Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB)

The Foreign Investment Review Board, or FIRB, examines proposed foreign investment in Australia, including most residential and many commercial property acquisitions by foreign persons or foreign-controlled entities, and approval is generally required before such a purchase can proceed. FIRB approval timing and conditions vary by asset type and investment size, and a foreign investor should confirm requirements with a qualified adviser early, since FIRB conditions can affect settlement timing in ways a finance facility needs to accommodate.⚠ Lenders financing foreign investors typically require evidence that FIRB approval has been obtained, or is not required for the specific transaction, as a condition precedent to settlement, alongside the other standard security and serviceability requirements. Because FIRB and finance timelines interact directly, foreign investor transactions are generally planned with both processes running in parallel from an early stage rather than sequentially.

Related

Foreign investor loans · Foreign purchaser surcharge · Land tax