Can you Buy Property in Faroe Islands?

By Mads Fyllgraf Verified Expert

Can foreigners buy a house in Faroe Islands? Is there any chance at all to buy real estate in Faroe Islands? Continue reading and find out all there is to know about your chance purchasing a property in Faroe Islands.

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A small house in a secluded seaside village far away from the crowds. Sounds tempting? With a surge in tourism in recent years, a growing number of travellers to the Faroe Islands have looked into the opportunity to buy property in the Nordic archipelago. This is no longer an option.

MPs in the Faroese Parliament, Føroya Løgting, voted in favour of a law on 7 December 2021 restricting foreigners from buying real estate in the country. Before the new law came into effect, there were no rules preventing foreign nationals from owning or buying a home or land in the Faroe Islands.

Small Island Group with Tourism Boom

Faroe Islands real estate — The remote village Saksun is among the most visited locations in the archipelago. Foreign nationals are not allowed to buy houses here or elsewhere in the Faroe Islands. Photo by Yuriy Shevchenko known as @yuriyshevchenko on Instagram.

Located halfway between Scotland and Iceland, merely 54,500 people live in the mountainous Faroe Islands. The small volcanic archipelago consists of 18 islands and is a self-governed part within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The islanders have not been used to any huge interest in their archipelago until recently and as such restricting foreign nationals from owning real estate has not been relevant. This has changed after clever and award-winning campaigns by Nordic marketing experts. Adventurous travellers now come to the island group to do some of the Best Hikes in the Faroe Islands and to experience the most popular attractions.

Exclusively for People within the Danish Realm

Faroe Islands property — *A lonely cabin in the uncrowded nature. Buying properties is reserved for people within the Danish Realm. Photo by Sandrine Michelmore.*

The Faroese Prime Minister at that time, Bárður á Steig Nielsen, brought the matter for parliament in 2021. This was as a respond to an appeal from local authorities who in recent years have been calling for legislation to prevent foreign investors from purchasing properties in the Faroe Islands.

In an official press release (in Faroese only), the Prime Minister’s Office states that the number of people allowed to buy property in the Faroe Islands as been narrowed from 8 billion to 6 million people. Now only people within the Danish Realm can buy property in the Faroe Islands.

Faroe Islands cabin — Foreign nationals can no longer buy real estate in the Faroe Islands. Photo by Yuriy Shevchenko known as @yuriyshevchenko on Instagram.

Back in 2018 before the first pandemic outbreak, the Outlying Islands Association in the Faroe Islands expressed concerns that foreign investors could push house prices up, making it harder for the local people to become homeowners.

Everyday life during coronavirus with people staying at home for months and not being able to roam wherever they want, has just nourished the idea of owning a secluded place in the world. The real estate agents all located in the capital, Tórshavn, have kept a close eye on the trend.

Real Estate Agencies in the Faroe Islands

Cottages in the Faroe Islands — A cluster of cabins in the village Bøur on Vágar island. Photo by Yuriy Shevchenko known as @yuriyshevchenko on Instagram.

The real estate agents in the Faroe Islands have warned against foreign property investment in the small archipelago.

Kára á Dunga is the CEO in the real estate agency Betri Heim. She says that there has been a huge growth in demand in recent years also during the pandemic.

– Foreign investors appear keen to find themselves a house in a quaint Faroese village, Kára á Dunga says.

Small house in Faroe Islands — Mostly nestled along the coastline, *houses in the Faroe Islands come with stunning views*. Photo by Lucas de França.

Petur Mohr Niclasen, CEO of real estate agency Skyn, has seen the same trend in the past few years.

– We have been contacted again and again by foreigners interested in buying property especially in the quaint villages around the country, says Petur Mohr Niclasen.

Faroe Islands house — A lonely house by a lake on Sandoy island.

There has not been that many foreigners actually buying land or a house in the Faroe Islands. Now they are unable to do so.

The new law says that foreign nationals with no affiliation to the Danish Kingdom can not buy property in the Faroe Islands without specific government permission. In order to buy a property, foreigners must have resided within the Kingdom of Denmark for a least five years.

You are unable to buy property in the island group. On the other side, you are welcome to rent a cabin and explore the islands. Want to visit Faroe Islands?

Faroe Islands Houses For Sale

Mykines village — *You will find houses roofed with turf in all villages.*

Guide to Faroe Islands is the main gate to the Faroe Islands for all visitors. Whether you are visiting short term or staying longer and need help with renting or buying a property longer term, we got you covered.

If you are a traveler to the Faroe Islands, browse the largest selection of tours and activities in the Faroe Islands and take the next step. Explore all of the opportunities this unspoiled archipelago has to offer.