[1] This Swiss federal law, also known as the Lex Koller, limits the acquisition of real estate by persons abroad.
The 1961 Federal Decree that this law replaced is the source of the famous Schubert jurisprudence.
The objective being to "prevent foreign influence on Swiss soil",[2] any acquisition of real estate by a person domiciled abroad is subject to an administrative authorization, the conditions for which are exhaustively listed in the law and its implementing provisions.
Without such authorization, the legal act is null and void and the transfer cannot be entered in the land register.
According to Swiss law, domicile is only established at the place where a person: Thus, a foreigner who wishes to acquire a property in Switzerland and who claims to be effectively domiciled there must prove it, if necessary by taking into account other elements than just the cantonal residence permit and the municipal certificate of arrival.