THE SWISS ADDRESS · WHITEWOLF
The essential questions to resolve before making a commitment.
Rules before property
A first-screen guide for international buyers. It identifies the questions to resolve before visits, offers or reservation payments.
Check the authorised tourist location, the buyer, the exact property, any quota and separate second-home restrictions. A listing, surface figure or future residence plan does not establish permission to buy.
Preliminary orientation only — nationality, domicile, permit, property classification and local practice can change the answer.Persons abroad may need cantonal authorisation. A Swiss purchase never grants a residence permit by itself.
Federal lawAuthorisations are limited and allocated through cantonal quotas. Availability is property- and timing-specific.
Vaud authorityFor an authorised holiday home, federal guidance uses roughly 200 m² of net living area and 1,000 m² of land as normal limits; larger cases require specific justification.
In communes above the statutory second-home threshold, new secondary residences face additional restrictions. Existing-law status matters.
Federal overviewThe Riviera nuance
On the Vaud Riviera, the decisive questions include the buyer’s legal status, the property’s authorised use, the commune, remaining quota, net living-area calculation and whether the home is already recognised as a secondary residence. WHITEWOLF screens these points with the notary and specialist counsel before mobilising a search.
Riviera eligibility orientation
Choose a sector for a first residential and acquisition orientation. This never confirms a Lex Koller authorisation or secondary-residence status.
Very scarce prime · indicative entry CHF 2.5m+
Indicative market orientation only. Eligibility depends on the buyer, domicile, permit, exact property, authorised use, commune, quota and current administrative practice.
The market reality
Each agency sees a fragment. Listings overlap, availability changes, seller expectations conflict and genuine off-market homes circulate through separate relationships. Repeating the brief everywhere creates noise — not strategy.
Official & professional notary directories
Rather than publishing a static list that becomes outdated, use the official or professional registers. WHITEWOLF can propose the appropriate office for the canton, language, structure and timetable — the client remains free to choose.
This tool is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, quotas and administrative practice can change. Eligibility must be confirmed for the buyer and the exact property by the competent authority and independent advisers.
