UK Mortgages for Expats
Buying or remortgaging a UK property while living overseas works differently to a standard UK application. Pick your country below for guidance on how lenders treat your income, or jump straight to the calculator.
47 of the 102 UK lenders we track currently show evidence of accepting British expat applications.
Information only — not advice. We are not FCA authorised.
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Which lenders consider expat applications?
The table below is our own snapshot of published lender criteria — the expat-facing product pages, criteria documents and policy statements we could find publicly for each of the 102 lenders we track. It isn't a panel we're affiliated with, an offer, or a guarantee any lender will accept your application. Lenders change their expat criteria, accepted currencies and maximum loan-to-value without much notice, so treat this as a starting point for your own research — or run our calculator, which checks up to 11 lenders instantly against your actual numbers for a residential case (7 if you're paid in a foreign currency) and 16 for buy-to-let.
Snapshot of published lender criteria, last reviewed 23 September 2026 — 47 of 102 lenders we track show published evidence of considering UK expats.
| Lender | Expat status | Route | Resi max LTV | BTL max LTV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverley Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 70% |
| Buckinghamshire Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | — |
| Cambridge Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | 80% |
| Castle Trust | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 77% |
| Darlington Building Society | Yes | Existing customers only (not checked) | Existing customers only | — |
| Dudley Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | 85% | 80% |
| Family Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly | — | — |
| Foundation Home Loans | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | 75% |
| Furness Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | — |
| Gatehouse Bank | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | 80% | 80% |
| Hanley Economic Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | 80% |
| Harpenden Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly (residential) | — | — |
| HSBC | Yes | Checked instantly | 75% | — |
| HSBC Expat | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 75% |
| Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 75% |
| Keystone | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | — |
| Lendco | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 75% |
| LendInvest | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 75% |
| Mansfield Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | 75% |
| Market Harborough Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly | — | — |
| Marsden Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly | 85% | 75% |
| Molo Finance | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 80% |
| Nationwide | Yes | Checked instantly (residential) | — | — |
| Newbury Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly | — | 75% |
| Newcastle Building Society | Case-by-case | Checked instantly (residential) | 80% | — |
| Nottingham Building Society | Yes | Checked instantly (residential) | 90% | — |
| Octopus Real Estate | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 70% |
| Penrith Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | 80% | 75% |
| Quantum Mortgages | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 75% |
| Saffron Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | 90% | 75% |
| Santander | Yes | Checked instantly | — | — |
| SBI UK | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | — |
| Scottish Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | 80% | — |
| Shawbrook | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 75% |
| Skipton International | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | — |
| Stafford Railway Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 70% |
| Suffolk Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | 80% | 80% |
| The Mortgage Lender | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | — |
| The Mortgage Works | Case-by-case | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 70% |
| Tipton & Coseley Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | 90% | 80% |
| Together | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | — |
| United Trust Bank | Case-by-case | Adviser access (specialist) | — | — |
| Vernon Building Society | Yes | Adviser access (specialist) | — | 75% |
| Vida Homeloans | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | 75% |
| West Brom | Yes | Checked instantly (residential) | — | — |
| West One Loans | Yes | Checked instantly (buy-to-let) | — | 65% |
| Zephyr | Case-by-case | Adviser access (specialist) | — | — |
"Checked instantly" means our calculator engine runs that lender automatically against your inputs for the product shown (residential, buy-to-let, or both when unlabelled). "Existing customers only" means the lender restricts expat residential lending to its current borrowers, so a new enquiry isn't checked. "Adviser access (specialist)" means the lender's expat route is manual — you'd typically reach it through a broker or adviser rather than an online calculator. A dash means the lender doesn't publish a fixed maximum LTV for that route, or doesn't offer it at all — see each lender's own criteria for the current position. Letting the property out rather than living in it? Our expat buy-to-let mortgage calculator covers the rent-based assessment and the buy-to-let side of this table in depth.
How our calculator treats foreign income
Income paid in a currency other than sterling carries exchange-rate risk between the point you apply and any point in the future, so most lenders that accept it use a discounted figure rather than the full amount on your payslip. Our calculator applies its own conservative planning assumption — three flat tiers, not any single lender's published rule — so the estimate you see leans cautious rather than optimistic:
| Income currency | Planning haircut | Income used |
|---|---|---|
| GBP (sterling) | 0% | 100% |
| Major currencies (USD, EUR, CHF, AED, AUD, CAD, SGD, HKD, NZD, SAR, QAR) | 25% | 75% |
| All other currencies | 35% | 65% |
These are the calculator's own planning assumptions, seeded from published lender FX rules but deliberately kept as one conservative rate per tier rather than a lender-by-lender figure. Individual lenders publish their own currency rules and some are more or less generous than this — your own application will be assessed against the lender's actual policy, not our tiers.
Worked example: USD income and the currency haircut
- 1. Salary in USD: USD 120,000 a year.
- 2. Converted to GBP: roughly £95,000 a year, using an illustrative exchange rate — the exact rate a lender uses on the day will differ.
- 3. Currency haircut applied: USD is one of our major-currency tier, so the calculator uses around 75% of the income shown (a 25% reduction), as a buffer against exchange-rate movement: £95,000 × 75% = £71,250 usable income.
- 4. Indicative borrowing: at roughly 4.5× usable income, that's roughly £310,000–£330,000 — a conservative planning figure, not a mortgage offer.
This is a single illustrative example, not a personal quote. Your own figure depends on the lender, your deposit, your outgoings and the exact exchange rate on the day you apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is an expat mortgage?
"Expat mortgage" isn't a single regulated product — it's the general term for a UK mortgage taken out by a British citizen who lives and earns their income overseas. The application process is broadly the same as a standard UK mortgage, but a smaller pool of lenders will consider it, income paid in a foreign currency is usually discounted for exchange-rate risk, and some lenders ask for a larger deposit. Of the 102 UK lenders we track, 47 currently show published evidence of considering expat applications.
Can a British expat get a UK mortgage?
Yes, in principle — but not from every lender. Many high-street banks restrict lending to UK residents only, while a mix of building societies, private banks and specialist lenders publish dedicated expat criteria or consider expat applications case-by-case. Whether a specific lender will consider you depends on your country of residence, the currency you're paid in, your deposit, your credit history and the property itself. This is general information about the market, not an assessment of your own eligibility.
How much deposit do I need for an expat mortgage?
It varies by lender and product. Among the residential expat lenders in our dataset that publish a maximum loan-to-value figure, published caps range from 75% to 90% LTV — so deposit requirements on those products range from roughly 10% to 25% of the property value. Several lenders don't publish a fixed maximum at all, considering it case-by-case instead. Treat any figure here as a planning guide, not a quote — your own deposit requirement depends on the lender, the property and your circumstances.
How is foreign income treated on a UK mortgage application?
Most lenders that accept foreign-currency income apply a reduction — sometimes called a "haircut" — to allow for exchange-rate movement between application and any point in the future. Our calculator applies its own conservative planning assumption of a 25% reduction for income in a widely-traded major currency and a 35% reduction for other currencies (see the haircut tiers below). Individual lenders set their own published rules, which can be more or less generous than this — our figures are a cautious estimate for planning purposes, not any one lender's policy.
Do I need a UK bank account to get an expat mortgage?
Not always, but it's common for a lender to want a UK account for the mortgage payments to come from, even if your income arrives from abroad first. Requirements vary by lender and by product, so this is worth checking directly as part of your specific application rather than assuming either way.
How long does it take to get a mortgage while living abroad?
Expat applications can take longer than a standard UK application, mainly because of extra document requirements (certified ID, proof of overseas address, foreign payslips or tax returns, sometimes translated) and because fewer lenders' underwriting teams handle overseas cases day-to-day. Timelines vary widely by lender and by how complete your paperwork is when you apply, so we can't give a single figure — this is general context, not a promised timescale.
Is a residential expat mortgage different from an expat buy-to-let?
Yes. A residential expat mortgage is for a property you or an immediate family member will live in; an expat buy-to-let is for a property you'll rent out. Lenders treat them differently — buy-to-let affordability is usually assessed against the rental income the property could achieve rather than your personal income, and the pool of lenders differs too. In our dataset, 47 lenders show evidence of one or both — some cover residential only, some buy-to-let only, and some both.
How do you work out the "47 of 102" lender count?
We track 102 UK lenders' published criteria, product pages and lending policy documents for evidence of accepting British expat applications. 47 currently show that evidence — either a "yes" with a dedicated expat product or criteria entry, or "case-by-case" where the lender's own documentation says expat applications are considered subject to underwriting. Of those 47, 22 map onto our calculator engine, but a lender is only checked automatically for a product it offers new expat customers: up to 11 for a residential case (7 if you're paid in a foreign currency) and 16 for buy-to-let. The remaining 25 are specialist or manual-route lenders you'd typically reach through an adviser. This count comes directly from that dataset, not a separate estimate — see the full table above for every lender.
This page doesn't cover tax — UK and overseas tax treatment of a UK property depends on your personal residence status and the rules of the country you live in. Speak to a qualified tax adviser about your own position.
Not sure which lenders' criteria could fit your situation?
Our expat mortgage calculator covers 47 expat-friendly lenders — up to 11 checked instantly for a residential case (16 for buy-to-let), 25 accessible through an adviser — no credit search, results in minutes.
Try the Expat Mortgage Calculator
