Can Foreigners Own a Condominium Unit in the Philippines?

A lot of the queries we get are from foreigners asking how they can purchase a house and lot in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the Philippine real estate laws, as of this writing, on property ownership does not allow foreign ownership of lands. They can legally own a building or a house but they can’t own the land on which the property is built. They may be able to purchase lands but it has to be registered and named under a Filipino citizen. In most cases, a Filipino spouse.

But what if a foreigner wants to own real estate in the Philippines and he/she wants to register it under his/her name? Is this possible? The best answer to this would be purchasing a condominium unit instead as foreigners are allowed to have absolute ownership of up to 40% of a condominium project. Yes, absolute. According to R.A. 4726, foreigners can buy and register, under their own name, a condominium unit. The Condominium Certificate of Title (CTC) will be registered under the foreigner’s name.

Some people claim that foreigners can own a house and lot in the Philippines. How is this possible?
Those who claim that foreigners can own a house and lot in the Philippines have a condominium title to their property. This is not a common case since there are very few single-detached houses or townhouses in the Philippines with condominium titles. Most of the condominiums in the Philippines are mid to high rise buildings and are usually located within the cities.

View some Davao condominiums.