Expat Mortgages UK

The type of mortgage that’s best for you will depend on your situation - whether this is a fixed rate mortgage, tracker rate, interest-only mortgage, repayment mortgage or something else. Expat scenarios can be quite complex, which is why it’s best to speak with a mortgage broker that specialises in expat mortgages. We can guide you through your options and make things simpler.

It's possible to buy property in the UK as a British expat living abroad if you want to purchase a property for when you return or simply to rent out, but what’s available to you will depend on your situation. For example, you might need to look at expat buy to let mortgages if you're renting your property, rather than residential expat mortgages for a property that's intended to be your main home. Speaking with an expat mortgage broker is the simplest way to find out what your options are.

Call us on 0330 433 2927 or send us an enquiry to learn more.

You can usually take out a mortgage to buy a property in the UK even if you work abroad. However, the lender will often require that someone is going to be living in the property, such as family or tenants, or that you’ll be moving home at some point in the near future.

There are some specialist expat mortgage lenders who regularly deal with complex expat situations. There are even a couple that are based offshore and only lend to expats - i.e. they don’t lend to people already situated in the UK at all, only citizens overseas.

It’s possible to get a mortgage on an overseas property, but this would be an overseas mortgage, not an expat one.

John Charcol can find UK mortgages for overseas residents - for example, when you want to buy a property in the UK but you're currently an expat situated overseas. However, we don’t arrange overseas mortgages for properties that are outside the UK.

To arrange a mortgage for a property that’s overseas, you could approach a UK lender or broker with branches in the country in which you want to buy, or an overseas broker or lender.

Expat mortgage rates tend to be slightly higher than typical mortgage rates due to the increased risk faced by lenders of having borrowers who live abroad.

Most of the mortgages we arrange allow borrowers to make capital overpayments of at least 10% each year without incurring penalties, which is often enough for most borrowers.

At John Charcol, our consultants will talk you through your circumstances and what you’re looking to achieve with lenders who can deal with expats. These lenders tend to have a manual underwriting process that starts with an actual conversation, rather than filling in a form online for a computer to make a decision.

We’re used to working with people living in different time zones and work around your schedule.

The time it takes to arrange an expat mortgage will depend on your unique situation. Nonetheless, we do everything we can to ensure a fast turnaround that meets your moving commitments.

We have access to a range of lenders offering different products, including expat buy-to-let mortgages, so we can find the best one to suit your unique needs.

Most UK lenders will consider granting consent to let for borrowers who have to leave the UK to work abroad. They just don't like granting it for an extended period of time - e.g. more than 2 years.

If your lender won't grant consent to let because you're going to be abroad for an extended period of time, you may want to remortgage onto a buy-to-let deal with a UK lender that accepts expat applications. These mortgages are known as expat buy-to-let mortgages.

We understand that you may need to act fast to secure the property you want. Our experts often deal with these kinds of urgent situations and will do everything they can to make things happen as quickly and run as smoothly as possible.