UK mortgages for expats and overseas buyers

Yes, though the lender panel is smaller than for UK residents. Specialist international lenders exist for both residential and buy-to-let cases, and they understand foreign income, non-residency status and the documentation overseas borrowers can provide. The key is approaching the right lenders from the outset. Nationality, country of residence and income currency each affect which lenders are appropriate, and we assess all three before any application is made.

No. UK mortgages are available to non-UK nationals, though criteria vary by lender and depend on your nationality, visa status, residency and income source. Some specialist lenders have broad appetite for international buyers. Others have restrictions on certain nationalities or visa types. We assess your profile and identify the lenders likely to consider your case, before any application is submitted and before any credit check is run.

Specialist international lenders accept income in many major currencies, including USD, EUR, AED, SGD, HKD, CAD, AUD and JPY. The documentation required varies by lender but typically includes overseas payslips, foreign bank statements, an employment contract and proof of residency. Self-employed income, rental income and investment income are considered by some lenders. We advise on what is needed for your income type, currency and country before any application begins.

Minimum income requirements vary by lender, so we check this against your case before anything is submitted.

No. The process can be completed remotely — consultations by video, documentation by secure digital transfer, and legal completion by e-signature or power of attorney. Where certified physical documents are required, we tell you what is needed and who can certify it. Many international mortgage cases complete without the buyer being physically present in the UK.

A deposit of around 25% is common for expat and non-resident cases, and some lenders will consider less for the right profile. For buy-to-let, rental cover is usually tested at 125% to 145% of the mortgage payment. These are general lender criteria, checked October 2026. They are not the terms of any one lender, and not a recommendation. We assess what is achievable for your nationality, residency and income profile before approaching a lender.

Yes. The UAE is one of the more active markets for international UK mortgage applications, and several specialist lenders have appetite for UAE-based buyers of many nationalities. AED income is accepted, tax-free earnings are understood by specialist underwriters, and the documentation requirements are well established. Approaching the right lender first is what helps a case move.

Yes — this is an area close to home for us. Nathan splits his time between London and Spain, and we work with clients across Spain, including the Costa del Sol, who want to keep or invest in UK property. We handle UK mortgage cases for Spain-based clients regularly, and there is a dedicated page for them. For those also interested in Spanish property, we work with local partners through Duende by Lawes, our Spanish property concierge service.

Lenders convert your income to sterling at their own exchange rate, then usually reduce it by 15% to 25% to allow for currency movement. The reduced figure is the one they assess.

What you can then borrow depends on the lender's income multiple, your commitments, the property and the term, so a single number here would mislead. Our expat mortgage calculator lets you put in your own figures and your own exchange rate.

Yes. Remortgaging from overseas raises the same non-residency questions as a purchase, and your existing lender's own retention deals may or may not still be open to you once you have moved abroad. We check the retention option alongside the wider market before advising a course of action, and we run the process remotely.

Consent to let is your lender's written permission to rent out a property you bought on a residential mortgage. You need it if you are keeping your UK home and letting it while you are abroad.

Letting without permission breaches your mortgage terms. Some lenders grant consent for a limited period, some charge a fee, and some would rather move you onto a buy-to-let mortgage instead. Ask before you let, not after.

Usually, yes. Stamp Duty Land Tax rates for non-UK residents buying residential property in England and Northern Ireland are 2 percentage points higher than the rates that apply to UK residents. For this test you count as non-resident if you were not present in the UK for at least 183 days in the 12 months before the purchase, counting days anywhere in the UK.

You may be able to claim the surcharge back. If you are then present in the UK for at least 183 days in any continuous 365-day period falling between 364 days before and 365 days after the purchase, a refund can be claimed. Scotland and Wales have their own property taxes and their own rules.

Source: GOV.UK, Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residents, read October 2026. Stamp duty is a tax question as well as a mortgage one — speak to an accountant about your own position.

It can be, yes. Specialist lenders that work with expats and foreign nationals expect a thin UK credit file and look at the wider picture instead — your overseas bank statements, your employment, your deposit, and any UK accounts you have kept open. A UK bank account or an old UK address still on file helps, but their absence does not end the case.

Yes. Limited-company buy-to-let is available to non-resident borrowers and is a common structure for portfolio building. The lender list differs from personal buy-to-let, directors are usually asked for personal guarantees, and the tax treatment is different in ways that can cut either way depending on your circumstances.

The tax side is not something we advise on — speak to an accountant before you choose the structure.

It can be possible. Some lenders will assess a returning expat using overseas income where there is a firm return date, and a UK job offer or continuing employment helps considerably. Others want you back in the UK and paid in sterling first.

Which lender is approached matters more here than almost anywhere else in expat lending, because the two groups will give you opposite answers to the same question.

Expect your passport and your visa or residence permit where one applies, proof of your address abroad, three to six months of payslips, overseas bank statements showing the salary arriving, your employment contract or two to three years of accounts if you are self-employed, and your UK credit history if you have one. Certified translations are needed where a document is not in English.

The list varies by lender and by income type, so we send you a checklist written for your case rather than a generic one.