Property Guide · Berlin · Germany
Buying a home in Germany is one of the biggest decisions you will make here. The process is complex, mostly in German, and built for people who grew up inside the system. If you are an Indian expat doing this without a German family network, you are not missing something obvious — the system simply was not designed with you in mind.
Here is the whole process, explained plainly, with the parts that specifically trip up Indian buyers flagged along the way.
Yes. There are no restrictions on foreigners buying property in Germany. You do not need permanent residence, you do not need to be an EU citizen, and there is no extra tax for foreign buyers. What you do need is a way to pay for it — and for most people that means a German mortgage, which is where the real complexity begins.
The price you see on ImmobilienScout24 is not what the home costs you. In Berlin, you pay roughly 8–12% on top of the purchase price in closing costs — and none of it can be added to your mortgage. It all comes out of your own savings.
So on a €400,000 flat, budget €432,000–446,000 in total. Add the mortgage deposit on top, and you see why the savings requirement is so high.
The number that surprises everyone: German banks usually want a 20% deposit plus the full closing costs in cash. On a €400,000 property that is roughly €110,000–125,000 in savings before a bank will talk to you. Many Indian buyers budget only for the deposit and discover the rest at the worst possible moment.
This is the single most important thing in this guide. The most painful mistake we see is a buyer who finds a home they love, makes an offer, and only then learns the bank will lend far less than they assumed.
German banks look at Indian expat applications differently in ways that matter:
Talk to a mortgage broker who has worked with Indian expats before you start viewing. A realistic borrowing number changes everything about which homes you should even look at.
Most apartments in Germany are sold as part of a WEG — a Wohnungseigentümergemeinschaft, or community of owners. You own your flat and a share of the building. You pay a monthly Hausgeld for shared costs, and the community can charge a Sonderumlage (special assessment) when big repairs come up.
This matters because when you buy an apartment, you inherit the financial health of the whole building. A leaking roof the community has been ignoring for three years becomes partly your problem. We wrote a full guide to reading WEG documents — read it before you make any offer on a flat.
The main portals are ImmobilienScout24, Immowelt, and Immonet. Almost every listing goes through a Makler — and here is the key thing to understand: the Makler works for the seller, not for you. Their job is to get the best price for their client. They will not flag the problems in the documents, and they will tell you the price is fair whether it is or not.
This is different from markets like the UK or US where buyer's agents are normal. In Germany, nobody in the transaction is automatically on your side — not the Makler, not the neutral notary. That gap is exactly why independent advice matters.
Asking prices in Germany are a starting point, and in Berlin they are routinely 10–20% above what the home is actually worth. Before you make an offer, you want a fair value based on completed sales of similar homes nearby — not other optimistic asking prices.
The things that decide real value: price per square metre versus the district average, adjusted for floor, condition, energy rating and building age, plus the running costs and anything nasty hiding in the WEG documents.
Once you are serious, you receive a document bundle: the Grundbuch (land registry extract), the Teilungserklärung, WEG meeting minutes, annual accounts, and the energy certificate. Every one of these can contain something that changes your decision.
The Grundbuch tells you whether anyone has a claim, debt, or right registered against the property. The WEG minutes tell you about pending costs and building problems. These are in dense German legal language — a rough Google Translate will miss the things that matter. We wrote a separate guide to the Grundbuch if you want to understand it properly.
In Germany, nothing is binding until you sign the Kaufvertrag in front of a notary. A verbal "yes" means nothing legally. The notary is neutral — they do not represent you or the seller, they just make sure the contract is legally valid.
You get the draft contract about two weeks before the appointment. Read it carefully — this is your window to request changes. At the appointment, the notary reads the contract aloud in German. If your German is not strong, you have the right to bring a certified interpreter, and you should.
You usually get the keys once the seller confirms the money has arrived, which can be before the Grundbuch is fully updated.
We guide Indian expats through every step — price evaluation, document review, mortgage preparation, and the notary. English and Hindi spoken.
Talk to us →None of this means buying in Germany is a bad idea. It means the process rewards preparation. Go in knowing the real costs, the real budget, and the real risks — and the whole thing becomes manageable.
Can Indian citizens buy property in Germany?
Yes. There are no restrictions on foreign nationals buying property in Germany, regardless of visa or residency status, and there is no additional tax for foreign buyers. The main practical requirement is financing the purchase, which is where visa status and income become relevant.
How much deposit do I need to buy a home in Germany?
German banks typically require a 20% deposit on the purchase price plus the full closing costs (around 8–12% in Berlin) in cash. On a €400,000 property that is roughly €110,000–125,000 in savings. Non-residents often face stricter terms, sometimes a maximum 60% loan-to-value.
What are the closing costs when buying property in Berlin?
In Berlin, budget 8–12% on top of the purchase price: 6% Grunderwerbsteuer (property transfer tax), about 2% for notary and land registry fees, and Makler commission of around 3.57% where an agent is involved. None of these can be financed by a German bank.
Do I need to speak German to buy property in Germany?
You can buy without speaking German, but the contracts and documents are all in German. At the notary appointment you have the right to bring a certified interpreter, and you should have key documents like the Grundbuch and WEG papers reviewed by someone who understands them.
This article is general information for Indian expats navigating the German property market, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Property law, tax rates, and mortgage conditions change and vary by individual circumstance. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified notary, tax advisor (Steuerberater), or mortgage broker. Figures are current as of September 2026.