- The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) in Victoria provides eligible buyers with $10,000 towards purchasing or building a new home valued up to $750,000.
- First home buyers may also benefit from stamp duty exemptions or concessions, reducing upfront costs on properties under $750,000.
- Beyond the FHOG, alternative support includes the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, which allows buyers to enter the market with a smaller deposit and avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance.
Getting the funds together for a first home can be a hard gig. Thankfully, there are a number of helping hands in the form of government assistance that can help you become a homeowner sooner rather than later.
Victoria provides a number of support schemes for first home buyers looking to enter the property market, including a first home owner grant, the Victorian Homebuyer Fund, and stamp duty exemptions and concessions.
In this article, we will focus on the components of the first home owner grant in Victoria to identify how it works, the eligibility criteria, and the types of homes that can be purchased with it.
How the First Home Owner Grant works in Victoria
Each state has different rules and regulations regarding first home owner grant (FHOG) programs, with Victoria offering a grant to eligible first home owners to buy or build a new home.
The Victorian FHOG is valued at $10,000 and applies to properties valued up to $750,000. To be eligible, the home must not have been previously sold or occupied.
The FHOG can be used towards your deposit, but given it's only $10,000, it likely won't be enough to cover the full deposit, and you'll have to come up with the rest out of your savings.
Don't forget that to avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), you'll typically have to come up with a 20% deposit, and lenders still want to see that you've genuinely saved most of the deposit through your own efforts.
Stamp Duty Exemptions and Concessions for First Home Buyers in VIC
Alongside the FHOG, first home buyers in Victoria are eligible to receive a stamp duty exemption as long as the property is valued below $600,000. Properties valued between $600,001 to $750,000 are also eligible to receive a stamp duty concession.
This duty exemption or concession is separate from the FHOG. The grant is a payment made to you, whereas the first home buyer duty exemption and concession is a reduction in the amount of land transfer duty you pay.
Examples of first home buyer duty concession
To illustrate how much first home buyers can save, here are examples of stamp duty concessions at different property values in Victoria.
Dutiable value ($) | Normal duty ($) | Duty after concession ($) |
|---|---|---|
605,000 | 31,370 | 1,045 |
625,000 | 32,570 | 5,428 |
650,000 | 34,070 | 11,356 |
675,000 | 35,570 | 17,785 |
700,000 | 37,070 | 24,713 |
725,000 | 38,570 | 32,141 |
745,000 | 39,770 | 38,444 |
Source: State Revenue Office of Victoria
The good news is the stamp duty savings are available to all first home owners in Victoria, whether you buy an established or existing home or a newly built one.
See also: State and territory stamp duty exemptions breakdown
What homes can be purchased using the grant?
To take advantage of the FHOG in Victoria, your first home can be either a house, townhouse, apartment, or unit. The home must be new or less than five years old and not been previously sold or occupied.
The FHOG in Victoria is not available for those looking to buy an investment property or holiday home.
First Home Owner Grant eligibility
There are a number of eligibility conditions buyers have to meet outside the $750,000 price limit to be eligible for the FHOG in Victoria.
Anyone named on the property's title must be listed as a First Home Owner Grant applicant. Applicants with a spouse or partner must also include their partner's details on the application, even if they aren't on the property's title.
Eligibility criteria include:
You or your spouse/partner must not have previously received a FHOG in Australia.
You must not have owned a home or other residential property in Australia, either jointly or separately, before 1 July 2000. However, you may still be eligible if you or your spouse/partner purchased property on or after 1 July 2000 and have not lived there as your home.
- You must not have lived in a home which either of you owned or part-owned on or after 1 July 2000 for a continuous period of at least six months.
You must occupy the home for at least 12 months within 12 months of settling on the property (this is when the keys are handed to you) or from when the home is fully built.
You must be aged 18 or over and be an Australian citizen or permanent resident either by the time you settle or when the home is ready to be occupied.
If you are unsure whether you qualify for the Victoria FHOG, you can use this online tool from Victoria's State Revenue Office to assess your eligibility.
Applying for the First Home Owner Grant
If you are lodging with an approved agent, each applicant and their spouse/partner must provide a copy of a primary identity document and evidence of citizenship or permanent residency.
Meanwhile, if you are lodging directly with the State Revenue Office of Victoria, each applicant and their spouse/partner must provide a copy of a primary identity document as mentioned above, as well as one current document from each of the following categories:
Category 1 - Evidence of citizenship or permanent residency
If you are an Australian citizen:
- Australian birth certificate
- Australian passport
- Australian citizenship certificate
If you are a New Zealand citizen:
- passport
- movement record
(New Zealand citizens must be living in Australia when the eligible transaction is completed. You must supply the movement record form the Department of Home Affairs as evidence.)
If you are a citizen of another country:
- passport
- evidence of permanent residency or permanent residence visa, including date it was granted
Category 2 - Evidence of identity
A copy of the current:
- Australian driver's licence
- Passport (if not used for Category 1)
- Working with Children Check card
- Firearms licence
- Proof of Age card
Category 3 - Evidence of living in Australia
A copy of one current:
- Medicare card
- Motor vehicle registration notice
- Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs card
Additional supporting evidence may be required in some cases.
Applications can also be lodged online, including supplying copies of supporting documents. They should be made within 12 months of settlement or completion of construction of your home.
For more information about grant eligibility, visit the State Revenue Office of Victoria website.
Competitive home loan rates
If you're a first home buyer looking for a home loan, the table below has some of the lowest interest rates on the market for owner occupiers.
| Lender | Home Loan | Interest Rate | Comparison Rate* | Monthly Repayment | Repayment type | Rate Type | Offset | Redraw | Ongoing Fees | Upfront Fees | Max LVR | Lump Sum Repayment | Extra Repayments | Split Loan Option | Tags | Features | Link | Compare | Promoted Product | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5.94% p.a. | 5.98% p.a. | $2,978 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $530 | 90% |
| Promoted | Disclosure | ||||||||||
5.89% p.a. | 5.80% p.a. | $2,962 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $0 | 80% |
| Promoted | Disclosure | ||||||||||
5.99% p.a. | 6.02% p.a. | $2,995 | Principal & Interest | Fixed | $0 | $0 | 60% |
| Promoted | Disclosure | ||||||||||
5.93% p.a. | 5.93% p.a. | $2,975 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $395 | 70% | Disclosure |
What are the alternative schemes to the Victoria First Home Owner Grant?
First home buyers in Victoria can combine other state and federal schemes with the FHOG and stamp duty concessions, potentially providing tens of thousands in savings. Here are some other programs:
Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme
The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, formerly the Home Guarantee Scheme, is a federal government initiative that aims to help first home buyers get into their own homes sooner.
It offers first home buyers the ability to purchase a home with a deposit as low as 5%, without the need to pay Lenders' Mortgage Insurance (LMI). This means you can borrow up to 95% of the property value, with the federal government providing the lender with a guarantee of up to 15% of the property value (not the loan amount).
The Scheme is administered by Housing Australia on behalf of the federal government. It also takes in the former Regional First Home Guarantee and Family Home Guarantee allowing single parents to purchase a home with as little as 2% deposit.
The guarantee is not a cash payment or a deposit for a home loan, rather an agreement between the federal government and a participating lender. Home value price caps apply according to location.
No new applicants for Victorian Homebuyer Fund
The Victorian Homebuyer Fund was a shared equity scheme that closed to new applicants on 10 September 2025. It is still being administered for existing participants.
The Victorian government is directing potential homebuyers to the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
Read more about First Home Owner/Buyer Grants in other states:
Frequently Asked Questions
You generally can’t use the FHOG on established properties as it’s designed to support purchases of new builds, off‑the‑plan homes, or major renovations.
The FHOG can reduce how much you need to save upfront, but it doesn’t replace the requirement for a genuine deposit. Lenders are still expecting that you'll contribute most of it yourself, and you’ll need a minimum of 20% to avoid paying LMI.
Yes, if you fail to meet the residency or eligibility conditions after settlement, the FHOG can be revoked, and you may be required to repay the grant. Revenue offices regularly conduct audits to check if conditions are being met.