1. Start with the property price — but don't stop there
Johor currently lists RM1,000,000 and above as the minimum for the residential categories it permits foreign interests to acquire. Meeting that threshold does not by itself make a property eligible. Start with our 2026 minimum property price guide if you have not checked eligibility yet.
2. Johor foreign-acquisition charges
The Johor Land Office currently publishes a RM2,000 application fee per title. For residential property, its payment schedule states an approval charge of 3% of the applicable property value or RM30,000, whichever is higher.
For a developer purchase, the state page describes the 3% calculation by reference to the sale value stated in the duly stamped sale and purchase agreement. For a sub-sale, it refers to the JPPH valuation or the sale value stated in the duly stamped sale and purchase agreement, or RM30,000, whichever is higher. Johor Land Office payment schedule ↗
3. Residential transfer stamp duty changed in 2026
LHDN's Budget 2026 Q&A states that the announced rate increased from 4% to 8% with effect from 1 January 2026. It says the applicable rate is the rate in force when the instrument is submitted for stamp-duty assessment; if submitted from 1 January 2026, the 8% rate applies. The same guidance discusses the measure in relation to foreign buyers of residential homes.
Stamp duty is imposed on instruments, so have your conveyancing lawyer confirm the applicable instrument, value and duty for your purchase. LHDN Budget 2026 Q&A ↗
4. Legal fees
Legal fees for non-contentious conveyancing work are governed by Malaysia's Solicitors' Remuneration Order 2023, which came into operation on 15 July 2023 and revoked the 2005 order. Prescribed treatment can differ depending on the transaction, including qualifying housing-development transactions.
Ask the solicitor for a written quotation showing professional fees and disbursements separately rather than relying on an old online calculator. Malaysian Bar — SRO 2023 ↗
5. If you finance the purchase
A financed purchase can involve a separate financing or loan instrument, related legal work and stamp duty. LHDN explains that ad valorem stamp duty can apply to instruments securing payment or repayment of money. Request a full written financing illustration and legal quotation rather than assuming the property-transfer costs cover the financing side too.
If your income and savings are mainly in Singapore dollars while the property, loan and ongoing expenses are in ringgit, include exchange-rate movements in your affordability planning.
6. Other transaction costs to ask about
Not every item applies in every purchase and amounts vary. Ask for a completion statement or equivalent breakdown so you know which sums are purchase costs, deposits or adjustments and when each becomes payable.
7. Build your cash budget in separate buckets
Before paying a booking fee or signing an agreement, create separate budget lines for (1) purchase price/cash contribution, (2) Johor foreign-acquisition fees, (3) transfer stamp duty, (4) purchase legal fees and disbursements, (5) financing costs if applicable, and (6) a buffer for transaction-specific and post-completion expenses.
Avoid treating one percentage quoted by an agent, developer or online article as your total acquisition cost. Ask your lawyer and lender for written figures for the actual property and financing structure.
Don't miss a cost or due-diligence question
Use the SecondLinkLiving Singapore Buyer Checklist to organise the legal, cost, financing, property and commuting questions to investigate before you commit.
Get the Free Buyer Checklist →Frequently asked questions
How much is Johor’s foreign-buyer approval charge?
Johor currently publishes a RM2,000 application fee per title. For residential acquisitions, the approval charge is 3% of the applicable property value or RM30,000, whichever is higher.
What stamp duty applies to foreign citizens buying Malaysian residential homes in 2026?
LHDN’s Budget 2026 guidance states that the announced rate increased from 4% to 8% from 1 January 2026, with the applicable rate determined when the instrument is submitted for stamp-duty assessment.
Are legal fees included in the property price?
Do not assume so. Conveyancing remuneration is governed by the Solicitors’ Remuneration Order 2023 and can differ by transaction type. Ask for a written quotation separating professional fees and disbursements.
Continue your research
Start by confirming whether the property is eligible for Singaporean ownership, then review the step-by-step purchase process before budgeting for completion.
Read Can Singaporeans Buy Property in Johor? (2026 Guide) and Minimum Property Price for Foreigners in Johor (2026), then compare locations in our Township Guides.