Yes. Rougemont, Château-d'Œx and Rossinière are on Canton Vaud's list of places where people living abroad may buy a holiday home with a Lex Koller permit. The Pays-d'Enhaut received 21 of Vaud's 175 quota units for 2025, and 11 were still unused in September 2026. Limits: one home, about 200 m² of living space, bought in your own name.
Key facts for foreign buyers in Rougemont
| Question | Answer (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Canton | Vaud (French-speaking), district of Riviera–Pays-d'Enhaut; Gstaad, Saanen and Schönried are in Canton Bern |
| Holiday-home sales to people abroad allowed? | Yes. Rougemont, Château-d'Œx and Rossinière are listed tourist locations |
| Vaud quota 2025 | 175 units in total, 15 held in reserve |
| Pays-d'Enhaut quota 2025 | 21 units: 10 used for 2025 files, 11 left (canton figures at 18 September 2026) |
| Living-space limit | 200 m² net, up to 250 m² with proven additional need |
| Land limit (houses) | 1,000 m², up to about 1,500 m² in practice |
| Authority | Commission foncière, section II (Canton Vaud) |
| Second-home share | Rougemont 61.2%, Château-d'Œx 43.4%, Rossinière 27.4% (federal limit for new second homes: 20%) |
| Transfer duty | 2.2% cantonal plus up to 1.1% communal, usually 3.3% in total, paid by the buyer unless agreed otherwise |
| Pending reform | Federal proposal to tighten Lex Koller: consultation closed 15 July 2026, not yet law |
Who needs a Lex Koller permit to buy in Rougemont?
You need a permit if you live outside Switzerland and are not a Swiss citizen. Swiss citizens, including dual nationals living abroad, never need one. Nor do EU and EFTA nationals who are legally domiciled in Switzerland, or other nationals with a C permit who live here.
The rule turns on residence as much as passport. A French or German citizen living in Paris or Munich is treated as a "person abroad" in exactly the same way as a buyer from New York or Dubai. An EU citizen who moves to Switzerland and registers with a B permit is no longer subject to Lex Koller and can buy without a quota unit.
Foreigners who are domiciled in Switzerland can also buy the home they actually live in, their main residence, without authorisation under current federal law. A family that settles in Rougemont year-round, with children at school in Château-d'Œx, is in a very different position from a family that comes for February and August.
How does the holiday-home quota work in the Pays-d'Enhaut?
Each year the Confederation gives Vaud a number of permit units for holiday homes, and the canton splits them by region. For 2025 Vaud had 175 units. The Pays-d'Enhaut, which covers Château-d'Œx, Rougemont and Rossinière, received 21. By 18 September 2026, 10 had been used for 2025 applications and 5 more for applications carried over from 2024, leaving 11.
Three details matter in practice:
- Unused units roll over. Under the federal ordinance, units not used in a year are carried into the next, so a quiet year does not lose the region its allocation.
- The first half of the year is capped. Vaud's implementing law allows no more than 60% of the annual quota to be used in the first six months. Late-year signings can find units available that a rush in spring did not use.
- Demand has fallen. The canton notes that it has not needed any additional units since 2010 because demand for holiday homes dropped sharply. Between 2006 and 2009, when demand was higher, Vaud received 46 to 63 extra units a year.
A permit for a home that is already foreign-owned and authorised does not use a new unit under the current rules. That is the part the federal government now wants to change.
What kind of property can a foreigner buy in Rougemont?
A holiday home for personal use: an apartment or a house, within the size limits. The federal rules allow 200 m² of net living space, or up to 250 m² when the buyer shows a real need, typically a larger family that regularly stays together. For a house that is not part of a condominium, the plot should not exceed 1,000 m², and up to about 1,500 m² is accepted in practice.
Federal law adds four conditions:
- You buy as a private individual, in your own name. A company, trust or foundation cannot buy a holiday home under this route.
- One holiday home per family. If you, your spouse or registered partner, or a child under 18 already owns a holiday home or second residence in Switzerland, it must be sold first.
- The home is for your own use. Short lets are allowed so it does not sit empty, but year-round rental to a single tenant is not.
- Larger homes, land beyond the limits or investment purchases are not covered by the holiday-home permit.
In Vaud there is one more procedural point. When a Swiss or other non-subject owner sells an apartment or house to a person abroad for the first time, the seller must also apply for a sale authorisation within the quota, usually once the deed has been signed before a notary. Your notary and the seller's side coordinate this.
Does the Second Homes Act stop you buying a holiday home in Rougemont?
It stops new ones, not existing ones. Since the 2012 vote, municipalities where more than 20% of homes are second homes cannot approve new second homes, apart from narrow exceptions. According to the federal housing inventory, second homes make up 61.2% of dwellings in Rougemont, 43.4% in Château-d'Œx and 27.4% in Rossinière, so the rule applies in all three. For comparison, the figure for Saanen, the municipality that includes Gstaad, is 51.3%.
Homes that existed or were approved before 11 March 2012, known as "old-law" homes, can still be bought and used as second homes. Most of Rougemont's traditional chalets and the apartment buildings around the village fall into this category. Since 1 October 2024, owners of old-law buildings may also enlarge them by up to 30% when renovating or rebuilding, and create additional dwellings within them.
New-build units in Rougemont are typically restricted to primary residence or tourist-managed use. For a foreign holiday-home buyer, that means two checks run side by side: is the unit an old-law home (Second Homes Act), and is a quota unit available for you (Lex Koller)?
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Plan for the permit in your timeline. In Vaud the application goes to the Commission foncière, section II. The usual sequence is a reservation, a notarised purchase deed made conditional on the permit, the application with the buyer's documents, the decision, and then registration in the land register. A clear file for a home within the limits is routine, but the notary will not complete the transfer until the permit is granted.
On costs, Vaud charges a property transfer duty of 2.2%, and communes may add up to 1.1%, so the combined rate is usually 3.3% of the price. The law presumes the buyer pays unless the contract says otherwise, and the notary holds a deposit to cover it. Notary and land register fees come on top. For the wider tax picture, see our comparison of Bern and Vaud taxes for property owners.
What could change with the Lex Koller reform?
The Federal Council wants to tighten Lex Koller. It opened a consultation on 15 April 2026, which closed on 15 July 2026. Nothing has been adopted, and Parliament has not yet debated it. The main proposals for holiday homes are:
- lower annual quotas for the cantons;
- every purchase of a holiday home by a person abroad would count against the quota, including resales from one foreign owner to another, which are exempt today;
- third-country nationals living in Switzerland would need a permit even for their main residence, and would have to sell within two years of moving away.
If those measures pass in their proposed form, the Pays-d'Enhaut's quota would have to cover foreign-to-foreign resales too. Until Parliament decides, the current rules apply.
Is Rougemont easier for foreigners than Gstaad?
The principle is the same, because both cantons apply the same federal law. The difference is in the details: separate cantonal quotas and authorities, Vaud's rule that a first-time seller also applies, and different tax rates. Rougemont is about 15 minutes west of Gstaad by car or MOB GoldenPass train and shares the Gstaad ski pass area, so many buyers search both. Some decide on Vaud for the price per square metre, which you will find in our Rougemont property prices guide, rather than for the permit itself.
What we see on the ground
For buyers living abroad, the question in Rougemont is rarely whether a permit exists, but whether the specific property fits it. Many of the chalets that interest international buyers exceed 200 m² or sit on generous plots. When they do, they need a well-founded case for additional need, or they suit a buyer who is Swiss resident.
We start every purchase by checking three things before an offer is made: the home's status under the Second Homes Act, its size and plot against the Lex Koller limits, and whether the seller is already authorised to sell to a person abroad. Getting those right early avoids a signed deed waiting on a permit that cannot be granted. Final decisions rest with the cantonal authority, and every buyer should take independent legal and tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy a chalet in Rougemont?
Yes, as a holiday home with a Lex Koller permit, if it is within about 200 m² of living space (250 m² with proven need) and 1,000 to 1,500 m² of land, is bought in your own name, and a quota unit is available.
Is there still quota available in the Pays-d'Enhaut?
According to Canton Vaud, 11 of the region's 21 units for 2025 were unused on 18 September 2026, and unused units roll over to the next year. Availability changes with each application, so check at the time of purchase.
Do EU citizens need a permit to buy in Rougemont?
Only if they live outside Switzerland. EU and EFTA nationals legally domiciled in Switzerland are not subject to Lex Koller.
Can I buy through a company?
No. Holiday homes can be bought only by natural persons in their own name. A company purchase would require a different legal ground, which does not cover holiday homes.
Can I rent out my holiday home in Rougemont?
Occasionally, yes. Short-term letting is allowed so the home does not sit empty, but year-round rental to one tenant is not permitted, as you must be able to use it yourself at any time.
Can a foreigner buy a new-build chalet in Rougemont?
Usually not as a holiday home. Rougemont's second-home share is above 61%, so new second homes are generally not approved. Old-law homes from before March 2012 are the usual route.
Is the rule the same in Château-d'Œx and Rossinière?
Yes. All three villages are on Vaud's list of tourist locations and share the Pays-d'Enhaut quota.
Also searched as: acheter un chalet à Rougemont en tant qu'étranger · Ferienwohnung kaufen Rougemont Ausländer · Lex Koller Vaud · LFAIE Pays-d'Enhaut contingent
Sources
- Canton of Vaud: list of places where holiday homes may be sold to persons abroad
- Canton of Vaud: allocation and use of the 2025 quota, as at 18 September 2026
- Vaud implementing law on the acquisition of property by persons abroad (LVLFAIE, BLV 211.51)
- Federal Office of Justice: Lex Koller questions and answers
- Federal Office of Justice: aide-mémoire on acquisition by persons abroad
- Federal Office of Justice: revision of Lex Koller (consultation 2026)
- Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE): housing inventory and second-home share
- Federal Second Homes Act (SR 702), version of October 2024
- Canton of Vaud: property transfer duty
- Raiffeisen: municipal data for Rougemont
This guide explains the rules as published by federal and cantonal authorities. It is not legal advice. Last checked 4 November 2026.
For a confidential conversation about buying in Rougemont, Château-d'Œx or anywhere in the Saanenland, contact The Gstaad Collection.