BSD treats every buyer the same
Singapore Buyer's Stamp Duty is residency-neutral. Whether the buyer is a Singapore Citizen, Singapore Permanent Resident, foreigner on a work pass, or a foreign-incorporated company, the BSD rate is the same tiered 1% to 6% schedule on residential property. The buyer's nationality only affects Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD), which is layered on top.
ABSD makes the real difference
For a non-citizen buyer, ABSD usually dominates the total stamp duty bill. Current ABSD rates (effective 27 April 2023):
| Buyer profile | 1st property | 2nd | 3rd+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Citizen (SC) | 0% | 20% | 30% |
| Singapore PR (SPR) | 5% | 30% | 35% |
| Foreigner | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| Entity / certain trustees | 65% | 65% | 65% |
Worked examples
SPR buying first $1.5 million condo
- BSD = $44,600 (tiered 1%/2%/3%/4%)
- ABSD = 5% × $1,500,000 = $75,000
- Total stamp duty = $119,600
Foreigner buying $1.5 million condo
- BSD = $44,600
- ABSD = 60% × $1,500,000 = $900,000
- Total stamp duty = $944,600
Foreigner buying $3 million prime condo
- BSD = $119,600
- ABSD = 60% × $3,000,000 = $1,800,000
- Total stamp duty = $1,919,600 (≈ 64% of the price)
🧮 Try any price with the Total Stamp Duty calculator (BSD + ABSD combined).
Free Trade Agreement exemption — the "5 FTA countries"
Under Singapore's Free Trade Agreements, nationals of five countries are accorded the same ABSD treatment as Singapore Citizens. This means foreigners from these countries pay 0% ABSD on their first residential property in Singapore:
- 🇺🇸 United States — citizens only (not PRs)
- 🇮🇸 Iceland — citizens and PRs
- 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein — citizens and PRs
- 🇳🇴 Norway — citizens and PRs
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland — citizens and PRs
BSD is unchanged for these buyers. The FTA exemption only applies to ABSD. To benefit, the buyer must elect FTA treatment in the stamping process — their conveyancing lawyer files the relevant declaration.
Restrictions on what foreigners can buy
BSD applies to whatever a foreigner is allowed to purchase. The categories:
- Permitted without prior approval — condominium units, strata-titled apartments, designated Sentosa Cove properties.
- Restricted (requires Land Dealings Approval Unit approval) — landed property on the mainland (terrace, semi-detached, detached bungalow), vacant residential land, units in non-condominium developments below six storeys.
- Not permitted — HDB flats (BTO or resale). Foreigners cannot buy HDB. Even an SPR can only buy an HDB flat under specific household compositions (e.g. with an SC spouse).