ATO notice of assessment or income statement
- New Zealand passport
- Statements and loan details for any property you own in New Zealand
This list is common lender practice, not a government rule. Each lender sets its own requirements, so we send you a checklist for the lender we recommend.
Illustrative scenario: two Brisbane homes either side of Queensland's threshold
A New Zealand citizen moved to Brisbane three years ago and has lived here since on a Special Category visa. He has never owned property anywhere, works full time and has saved a 10% deposit. He is choosing between two established homes: a unit at $650,000 and a townhouse at $760,000.
Queensland treats a New Zealand citizen holding a 444 when entering the contract as a permanent resident, so its first home concession can apply.
| Item | Unit | Townhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $650,000 | $760,000 |
| Transfer duty before any concession | $15,100 | $20,050 |
| First home duty concession | −$15,100 | −$6,940 |
| Mortgage and transfer registration fees | $2,684.40 | $3,196.56 |
| Government costs to budget for | $2,684.40 | $16,306.56 |
| Deposit (10%) | $65,000 | $76,000 |
| Loan before any LMI (90% LVR) | $585,000 | $684,000 |
| First Home Owner Grant (paid separately) | Not eligible | Not eligible |
- One buyer, a first home buyer with no interest in residential land anywhere, who will live in the home.
- He holds a 444 visa on the contract date.
- Duty, concessions and fees calculated from Queensland Revenue Office rules checked on 26 October 2026.
- Excludes conveyancing, building and pest inspections, lender fees, LMI and moving costs.
The unit is under Queensland’s $700,000 level for established first homes, so no transfer duty is payable and government costs are $2,684. At $760,000 the concession steps down, leaving $13,110 of duty, and it ends altogether at $800,000.
With a 10% deposit he will pay LMI on either home, unless a participating lender confirms he can use the 5% Deposit Scheme. The scheme’s documents don’t mention New Zealand citizens or the 444 visa, so that is a question to settle with the lender before he relies on it.
Common mistakes
Assuming the 444 is temporary for everything
For FIRB and most first home schemes, a 444 holder is treated much like a permanent resident.Buying in NSW right after arriving
Check the 200-day residence requirement before you sign, or plan to live in the home for 200 continuous days.Relying on the 5% scheme without asking
Have the participating lender confirm eligibility before you plan around a 5% deposit.Leaving out the house in New Zealand
A home and mortgage in New Zealand count in the assessment, and can affect first home status in some states.
Questions from New Zealand citizens
Do New Zealand citizens need FIRB approval to buy a house in Australia?
Not if you hold or are eligible for a Special Category visa (subclass 444). You are exempt from FIRB approval for residential land, including established homes during the foreign-buyer ban.
Can I get the NSW First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme as a New Zealand citizen?
Yes, if you meet its other conditions. For the scheme, a permanent resident includes a New Zealand citizen holding a special category visa.
Do I pay foreign buyer duty in NSW as a New Zealand citizen?
Not if you meet the residence requirement: 200 days in Australia in the 12 months before the contract, or living in the property for 200 continuous days within 12 months of it.
Can New Zealand citizens use the 5% Deposit Scheme?
The scheme's documents don't mention New Zealand citizens or the 444 visa. The participating lender confirms eligibility, so ask before relying on it.
I own a house in New Zealand. Am I a first home buyer here?
It depends on the scheme. NSW's First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme looks at property in Australia. Queensland's first home concession and the ACT's Home Buyer Concession Scheme also count property overseas.
Talk through your visa and deposit with Sulav
Bring your visa grant notice and a rough idea of your savings. In 60 minutes we work out which lenders fit and what the purchase will really cost.
Related guides
- Home loans for permanent residentsAny permanent visa: no FIRB, full access to first home schemes, and the NSW 200-day rule explained.
- Home loans for 189 visa holdersSkilled Independent: permanent from day one, with the NSW 200-day rule to watch if you've just arrived.
- Home loans on a partner visaPartner visas 820/801 and 309/100: joint tenancy, the FIRB spouse exemption and NSW's partner rule.
- Home loans for 190 visa holdersSkilled Nominated: permanent, state-nominated, and eligible for first home concessions in every state that has them.
Sources
Every rule on this page comes from these official pages. Dates show when we last checked each one.
- Special Category visa (subclass 444)
- Guidance Note 2: Key concepts (version 5)
- Guidance Note 6: Residential land (version 5)
- Residential investment information
- 5% Deposit Scheme information guide
- 5% Deposit Scheme FAQs
- Help to Buy scheme
- Home concession rates (owner-occupier)
- Home concession rates (owner-occupier) (home concession)
- Home concession rates (owner-occupier) (legislation)
- General transfer duty rates
- General transfer duty rates (official calculator)
- First home concession
- registration fees
- registration fees (fees)
- First home owner grant: eligibility
- First Home Owner Grant
- First Home Owner Grant (state budget 2026)
State and territory sources
Used for the state-by-state table.
- NSWSurcharge purchaser duty: individualsFirst Home Buyers Assistance SchemeFHBAS: New Zealand citizen declaration (form)First Home Owner (New Homes) GrantSurcharge purchaser duty rateRevenue NSW · Checked
- VICForeign purchaser additional dutyForeign purchaser additional duty: exemptions and rulesFirst home buyer duty exemption or concessionFirst Home Owner GrantForeign purchaser additional duty (FPAD) rateState Revenue Office Victoria · Checked
- QLDAdditional foreign acquirer duty: foreign personsAdditional foreign acquirer duty: assessingQueensland Revenue Office · Checked
- WAForeign transfer duty fact sheetFirst home owner rate fact sheetFirst Home Owner Grant fact sheetFHOG lodgement guide: terms usedForeign transfer duty rateFirst Home Owner Grant amountRevenueWA · Checked
- SAForeign ownership surcharge: foreign personForeign ownership surcharge FAQsFirst home buyer relief: eligible applicantsFirst Home Owner Grant: eligible applicantsForeign ownership surcharge rateFirst Home Owner Grant amountRevenueSA · Checked
- TASForeign investor duty surcharge: definition of foreignFirst home buyers of established homes duty relief (ended)First Home Owner Grant: eligibilityForeign investor duty surcharge (FIDS) rateState Revenue Office Tasmania · Checked
- ACTDuties Act 1999 (ACT)Home Buyer Concession Scheme determination (DI2026-157)First Home Owner Grant (closed)Foreign purchaser duty surcharge rateACT Legislation Register, ACT Revenue Office · Checked
- NTStamp Duty Act 1978 (NT)First Home Owner Grant Act 2000 (NT)HomeGrown Territory Grant (First Home Owner Grant) amountNT Legislation, Northern Territory Government · Checked