Buying a Gulf Beach Home from Abroad
Updated November 2026.
You can buy a Gulf beach home or condo in Pinellas County without living in the US, and many international buyers do. Florida draws 21% of all foreign buyers of US homes, more than any other state, and 69% of them plan to use the property as a vacation home, a rental, or both.
This guide covers what changes when you buy from outside the US: who can buy, how to pay, taxes, renting it out, insurance, closing from abroad and selling later. It applies to homes and condos from Pass-a-Grille to Clearwater Beach.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your situation with a US tax professional and a Florida real estate attorney before you buy.
New to buying in the US? Our step-by-step guide to the Florida home buying process explains each step from offer to recorded deed.
Who can buy
Florida has no general ban on foreign ownership. Most international buyers can buy a beach home or condo the same way a US buyer does.
The exception is buyers tied to seven “foreign countries of concern”: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, the Maduro regime in Venezuela and Syria (F.S. 692.201). People and companies tied to those countries may not buy within 10 miles of a military installation or critical infrastructure (F.S. 692.203). People domiciled in China who are not US citizens or permanent residents may not buy Florida property at all, apart from one narrow home exception (F.S. 692.204). A federal appeals court let the law stand in November 2025 (ACLU case page). At closing, buyers sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that they are not a prohibited buyer.
Buying property does not give you a visa or US residency. With an ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program you can stay up to 90 days per visit. Canadian visitors are often admitted for up to six months, but the officer at the border decides. Since April 2025, visitors staying 30 days or more may need to register with USCIS, so check before a long stay.
Time spent here also counts for US tax. Under the IRS substantial presence test, you become a US tax resident with at least 31 days this year and 183 days over three years, counting all of this year’s days, a third of last year’s and a sixth of the year before.
Paying cash or financing
Most international buyers in Florida pay cash: 61% did in the year to July 2026, against 48% nationally (Florida Realtors).
Foreign nationals can get US mortgages, but fewer lenders offer them and terms are stricter. One national lender says down payments may run as high as 30% to 50%. If you plan to borrow, talk to a lender with a foreign national program before you make an offer. Condo-hotel units are harder to finance, so raise them with the lender first.
Taxes
Plan for three taxes: county property tax every year, US income tax on any rent, and tourist taxes on short stays (covered under Renting it out).
Property tax. The homestead exemption is only for owners who make the home their permanent residence (Pinellas County Property Appraiser), so second homes and rentals pay without it. Their assessed value can rise at most 10% a year for non-school taxes, and it resets to market value after a sale (PCPAO). Florida voters approved Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026, which lowers that cap to 5% starting January 1, 2027; the result is not yet certified (Bay News 9). Our property taxes after buying guide covers this in more detail.
Rental income. By default the IRS taxes a nonresident’s US rent at 30% of the gross, or a lower treaty rate. You can instead elect to treat it as effectively connected income, which lets you deduct expenses and pay graduated rates on the net. To do that, you attach a statement to Form 1040-NR, give Form W-8ECI to your rental manager and file a 1040-NR every year (IRS).
Tax ID. Without a US Social Security number you will need an ITIN, applied for on Form W-7 with your tax return (IRS).
We are not tax advisors. A tax professional who works with your home country can tell you how US tax interacts with your own.
For a worked example of the yearly costs, see what it costs to own a Pinellas beach condo from abroad.
Renting it out
Whether you can rent by the week depends on two rules: the city’s zoning and the building’s own minimum stay. Check both before you make an offer.
| Beach town | Stays under 30 days |
|---|---|
| St. Pete Beach | Only in the RM district and the Pass-a-Grille overlay, up to 3 times in 12 months (city rules) |
| Treasure Island | No minimum in the CG, RFM-30, RFH-50 and PR-MU districts; limits in RU-75 and RM-15 |
| Madeira Beach | Not in R-1 (6-month minimum) or R-2 (3-month minimum) unless grandfathered before February 28, 2006 |
| Indian Rocks Beach | Allowed with city registration, a business tax receipt and a state license |
| Clearwater | Not under 31 days or one calendar month on residentially zoned property |
Sources for each town are in our short-term rental rules guide.
Condo associations can be stricter than the city. Most St. Pete Beach associations require three months. Our page on beach condos that allow weekly or monthly rentals lists the buildings with shorter minimums.
If you rent more than three times a year for under 30 days, you need a Florida vacation rental license from the DBPR. Rentals of six months or less owe 13% in tax: 6% Florida sales tax, a 1% Pinellas surtax and the 6% Pinellas tourist development tax (Florida Department of Revenue, Pinellas County).
Insurance, flood and condo safety rules
On the barrier islands, flood risk and a condo building’s condition matter as much as the view. Ask for these documents early, before your inspection period ends.
Flood. Many beach properties sit in high-risk FEMA flood zones such as AE or VE; Redington Beach, for one, says its whole town does. Lenders generally require flood insurance in those zones, and a new federal flood policy has a 30-day wait unless it is bought with a new mortgage. Get flood and windstorm quotes as soon as you have a property under contract. Our flood zones and insurance guide and flood insurance cost guide show what owners pay.
Condo inspections and reserves. Florida requires a milestone inspection for condo buildings of three or more habitable stories by the end of the year they turn 30, then every 10 years (F.S. 553.899). Those buildings also need a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) at least every 10 years, with reserves funded as the law requires (F.S. 718.112).
As a resale buyer you are entitled to the condo documents at the seller’s expense, including the budget, financial statement, milestone inspection summary and most recent SIRS (F.S. 718.503). Since July 2025 you have 7 days after receiving them to review them, up from 3 (Governor’s office). Also ask for 12 to 24 months of board minutes and any planned special assessments. Our condo inspections, reserves and SIRS guide and SIRS status list by building explain what to look for.
Closing from abroad
You do not need to fly in to close. Florida allows remote online notarization: the notary must be in Florida, but you can sign from anywhere on a recorded video session (F.S. Chapter 117, Part II). Identity checks often rely on US credit records, so ask the title company early whether its platform can verify you from your country.
Wire fraud is the biggest risk at closing. Confirm wire instructions by calling the title company at a number you already have, never one sent by email. If money goes to the wrong place, call your bank at once and report it at ic3.gov (CFPB).
Selling later: FIRPTA withholding
When a foreign owner sells, the buyer usually must withhold part of the price and send it to the IRS under FIRPTA. The rate depends on the price and on whether the buyer will live in the home (Form 8288 instructions).
| Sale | Withholding |
|---|---|
| Most sales | 15% of the amount realized |
| Over $300,000 and up to $1,000,000, buyer will live there | 10% |
| $300,000 or less, individual buyer will live there | 0% |
The amount withheld is a prepayment, credited against the tax on your US return for the year of the sale. To reduce withholding up front, you can apply for a withholding certificate on Form 8288-B; the IRS normally acts within 90 days of a complete application, so apply early (IRS). Our guide to selling a Florida beach home from Canada walks through the timing.
How we work with international buyers
We are John and Nicole, licensed Florida Realtors with LoKation Real Estate, and we live on the beaches we sell. We match buildings to the way you plan to use the property, confirm the current rental rules with each association, and introduce you to tax and legal professionals for the questions we cannot answer. We are not tax advisors.
We work in English. If English is not your first language, write to us in the language you prefer and we will reply in plain English, with a translation alongside when it helps.
Next step: tell us where you live, how you plan to use the property and your budget. Contact Team BeachSide or call or text (727) 955-1222.
Sources are linked in each section. Laws, rules, fees and taxes change; verify with the IRS, the Florida Statutes, the city, the association and the Pinellas County Property Appraiser and Tax Collector. General information, not legal or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Florida?
Yes. Florida has no general ban on foreign ownership. It restricts buyers tied to seven foreign countries of concern (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, the Maduro regime in Venezuela and Syria), and people domiciled in China who are not US citizens or permanent residents may not buy Florida property apart from one narrow home exception.
Does buying a home in Florida give me a US visa?
No. Owning property does not give you a visa or US residency. Visa Waiver travelers with an ESTA can stay up to 90 days per visit, and Canadian visitors are often admitted for up to six months, but the officer at the border decides.
Can I get a mortgage as a foreign national?
Yes, from lenders with foreign national programs, but terms are stricter and one national lender says down payments may run as high as 30% to 50%. Most international buyers in Florida pay cash: 61% did in the year to July 2026, according to Florida Realtors.
How is rental income taxed for a foreign owner?
By default the IRS taxes a nonresident owner’s US rent at 30% of the gross, or a lower treaty rate. You can elect to treat it as effectively connected income, deduct expenses and pay graduated rates on the net by attaching a statement to Form 1040-NR and giving Form W-8ECI to your rental manager. Rentals of six months or less also owe 13% in Florida and Pinellas County taxes.
What is FIRPTA withholding?
When a foreign owner sells US real property, the buyer usually withholds 15% of the amount realized for the IRS, or 10% or 0% when the buyer will live in the home and the price is up to $1,000,000 or $300,000. The amount is credited against the tax on your US return, and a withholding certificate on Form 8288-B can reduce it up front.
