Buying a Calgary Home as an International Buyer (2026 Rules)

Updated: September 16, 2026

If you live outside Canada and are thinking about buying a home in Calgary, the first question is not which neighbourhood or which price range. It is whether you are allowed to buy at all. Since 1 January 2023, a federal law has prohibited most non-Canadians from buying residential property in Canada's cities, and Calgary is covered by it.

This guide sets out who can buy right now, the exceptions written into the law, why the rules after 1 January 2027 are still undecided, and, if you are eligible, how a purchase in Calgary actually works: the lawyer, financing, currency, closing costs and the Canadian tax that follows you when you rent out or sell. It is general information, not legal, immigration or tax advice.

Who Can Buy a Home in Calgary Right Now

The law applies to "non-Canadians." You are not a non-Canadian, and the ban does not apply to you at all, if you are:

• a Canadian citizen, wherever you currently live;
• a permanent resident of Canada; or
• a person registered under the Indian Act.

Everyone else is generally prohibited from buying residential property in Calgary unless one of the exceptions below applies. The definition also reaches some corporations and other entities controlled by non-Canadians, so buying through a company does not get around it. If you plan to buy through a corporation or trust, ask your lawyer before you start.

Note that citizenship and immigration status decide whether the ban applies. Where you live for tax purposes is a separate question, covered further down.

What the Foreign Buyer Ban Covers

The Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act took effect on 1 January 2023. On 4 February 2024 the federal government announced it would be extended to 1 January 2027. The supporting regulations (SOR/2022-250) were last amended on 27 March 2023.

Where it applies

The ban applies to residential property located in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and census agglomerations (CAs), as defined by Statistics Canada. Calgary is a census metropolitan area, so homes in the city are covered. Areas outside any CMA or CA are not covered, but it is not always obvious whether a nearby town or rural municipality falls inside one, so have your lawyer confirm the status of a specific property outside the city.

What counts as residential property

For the purposes of the Act, residential property means buildings of up to three dwelling units, plus parts of buildings such as semi-detached houses and condominium units. In practice, that covers detached houses, duplexes, townhomes and condo apartments.

The penalty

A non-Canadian who buys in breach of the Act can be fined up to $10,000, and a court can order the property sold.

The Exceptions

The regulations set out specific exceptions. Each has conditions, and every condition matters; missing one means the exception does not apply.

• Work permit holders. You must hold a valid work permit with 183 days or more of validity remaining on the date of purchase, and you must not have previously purchased a residential property.
• International students. You must be enrolled in an authorised program of study, have filed Canadian tax returns for each of the five years before the purchase, have been physically present in Canada for at least 244 days in each of those five years, not have previously purchased a residential property, and the purchase price must be $500,000 or less.
• Protected persons and refugees. People with protected person status under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are exempt, as are certain refugee claimants.
• Buying with a spouse or common-law partner. A non-Canadian may buy together with a spouse or common-law partner who is a Canadian citizen, a person registered under the Indian Act, a permanent resident, or a non-Canadian to whom the prohibition does not apply.
• Vacant land and development. Vacant land was exempted in 2023, and certain purchases for the purpose of developing residential housing are exempt.
• Acquisitions that are not purchases. Property acquired through death, divorce, separation or a gift is not caught by the prohibition.

A few other narrow exceptions exist, for example for certain foreign diplomats. Because the conditions are precise, get a written opinion from a Canadian lawyer on your specific situation before you look seriously at homes.

What Happens on 1 January 2027

This is the part of the story nobody can answer yet. The Act is currently in force until 1 January 2027. As of July–August 2026, the government had not announced a further extension, a repeal or a replacement.

According to a July 10, 2026 analysis by the law firm Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG), the government has signalled that it is considering a different approach rather than a straight extension — for example, tiered exemptions that would allow foreign purchases of new homes or rental housing. None of that is law. Until the government acts, treat every scenario — the ban lapsing, being extended, or being replaced with something narrower — as possible.

What that means for you:

• Do not plan a purchase around a rule change that has not happened.
• Do not sign a conditional or firm agreement timed for 2027 on the assumption the ban ends.
• Check the CMHC page on the Act and speak with a Canadian lawyer shortly before you act, not months earlier.

We will update this page when the government announces its decision.

If You Are Eligible: How a Purchase Works

If you are a citizen or permanent resident living abroad, or you qualify under an exception, the practical process is the same one Canadian buyers follow, with a few extra steps. For the step-by-step order of a Calgary purchase, see the steps to buying a house in Calgary.

Confirm eligibility in writing first

Before anything else, have a Canadian lawyer confirm in writing that the prohibition does not apply to you, or which exception you rely on. If your status depends on a work permit or study permit, check the dates carefully against your likely possession date.

Retain an Alberta real estate lawyer

In Alberta, a lawyer handles the legal side of the purchase: searching title, reviewing the Real Property Report, holding funds in trust, registering the transfer and, if you borrow, registering the lender's mortgage. Choose one who handles residential conveyancing regularly and is comfortable working with clients who are not in Calgary. More on what a lawyer does in an Alberta purchase.

Financing

Lending requirements for buyers who are non-residents, recently arrived or earning income outside Canada differ from lender to lender and change over time, so we do not publish down payment or rate figures here. Speak with a mortgage professional early, before you start viewing homes. Our Calgary mortgage broker page explains how pre-approval works and who to talk to.

Currency and moving funds

If your savings are in another currency, exchange rates can move between the day your offer is accepted and the day you close. Talk to your bank or a foreign exchange provider about timing and costs before you commit to a closing date, and allow time for international transfers to clear into your lawyer's trust account. Expect your lawyer and lender to verify your identity and ask you to document where your funds came from.

Closing costs in Alberta

Alberta has no provincial sales tax and no land transfer tax. You do pay Land Titles registration fees on the transfer and on any mortgage, plus legal fees and the usual adjustments. GST applies to newly built homes. See does Alberta have land transfer tax and GST on new homes in Alberta for detail.

Tax When a Non-Resident Rents Out or Sells

Whether you are a resident of Canada for tax purposes is decided under tax rules by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), not by your passport or immigration status. If you are a non-resident for tax purposes and own a Calgary home, two sets of rules matter. Get advice from a Canadian tax professional before you buy, not after.

Renting the home out

According to the CRA, when a non-resident earns rent from real property in Canada, the tenant or the agent collecting the rent must withhold non-resident tax of 25% of the gross rent. A non-resident can elect under section 216 of the Income Tax Act to be taxed on net rental income instead, which involves filing Form NR6 and a separate return. The details and deadlines are technical.

Selling: section 116

Section 116 applies when a non-resident sells Canadian real property — not when they buy. The seller must notify the CRA about the sale, before it or no later than 10 days after, and request a certificate of compliance (Form T2062 or a related form), providing payment or security for the tax on any gain. If a certificate is not issued, the buyer can become liable for the tax, which is why the buyer's lawyer will normally hold back part of the sale price — 25% of the proceeds, or 50% for certain types of property, less any certificate limit — until the certificate arrives. That holdback can delay your proceeds for some time, so plan for it if you expect to sell while living abroad.

Researching Calgary Neighbourhoods From Abroad

If you are eligible and ready to look, the practical challenge is judging areas you cannot easily visit. A few places to start:

• The quadrant system. Calgary addresses end in NW, NE, SW or SE, and knowing how Calgary's quadrants work makes listings and maps much easier to read.
• Community by community. The Calgary community map links to a page for each community, with the homes currently listed and neighbourhood information.
• Where to live. Where should I live in Calgary? walks through commute, budget and property type rather than rankings.
• Condo buildings. If you are considering an apartment, the Calgary condo buildings directory covers individual buildings, and our condo documents centre explains what to review before buying a unit.

When you want to see what is on the market today, browse Calgary houses for sale and set up alerts so new listings that match come straight to your inbox.

Moving Here as a Newcomer or Permanent Resident

If you are already a permanent resident, or will be by the time you buy, the foreign buyer ban does not apply to you and your questions are different: building Canadian credit, newcomer mortgage options and settling in. Our guide to buying a home in Calgary as a newcomer to Canada covers that in detail, and the moving to Calgary page covers relocation more broadly.

Sources

Figures and rules on this page were checked on September 16, 2026 against the following. Links are given as text; copy them into your browser.

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act: www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/consultations/prohibition-purchase-residential-property-non-canadians-act
• Justice Laws Website, Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Regulations (SOR/2022-250): laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2022-250/FullText.html
• Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada's foreign buyer ban: What the 2027 expiry signals for investors (July 10, 2026): www.blg.com/en/insights/2026/07/canadas-foreign-buyer-ban-what-the-2027-expiry-signals-for-investors
• Canada Revenue Agency, Disposing of or acquiring certain Canadian property (section 116): www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/information-been-moved/disposing-acquiring-certain-canadian-property.html
• Canada Revenue Agency, Rental income and non-resident tax: www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/information-been-moved/rental-income-non-resident-tax.html

Frequently Asked Questions