Expat mortgages.

An expat, or to give it its full term, expatriate, is someone who lives outside their native country. For the purposes of our expat mortgage products, we define an expat as a UK national living abroad. On a joint application, if one applicant meets this definition, then the application will proceed as an expat case.

Yes, as a UK national living abroad, you should be able to get a mortgage for a property, but it can be a little more complicated than if you were living in the UK. Many high street banks don’t offer expat mortgages, so you may need to seek a specialist lender.

There are three main types of expat mortgage: residential expat mortgages, buy to let expat mortgages, and holiday let expat mortgages. Some specialist lenders offer all three types, others just offer one or two.

An expat mortgage is a mortgage designed specifically for people who live outside of their native country but who wish to buy property there.

Those seeking UK expat mortgages may be looking to maintain a residential property for their family to stay in whilst they work abroad, or they might be planning to buy a property to rent out for the extra income, for example. There are several reasons why British expats may choose to remain on the property ladder in the UK. If you’re currently living abroad and looking to buy or remortgage a property in the UK, you’ll need an expat mortgage as you won’t meet the criteria for a standard mortgage.

Expat mortgages can be a little more complicated than standard UK mortgages, so it makes sense to enlist the help of a broker who has experience in this area. They will understand which lenders offer expat mortgages, as well as help you with additional requirements such as: proof of overseas employment status, exchange rate complexities, and affordability issues.

 It’s not uncommon for expat mortgage applications to be in joint names, and often the second applicant is a non-UK national. The second person’s income cannot usually be taken into consideration if they are not a UK national. That said, increasing numbers of lenders are comfortable with naming a second person on the mortgage as long as the first applicant is a UK passport holder.

Some lenders will accept a currency for income purposes but may not accept a foreign-based deposit. That’s because some currencies are viewed more, or less favourably, than others.

If your deposit is in a foreign currency, you’ll usually be able to find a lender that accepts it. However, you should always check with your broker or lender first.

Any deposits will ideally be in the currency of the country you are currently residing. Having a deposit in a third currency/country is another complexity which can limit your choice of mortgage provider.

Wherever your deposit is based, lenders will expect clear evidence of where it came from.

The currency you’re paid in is important to a lender, particularly on a residential case. This is because a lender needs to notify a customer if there’s a large fluctuation in the exchange rate. Monitoring this isn’t easy, which is why some lenders only accept certain currencies on a residential application. Lenders may reduce a customer’s income in affordability calculations. This can cover the risk of any fluctuation in the exchange rate. This is known as ‘haircutting’.

Yes. Most providers will need you to have a UK bank account and other forms of ID such as a UK passport, UK driving licence, evidence of your current address and details of your last address(es) in the UK.

When it comes to expat mortgages, some lenders can be averse to ‘lock and leave’ properties and prefer someone to be living in the property. This is because the lender needs to ensure the future saleability of the property and unless it is lived in (and maintained), it could deteriorate. You might also need to consider who is staying in the property, as some lenders limit this to very close family, while others take a wider view. Always check with your lender or broker in advance.

Yes, it does. Most lenders who offer expat mortgages accept applications from the residents of a wide range of countries. However, there are some countries which may be an exception to this. This could be because there are sanctions in place for that country; or there may be concerns regarding money laundering regulations; or political instability. It is important to check with the lender early in the process.