Mainland China and Hong Kong are two different legal systems with two different answers to the question 'can a foreigner buy?'. A map of our guides to both.
China and Hong Kong are often mentioned together and are very different for a foreign buyer. This page is the map of our guides. It is general information, not legal or tax advice, and rules change: every guide names its sources and lists what we could not confirm. We have no listings in either place, so nothing here is an offer.
Two jurisdictions, two answers
- Mainland China: land belongs to the state and buyers acquire land-use rights, purchase rules for non-residents are restrictive and moving money in and out is regulated. Start with who can buy and how and what land-use rights actually give you.
- Hong Kong: a separate legal system, a freely convertible currency and no general ban on foreign buyers of homes, but one of the most expensive markets in the world. Start with the Hong Kong buying guide.
Mainland China
- Who can buy and how
- Land-use rights: what foreigners actually own
- Taxes and fees for foreign buyers
- Mortgages and money transfers: capital controls
- Visas, residence permits and permanent residence
- Best cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hainan
- Cost of living
- The market in 2026: prices, yield and developer risks
- Due diligence and scams
Hong Kong
- Buying guide for foreign buyers
- Stamp duty and property taxes for non-residents
- Mortgages for non-residents
- Visas and residence for investors and owners
- Cost of living
- Most expensive, smallest and unusual properties
What this means for a normal buyer
- Decide first whether you can buy at all and whether you can get your money out again. In mainland China these two questions come before price or location.
- Do not assume that a property gives residence. Check the visa route separately in each guide.
- Use a lawyer licensed in the place you buy, and read where foreigners cannot own land and what they can hold instead for the wider picture.
If you want a second pair of eyes before you decide, an independent buyer-side adviser can compare options and bring in a local lawyer. D.H. Realting works from Warsaw as an independent consultant; ask us how we are paid, as you would ask anyone.