Yes, an expat can get a UK mortgage. Living and working abroad does not shut the door, it changes which lenders will look at you and how they read your income. The pieces that need handling are familiar ones: where you are resident, the currency you are paid in, the size of your deposit and how much recent UK history you have. With a lender that arranges expat cases as routine, none of these is a barrier.
Expats we help
- Living and working overseas, paid in a local currency.
- Buying a UK home to return to one day or to keep as a base.
- Letting out a UK property while you are abroad.
- British nationals overseas and foreign nationals with UK plans.
- Limited recent UK address or credit history.
What counts as an expat to a UK lender?
To a lender, an expat is usually a British or other national who lives outside the UK but wants to own property here, whether to return to one day, to keep as a base, or to let out. Lenders group you by your country of residence, the currency you are paid in and your tie to the UK, rather than by your passport alone. Two people with the same job and salary can get very different answers simply because one lives in a country the lender is comfortable with and the other does not.
Why expat applications are read differently
On paper many expats are strong borrowers with good incomes and real savings. The difficulty is that an automated high street check is built around a settled UK applicant with a UK address trail, sterling pay and a full UK credit file. An overseas address, non-sterling income and a thinner recent UK footprint can each trip that check, even though none of them makes you a weaker borrower. The work is taking your case to a lender that treats those features as normal, because for expat lending they are.
Not sure your country of residence or currency fits a UK lender? Tell us where you live and how you are paid, and we will tell you where you stand.
Start the 60-Second CheckForeign currency income
If you are paid in dollars, euros or another currency, a lender converts the income to sterling and applies a reduction to allow for the rate moving, then lends against that figure. Some lenders accept a wide range of currencies, others only a short list, and the size of the reduction differs from one to the next. That is why the lender you choose matters far more than the currency you happen to be paid in.
How much deposit do expats need?
Expect to put down a little more than a UK resident would. Many expat lenders look for a deposit in the region of a quarter of the property value, though it varies by lender and by the country you live in, and a stronger deposit widens the choice of lender open to you. A broker who places these cases will tell you what a given lender expects before you commit to anything.
A home to live in, to return to, or to let
The route depends on what you are buying. If you are letting the property out while you remain abroad, that is a buy-to-let case and the rent the property earns drives much of the lending. If you are buying somewhere to live in when you come home, or keeping a base in the UK, that is a residential case assessed on your income. Many expats hold both over time, and the right lender for one is not always the right lender for the other.
An expat mortgage is rarely about whether you qualify. It is about matching your country, your currency and your deposit to the lender that treats them as normal.
How does Mortgage One help?
Mortgage One has access to plans from the whole of market and arranges expat cases as a regular part of the business, not an exception to it. We work out which lenders are comfortable with your country of residence and how you are paid, gather the evidence an underwriter needs, and put your case in front of the right desk. You must be on UK soil to receive advice, so we confirm your circumstances properly before recommending anything.
Ready to know where you stand rather than guess from abroad? Let an adviser review your case.
Check Your OptionsFrequently asked questions
Can I get a UK mortgage while I am living abroad?
Yes. A number of lenders write mortgages for borrowers who are resident overseas, both for homes to live in later and for property to let. Your country of residence and the lender you approach matter more than the fact that you are abroad, which is why placing the case with the right lender is the real task.
Do expats need a bigger deposit?
Usually a little more than a UK resident, often in the region of a quarter of the property value, though it varies by lender and by the country you live in. A broker who places expat cases knows which lenders are comfortable with your situation and what deposit they will want, so you are not guessing.
Will being paid in a foreign currency stop me getting a mortgage?
No. A lender converts your income to sterling and applies a reduction to allow for the exchange rate moving, then works from that figure. Some lenders restrict which currencies they accept, so the choice of lender is what counts, not the currency itself.
Can you advise me while I am still overseas?
We can start a conversation and tell you broadly where you stand, but you must be on UK soil to receive advice. We confirm your residency and circumstances properly before recommending anything, so the advice fits where you genuinely are.
See if an expat mortgage fits
Tell us where you live and how you are paid, and a Mortgage One adviser will review your answers.
Check Your EligibilitySend us an enquiry
Send us an enquiry
Think carefully before securing your debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.