Expat Home Loans · Home Loans
Living overseas doesn’t stop you buying in Australia. The wrong lender does.
Australians earning overseas get declined over the currency, the paperwork and the branch they can’t visit, not affordability. We know which lenders lend to expats, and we tell you plainly what is possible.
$1.5b in settled lending
MPA Top Commercial Brokers
5.0 Google rating
Phone answered 24 hours
What happens next
Why commercial through Evolve
Commercial is where we do our best work
Foreign income, counted properly
Salary in dollars, pounds, dirhams or euros: we know how lenders convert and discount it, and present it so it counts.
Up to 70 lenders
Majors, non-banks and specialists across the residential panel, including the smaller group that lends to Australians earning overseas.
Done from anywhere
Identity checks, documents and signing handled without a branch visit. We tell you upfront which lenders still want a witnessed signature.
Any time zone
A real person answers the phone 24 hours a day, and your broker calls back at the time you choose, wherever you are.
“Les and Mark were wonderful throughout the entire process, providing expert advice to secure the exact deal I needed for my financial goals. Communication was excellent, and they kept me informed every step of the way.”
Jeff, Google review
“We dealt with Les throughout our first home buying experience and he was extremely helpful. Any questions we had big or small Les did not hesitate to reply to and would go into detail ensuring we understood the process.”
Samuel, Google review
In plain terms
Expat home loans, explained
Expat home loans fail for reasons that have little to do with whether you can afford the property. A lender’s online form does not know what to do with a salary in Singapore dollars, a payslip in another language, or an applicant who cannot walk into a branch to prove who they are. So the form says no, or the bank does, and the plan stalls.
An Australian expat mortgage comes down to lender choice and presentation. Each lender keeps its own list of accepted currencies, its own discount on foreign income and its own rules on residency, identity and signing. We match your income, residency and the property to the lenders whose policy fits, whether that is a home loan to buy a property from overseas or a chance to check your refinance options on one you already own.
Tell us where you live, how you are paid and what you want to buy. The answer will be straight: possible now, possible with changes, or not yet.
How it works
From first conversation to settlement
- Step
The first conversation
A call or video meeting at a time that suits, covering where you live, how you are paid and what you want to buy.
- Step
Initial assessment and recommendation
Payslips or contracts in your currency, statements and certified identity the lender accepts remotely, assessed against lender policy. Then lender, structure and costs in writing, surcharges included.
- Step
Application prepared for signing
We prepare the application and supporting documents for the chosen lender and arrange signing where you are. Nothing is lodged until you have signed.
- Step
Lodgement and lender approval
Lodged the same or next business day after signing. Most lenders approve in 3–7 business days, some in 1–2, a few take 10–15. Then we manage settlement while you are away.
Understanding expat lending
How lenders treat borrowers living overseas
Can Australian expats get a home loan while living overseas?
Yes, in most cases, if you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident. A smaller group of lenders writes these loans, and each applies its own rules on income, deposit and paperwork.
The decline most expats hear is a policy fit problem, not an affordability one. A lender that accepts your currency and can verify your identity abroad assesses the file on its merits, which is why choosing the lender before applying matters more here than anywhere else.
How is foreign income assessed for an Australian expat mortgage?
Lenders convert your income to Australian dollars and then discount it, often by a meaningful margin, to allow for exchange rate movement. The size of the discount and the currencies accepted vary from lender to lender.
Some also apply Australian tax rates to the converted figure even where you pay less tax abroad. Presenting the income correctly, with the right supporting documents, is where much of the difference between an approval and a decline sits.
Do expats pay foreign buyer surcharges or need FIRB approval?
Australian citizens do not, wherever they live. Permanent residents can be treated as foreign buyers if they have spent too little time in Australia in the year before the contract, and temporary visa holders and foreign nationals are foreign buyers, which currently means FIRB approval, a surcharge and a ban on buying an established home.
These rules differ by state and change over time, so we check your position before you exchange, not after. Getting it wrong adds a large cost that was never in the budget.
What about buying an investment property from overseas?
The lending works the same way, with most lenders counting a share of the expected rent towards servicing alongside your discounted foreign income. That can make an investment purchase easier to service than a home you will not live in yet.
Tax is where expats differ. Non-residents are treated differently on negative gearing, capital gains and the main residence exemption, so your accountant should confirm the position before you sign, with the loan structured to suit it.
Keep exploring
Borrowing, costs and lender fit for a purchase back home.
A better structure for the Australian property you already own.
Business or contract income earned overseas, read properly.
Guide · How negative gearing works and where non-residents differ
Calculator · A first estimate of what lenders may count
Buying from overseas starts with a straight answer
Call 1300 112 355
Questions Australians overseas actually ask
Can Australian expats get a home loan in Australia?
Yes, in many cases they can. But lender policy varies widely depending on where the borrower lives, how they are paid, and what type of property or loan is involved.
Is it harder to get a home loan while living overseas?
Often, yes. Expat borrowers may face fewer lender options, stricter policy, lower borrowing capacity, or additional documentation requirements compared with borrowers living in Australia.
Can I refinance my Australian property while overseas?
Yes, refinancing may be possible, but the lender will usually reassess the application based on your current overseas circumstances, income, location, and loan structure.
Can expats buy investment property in Australia?
Yes. Many Australian expats borrow to purchase investment property in Australia, but lender policy and borrowing capacity can vary significantly.
Does foreign income count for an expat home loan?
It can, but lenders often treat foreign income differently depending on the currency, country, employer type, and how stable or verifiable the income is.
Are all countries treated the same by lenders?
No. Some countries are more acceptable to lenders than others, and some lenders restrict or decline applications based on country of residence alone.
What documents do expat borrowers usually need?
This depends on the lender, but often includes identification, overseas income evidence, tax documents, bank statements, existing loan statements, asset and liability details, and property information.
Why does lender fit matter so much for expat loans?
Because different lenders can assess the same overseas borrower very differently. Sending an expat application to the wrong lender can waste time, create unnecessary credit enquiries, and reduce the chances of a good outcome.