Edinburgh · Scotland · UK-wide
British expats and foreign nationals can borrow against UK property, but the mainstream high street is largely closed to them — most banks require UK residency, a UK credit footprint and sterling income. The lending exists in a specialist market: private banks, international arms of UK lenders, and a handful of building societies that will accept foreign income, non-resident applicants and applicants with no UK credit history. Expect 25% to 35% deposits and rates around 0.5% to 1.5% above mainstream. Prime Mortgages arranges expat and foreign national lending on UK property, and can introduce clients to overseas mortgage specialists for property abroad.
If you are a British citizen living and working abroad, you can still buy a UK home or buy-to-let. Expat lending is a well-established specialist market, though it is priced above mainstream and the paperwork is heavier.
If you live and work in the UK but are not a British citizen, the main questions a lender asks are about your visa and how long you have been here.
| Status | Typical position |
|---|---|
| Indefinite leave to remain / settled status | Treated as a UK national by most lenders |
| EU settled status | Broadly mainstream access |
| Pre-settled status | Good access, some lenders want 2+ years' UK residency |
| Skilled Worker visa, 2+ years remaining | Widely accepted, often 10%–15% deposit |
| Skilled Worker visa, under 2 years remaining | Narrower panel, often 20%–25% deposit |
| Under 12 months' UK residency | Specialist lenders only, larger deposit |
A thin or absent UK credit file is a common blocker and is fixable, but slowly. Lenders cannot verify what they cannot see, and some will decline purely on the absence of data rather than on anything negative.
If you have six to twelve months before you need to buy, registering on the electoral roll where eligible, opening a UK current account, and running a small regular commitment through it will build enough of a file to widen your options considerably. Where time is short, some specialist lenders will accept an international credit report or a reference from your overseas bank instead.
We regularly work with clients buying in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Dubai and the US. Overseas mortgages are arranged through specialist international brokers who hold the relevant local permissions, and we make that introduction rather than advising on foreign lending ourselves.
Where it is more efficient, an alternative is to release equity from your UK property and buy abroad in cash — often cheaper and considerably faster than arranging local finance, though it does secure the borrowing against your UK home.
No fee for the initial conversation, and no obligation. We usually reply the same working day.
Common questions
Yes. Expat mortgages are a well-established specialist market for British citizens living overseas. Expect a deposit of around 25%, a rate roughly 0.5% to 1.5% above mainstream, and more documentation than a domestic application. Expat buy-to-let is generally easier to arrange than expat residential.
Yes. If you hold indefinite leave to remain or settled status you are treated much like a UK national. On a visa, access depends largely on how long you have been in the UK and how long remains on the visa — with two or more years remaining and two years of UK residency, most of the market is open to you.
It is harder but possible. Some specialist lenders will accept an international credit report or an overseas bank reference. If you have six to twelve months before buying, building a basic UK footprint — electoral roll registration where eligible, a UK current account, one small regular commitment — will widen your options substantially.
Many expat lenders will, in the major currencies. They typically apply a discount of 20% to 25% to foreign-currency income to allow for exchange rate movement, so you can borrow less than the headline figure suggests. Income in a currency pegged to sterling or the dollar is viewed most favourably.
Often yes, by remortgaging or taking further borrowing against your UK property and buying overseas in cash. It is frequently faster and cheaper than arranging a local mortgage abroad, but it secures the borrowing against your UK home, so the risk sits there. We will set out both routes.
A twenty-minute conversation will tell you what you can realistically borrow, what it will cost and whether it is worth doing. It is free, and we will tell you honestly if the answer is no.