Are you considered a first-time buyer for a house in the UK for stamp duty tax if you owned an empty plot of land abroad?

[Chine]

I just found out that a family member (still alive) passed on to me a small plot of land in a neighbourhood abroad when I was a child. I never owned any other form of property in my life. Will that take away the first-time buyer's relief on stamp duty when I buy a house in the UK?

Highly unlikely that you will have to pay additional stamp. I would just stay quiet about it.

I believe you need to sign a legal declaration that you have never owned property here or overseas.

You should ask your conveyancer and/ or very carefully check the terms of any ISA you rely on providing a bonus.

That's the thing, I need to see if a plot of land falls under residential property or not @hedgehoglurker

It also depends on the value of the property. If I am not mistaken it has to be valued over GBP40,000 to make you ineligible for FTB stamp duty. This is based on declaration rather than formal valuation.

It will be more the £40k, from what I read a residential property has a very complicated meaning and changes regarding tax purposes from one department to another. I guess I'll need to ask a lawyer. @Notanotherlostone

If its just land without a property on it you shouldn't even be mentioning it - because you are still a first time property buyer. Land without a building is just land. If it did come up, which it won't, your thinking about growing grapes or spuds on it ;)
Land can only become classed as property if construction activity is planned but not yet started.

The ftb definition as it relates to stamp duty can be found on gov.uk

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stamp-duty-land-tax-relief-for-land-or-property-transactions#first-time-buyers-relief