Can you get a mortgage in the UK if you’re living abroad?

‘Content correct at time of publishing and subject to change’

With over 5.5 million British people living abroad permanently, whether they live in Europe or even further, many are still interested in the UK property market. Thus, many ex-pats are wanting to know whether it is possible to get a mortgage approved here in Britain.

Expectedly, there is a lot of confusion around this particular topic. If you’re looking to borrow a large sum of money, you can expect your situation to be more complex than others looking to borrow less. Political shifts, such as Brexit, have also added to lenders becoming much more stringent about mortgage applications too.

Will I get a mortgage as an ex-pat?

If you’ve been living abroad and you’re worried whether you can get a mortgage here in the UK, the answer is yes you can. However, the process itself is a lot more complicated than it may be for others. You can guarantee that this is the case, especially if you’re looking for high-value finance or a mortgage over £1 Million.

The general consensus is that lenders see ex-pats as high-risk borrowers. This is because lenders struggle to gain a clear sense of an applicant's financial history if they’ve been living abroad. Additionally, an ex-pats credit history may not be easily traced. Thus, it becomes a lot harder for lenders to complete all the necessary checks for a mortgage application. It’s also worth keeping in mind that if you’re paid in foreign currency, exchange rates often fluctuate which means this could add to matters quite substantially.

Furthermore, location is also a big factor in this situation. For example, an ex-pat living in Australia will likely have more trouble getting a mortgage than someone living in France. Add this on top of the size of your mortgage and you may be finding more difficulties to arrange your mortgage than you may first have thought.

Seek professional advice

Overall, if you’re an ex-pat seeking a mortgage, the most important advice you can take is to seek the help of a specialist mortgage broker. So, if you’re needing advice, speak to us today.