Can a Foreigner Buy Property in Cambodia in 2026? A Straight Answer

Short answer: yes, a foreigner can buy property in Cambodia — but only the right kind, in the right way. You can own a qualifying condominium unit outright, in your own name, with a registrable title. You cannot own land directly. Everything else is detail, and the detail is where money is made or lost.

This page is the practical version: what you can buy, how the purchase actually works in 2026, what it costs, and how landed property is held. For the underlying law in depth, see our explainer on what foreigners can and cannot own. Citations are marked [S-NNN]; the source list is at the end.

What you can buy outright

Under the Law on Providing Foreigners with Ownership Rights in Private Units of Co-owned Buildings (promulgated 24 May 2010), a foreigner can own a strata-title unit — a privately titled unit inside a co-owned building (a condominium) — subject to three limits [S-013]:

• Not the ground floor. Foreign ownership starts on the first floor up; the ground floor and any underground floor are excluded [S-013].
• The 70% rule. Foreigners may own up to 70% of the total surface area of the private units in any one building; at least 30% stays Cambodian-held [S-013] [S-023].
• Not near a land border. Units in buildings within 30 km of a land border are off-limits to foreigners, with limited exceptions [S-013].

If the unit has a valid strata title and the building still has foreign quota, you can hold it in your own name — the unit only, never the common areas or the land under the building [S-013]. This is the cleanest path and the one we steer most buyers toward.

What you cannot buy directly — and how it’s held

Land — houses, villas, boreys, shophouses, commercial or agricultural plots — cannot be foreign-owned directly: Article 44 of the Constitution and Article 8 of the 2001 Land Law reserve land ownership for Cambodian nationals and Cambodian-majority entities, and acquiring land under a falsified nationality is a punishable offence [S-014]. Buyers use one of four structures, and they are not equally safe. In rough order of how well they protect you:

1. Registered long lease (Civil Code perpetual lease: 15 to 50 years, renewable; registration is what makes it enforceable against third parties) — a genuine, defensible right [S-015] [S-023].
2. Regulated trust under the 2019 Trust Law — a trustee licensed by the Trust Regulator holds title, you’re the registered beneficiary [S-022]. No longer exotic: $1.7B+ had flowed into Cambodia through trusts by early 2025, ~90% of it into real estate [S-024].
3. Land-holding company (at least 51% Cambodian-owned under Article 101 of the Law on Commercial Enterprise) — workable when properly papered, weak when done cheaply [S-023].
4. Nominee — a Cambodian holds title “for” you. Common, cheapest, behind most horror stories, and sitting on the wrong side of the falsified-nationality prohibition; reputable firms decline to endorse it [S-014] [S-023]. We treat it as out of scope.

We compare all four in detail in leases, companies, trusts, and nominees, and the newest option has its own guide: Cambodia’s Trust Law for foreign owners.

How the purchase actually works

The process for a condo, start to finish, in broad strokes:

1. Verify the title first, not last. Confirm the unit has a real strata title and the building has foreign quota left. MLMUPC’s verify.gov.kh now lets you check a title’s authenticity by QR code [S-018], but authenticity is not the whole story — Cambodia runs several title systems in parallel, so read Cambodian property titles, explained before you fall for a “soft title” deal.
2. Engage your own lawyer. Not the developer’s, not the agent’s. Independent counsel who represents you is the cheapest insurance you will buy.
3. Reservation and deposit. A reservation agreement and deposit take the unit off the market while due diligence runs.
4. Sale and purchase agreement (SPA). Your lawyer reviews terms, payment schedule (especially for off-plan), and what happens if the developer slips.
5. Due diligence. Title, developer track record, service charges, and the realistic re-let rate. Our due-diligence checklist is the field guide.
6. Payment and transfer. Funds move (mind the foreign-exchange and banking steps), title transfers, and registration is completed.

What it costs beyond the price

Budget for more than the sticker. The main items are the 4% transfer tax (stamp duty) on the assessed value [S-021], registration fees, legal fees, and — for rented units — annual taxes and management charges. Two 2026-specific notes: stamp-duty relief for qualifying purchases from licensed developers runs through 31 December 2026, and the 20% capital gains tax on real estate is deferred until 1 January 2027 — relevant if your exit horizon is short [S-021]. We break the numbers down in Cambodia property taxes and costs. If you’re borrowing, note that foreigner financing is limited and pricey; see mortgages and financing for foreigners.

The honest caveats

• Off-plan is a leap of faith. You are buying a promise from a developer. Their track record is the asset; vet it.
• Soft title is a trap. Roughly 75% of Cambodian property sits on locally-registered soft title [S-041] — normal for Cambodians, wrong for you. If a condo deal hinges on an unregistered “soft title”, walk.
• Yields are quoted gross. Management, vacancy, and exit friction are real; the net is what matters.

Where to go next

• Not sure what your budget actually buys? Run the 60-second buying-power quiz.
• Want the whole thing in one document? Get the free buyer’s guide.
• Weighing a specific unit or structure? Start a private, independent conversation — the only thing on the table is a straight read.

Sources

• [S-013] DFDL — Cambodia Pointer: Foreign Ownership and Condominiums — 2010 law name and date; 70% cap; ground/underground-floor exclusion; 30 km border restriction; private-units-only scope.
• [S-014] Land Law 2001, English text (NS/RKM/0801/14) — Art. 8 Khmer-nationality land-ownership requirement; Constitution Art. 44; falsified-nationality offence.
• [S-015] BNG Legal — Long Term Leases in Cambodia — perpetual lease 15–50 years; registration required for third-party enforceability.
• [S-018] IPS Cambodia — verify.gov.kh digital property verification — QR title-authenticity checking.
• [S-021] DFDL — Capital Gains Tax Deferred Again (real estate) — 4% transfer/stamp duty; licensed-developer stamp-duty relief through 31 Dec 2026; 20% CGT deferred to 1 Jan 2027.
• [S-022] BNG Legal — Trusts under the Trust Law 2019 — licensed-trustee requirement; trust registration.
• [S-023] BNG Legal — Foreign Ownership of Immovable Property (2024) — 70% cap mechanics; Art. 101 Law on Commercial Enterprise; lease and company structures; nominee position.
• [S-024] Realestate.com.kh — Owning property via a trust in Cambodia — $1.7B+ via trusts to Feb 2025, ~90% into real estate.
• [S-041] IPS Cambodia — Cambodian Property Titles — ~75% of property on soft title.