Agricultural land is the most regulated property type. Rules for EU and non-EU buyers in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Georgia and Thailand, and what is lawful.
Farmland and rural land look like the simplest purchase abroad: big plots, low prices per square metre, quiet surroundings. They are also the most regulated category of real estate in Europe and beyond, because many states treat agricultural land as a strategic resource. A buyer who ignores the rules can end up with a void contract or land that cannot be registered. This guide explains how the restrictions are built, what applies in the main countries our readers ask about, and what can be done lawfully. It does not describe ways around the rules, and we do not recommend any.
Why farmland is different
Most countries distinguish residential or building land from agricultural land, forest and protected land. Restrictions on foreigners and sometimes on locals focus on the second group. They take four typical forms.
- A ban on ownership for foreigners, with exceptions such as inheritance.
- Conditions on the buyer: farmer status, qualification, residence or farming experience, a cap on the area owned.
- Pre-emption rights for neighbours, tenants, the state or young farmers, so that a sale must first be offered to them.
- Permits or approvals for non-EU buyers, and special zones such as military or border areas.
Within the EU, free movement of capital limits discrimination by nationality, which is why several countries moved from outright bans on EU citizens to conditions that apply equally to their own citizens. Those conditions can still be strict, and some have been challenged in court. For buyers from outside the EU, national law applies in full.
Country notes
These are orientation notes checked against general legal sources in October 2026. National laws are amended often, so confirm with a local lawyer before any step.
Bulgaria. The Court of Justice of the EU ruled on 18 January 2024 in case C-562/22 that the Bulgarian condition of five years of residence for buying agricultural land was contrary to the free movement of capital, so EU citizens can buy agricultural land on the same basis as Bulgarians. Non-EU foreigners cannot own land directly, see the official point of single contact. Some sources say the national provisions on companies and non-EU persons still stand formally after the ruling. We could not confirm the current position, so ask a Bulgarian lawyer for the exact rules before any offer. Our Bulgaria guide gives general context.
Romania. Farmland outside built-up areas is governed by Law 17/2014 as amended in October 2020. Law-firm summaries describe pre-emption ranks for co-owners, relatives, tenants, neighbours and young farmers, and conditions on the buyer that include several years of residence and of farming activity in Romania. In practice a foreign individual cannot simply buy such land, and a sale that skips the pre-emption procedure can be void. We found no court ruling striking these conditions down, so treat them as in force and verify.
Hungary. Under the 2013 land law, agricultural land can be acquired by EU or EEA citizens who meet farmer requirements, reported as a qualification or experience and a link to the area, and companies cannot buy it. Reported limits include about one hectare for a person who is not a farmer and a larger cap for registered farmers. Non-EU persons are reported to be limited to leases, up to about twenty years. The Court of Justice found the old ban on usufruct for foreigners unlawful in 2018 and 2019, but the statute remains restrictive.
Poland. Since 1 May 2016 EEA citizens do not need the interior-ministry permit that other foreigners need, but farmland follows the Act on the Shaping of the Agricultural System, see the gov.pl guidance for foreigners. In general, the buyer of agricultural land must be an individual farmer who will run the farm personally for five years and live in the municipality, and the state agency KOWR holds pre-emption and consent powers. Plots between about 0.3 and 1 hectare may be bought by a non-farmer but are reported to be subject to a KOWR pre-emption right. Non-EEA buyers need a ministerial permit for any real estate.
Lithuania. Foreigners can buy most real estate, but agricultural and forest land is tightly restricted. EU citizens are reported to be treated broadly like Lithuanians, while non-EU buyers from outside certain country groups are restricted, and a state land agency has pre-emption rights. We could not confirm area limits or qualification rules, so check them with a Lithuanian lawyer.
Greece. EU citizens buy on the same terms as Greeks. Non-EU buyers need a defence-ministry permit in designated border and island areas, which is reported to be routine for ordinary residential use, and forest land cannot be built on. Agricultural land outside a town plan also has building limits, see land abroad and zoning.
Turkey. Foreign individuals can buy land through the land registry, but reported limits include about 30 hectares per person nationwide and a share of a district's private land, a ban in military and strategic zones, and a requirement to submit a project for agricultural land within a set period. Check the current text with the land registry authority or a Turkish lawyer.
Georgia. Agricultural land can be owned only by the state, municipalities, citizens and Georgian-majority companies, under the 2017 constitutional amendment and the 2019 organic law. Inheritance is a reported exception. Whether and for how long a foreigner may lease agricultural land we could not confirm to an official source, so ask a Georgian lawyer and the Public Registry. See our Georgia 2026 rules article.
Thailand. Foreigners cannot own land under the Land Code, and violations are criminal offences. Sources describe registered leaseholds, superficies and usufruct as the lawful tools. Our article on nominee ownership enforcement explains why disguised ownership is a serious risk.
What can be done lawfully
- Buy non-agricultural land or a house with a plot where the plot is classed as residential. Confirm the class in the register.
- Use a registered long lease where the law allows leases to foreigners, with its length, renewal, transfer and inheritance conditions read by a local lawyer.
- Take inherited land where the law allows it, and plan sale or transfer afterwards.
- Qualify genuinely, for example by living in the area, running a farm and meeting the farmer test, if you plan to farm.
- Invest through a local company only where the law lets that company own the land and you can show who ultimately owns it. A company that exists to hide a prohibited owner is not lawful.
Avoid nominee owners, straw buyers, side letters and verbal arrangements. These can lead to loss of the land, fines or criminal liability, and a court may refuse to enforce them.
Before you pay
Ask the land register for the designated use, check pre-emption rights and who must be notified, confirm the buyer conditions in writing from a local lawyer, and read the pre-purchase checklist. Budget for the full cost, see total cost of ownership.
FAQ
Can an EU citizen buy farmland in another EU country? Often yes, but national conditions such as farmer status, residence or pre-emption rights can apply. The rules differ by country and change, so check locally.
I live in Poland and want farmland in another country. Does my residence help? What matters first is usually citizenship, EU or non-EU, and then the national conditions of the country where the land lies. Living in an EU country does not by itself make a non-EU citizen an EU buyer, so confirm your status with a local lawyer.
Why is leasing common? Where ownership is limited, a registered lease can give use rights for a period, but its length and transfer conditions are limited and vary by country.
Is buying through a local company a safe route? Only where the law allows the company to own the land and ownership is transparent. A company used to hide a prohibited owner is not a lawful solution.
Can I build a house on farmland? Usually not without a change of designation or a specific exception, which is discretionary. Ask for the planning certificate first.
How we help
D.H. Realting is a trilingual platform in Russian, Polish and English. We find properties and coordinate independent local lawyers and tax advisers who confirm what a foreign buyer may lawfully acquire in the country concerned. We do not arrange structures to circumvent land rules. This text is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice, and the rules change, so verify the current provisions with the authorities and a local lawyer.