Buying NZ property from the US
What a US-based buyer should sort out first: consent, funds, tax reporting and how to hold the property.
- Ask LINZ early whether you need Overseas Investment consent; US buyers are not exempt by default.
- US citizens and green-card holders have US tax filing duties on overseas assets; speak to a US tax adviser before you offer.
- How you hold the property (personal name, company, trust) changes the paperwork on both sides; decide before signing.
- Allow time for US documents to be certified for use in NZ, and for funds to clear into your lawyer's trust account.
- NZ does not use US-style title insurance; ask your NZ lawyer how title is checked.
Check the details. Check consent with LINZ, then a NZ lawyer and a tax adviser who knows both US and NZ rules.
Official pages
Shortened from a Berry article first written 2026-05-16. Figures we could not check against a public source were taken out. This is general information, not advice.