Borrow upto 95% LVR
Foreign income
accepted
Yes. Australian expats get home loans from overseas all the time. Lenders differ in the countries, currencies and income types they accept, so the lender you apply to matters.
Your borrowing capacity also depends on your living expenses, debts and the property valuation. Working with a specialist Australian expat mortgage broker helps you match your situation to the right lender before you apply.
Australian citizens and permanent residents living overseas can apply for a home loan or refinance an existing Australian mortgage. Your options depend on your country, income currency, employment, deposit and property type. A Free Lending Assessment checks how much of your foreign income counts towards loan serviceability and what deposit you need before you apply.
Refinancing? Lenders usually check you could still afford your repayments if your rate were 3% higher. At a 6.5% rate, that means showing you could pay at 9.5%. Some lenders on our panel drop this assessment buffer to 0% on eligible like-for-like refinances up to 80% loan-to-value ratio (LVR). If the new loan leaves you better off, they can approve it.
Whether you’re buying from abroad or refinancing, we compare your situation against 31+ lenders. Have these details handy for your Free Lending Assessment:
We’ll outline the lenders most likely to approve your application, the deposit and documents required, and your clearest next step. Self-employment, bonuses, a smaller deposit or a non-standard property can narrow the panel and need a closer review.
15 to 30 minutes, without cost or obligation.
Up to 95% LVR for an owner-occupied home and up to 90% LVR for an investment property.
For permanent residents living overseas, investment loans are capped at 80% LVR. Your maximum LVR (the loan amount as a percentage of the property’s value) depends on your country, income currency, lender and property. Your total borrowing capacity depends on how the lender assesses your foreign income, overseas tax, living expenses and existing debts. A Free Lending Assessment calculates your borrowing limit and required deposit before you apply.
Most lenders shade foreign salary by 20% for currency fluctuations and then apply Australian tax rates.
However, some lenders on our panel assess your actual net foreign income instead, which can increase borrowing capacity if you earn tax-free or low-tax income overseas. Bonuses and commission usually take a 20% currency shade plus another 20% policy shade off the original amount. During your Free Lending Assessment, we compare how each lender treats your currency, tax rate and allowances.
A select group of Australian banks and specialist lenders across our 31+ lender panel.
To find your lender, we compare:
Your country of residence and income currency
How each lender assesses your salary, overseas tax, bonuses, allowances or business income
Your living expenses, existing debts and available deposit or equity
The property type, maximum LVR and Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) rules
Overseas identity verification and document-signing requirements
MAP Home Loans matches your situation to the lenders most likely to approve before you apply. The lender makes the final credit decision.
Book a Free Lending Assessment
“Other brokers found us lenders who either would not deal with us at all, or limited severely the amount we could borrow, or would only lend to us with a 60% LVR.”
You may have been told that living overseas caps you at 80% LVR. That’s usually one bank’s policy, not the market rule. For expats in hubs such as Singapore, Dubai, London and Hong Kong, higher limits are often available:
| Borrower Type | Max Home Loan Lending |
|---|---|
| Australian citizen/s living and working abroad paid in a foreign currency | Up to 95% + LMI (owner-occupied), 90% (investment) |
| Australian citizen working overseas but earning/paid in AUD | Up to 95% + LMI (owner-occupied), 90% (investment) |
| Australian citizen and foreign spouse living and working abroad | Up to 95% + LMI (owner-occupied; country, employment and lender limits apply) |
| Australian permanent resident living and working overseas | Up to 95% + LMI (owner-occupied), 80% (investment) |
| Foreign National/s living and working abroad | Up to 80% (new dwellings or vacant land only, FIRB applies) |
Mainstream rates and loan features
Depending on the lender and loan you choose, options can include:
Competitive variable and fixed rates from lenders that accept overseas income
Offset accounts linked to your home loan to reduce the balance you’re charged interest on
Redraw facilities that let you withdraw extra repayments if needed
Additional repayment facilities to pay your home loan off sooner and save interest
Professional packages for eligible loan sizes
You are not limited to
Most major expat hubs worldwide, including Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, the Middle East, the UK, the USA, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Germany. Lender policy varies by country: some require an Australian embassy or consulate for ID checks, while others focus on your income currency. MAP Home Loans filters our 31+ lender panel to those that accept your country and currency before lodging an application.
| Country | Currency accepted | Typical max LVR | Foreign stamp duty surcharge? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Singapore dollars (SGD), US dollars (USD), Australian dollars (AUD) | Up to 95% owner-occupied; 90% investment (citizen) / 80% (PR) | No for citizens; PR varies by state | Strong lender appetite and low-tax income advantages |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong dollars (HKD), USD, AUD | Up to 95% owner-occupied; 90% investment (citizen) / 80% (PR) | No for citizens; PR varies by state | Multiple lenders accept HKD directly; Australian consulate available in country |
| UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) | UAE dirham (AED), USD, AUD | Up to 95% owner-occupied; 90% investment (citizen) / 80% (PR) | No for citizens; PR varies by state | Tax-free income assessed favourably by lenders that use net foreign income |
| United Kingdom | British pounds (GBP), AUD | Up to 95% owner-occupied; 90% investment | No for citizens; PR varies by state | Largest expat lender pool; GBP widely accepted with standard 20% currency shading |
| United States | USD, AUD | Up to 90% (80% PR investment) | No for citizens; PR varies by state | Capped at 90% LVR across panel; strong USD servicing |
| Japan | Japanese yen (JPY), AUD | Up to 90% (80% PR investment) | No for citizens; PR varies by state | Smaller JPY lender pool; 20% currency shading typically applies |
| Middle East (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait) | USD, AUD | Up to 95% owner-occupied; 90% investment (citizen) / 80% (PR) | No for citizens; PR varies by state | Tax-free income treated well by net-income lenders; USD-pegged Gulf currencies |
Yes, up to 90% LVR for Australian citizens and up to 80% LVR for permanent residents living abroad.
Many expats buy an investment property or a future home to rent out until they return. Australian citizens buying in their own name don’t pay the foreign-buyer stamp duty surcharge. For permanent residents abroad, state rules vary (for example, a permanent resident living overseas generally pays the NSW surcharge). Rental income can support your borrowing capacity, and your accountant can confirm how deductions apply to Australian-sourced income. We align your loan structure, offset strategy and ownership with your return timeline before you apply.
Unsure how lenders classify your residency as a long-term expat? Book a Free Lending Assessment to confirm your options before you spend a dollar on due diligence.
You can complete the entire purchase remotely with pre-approval in as little as 7 days and coordinated overseas signing.
Buying property from abroad involves practical steps beyond the loan approval itself: verifying your identity from overseas, signing and witnessing mortgage documents, exchanging contracts across time zones, and allowing time for international courier and legal requirements.
MAP Home Loans coordinates the finance process so you don’t miss a deadline. Once your pre-approval is in place, we guide you through ID checks at an Australian embassy, consulate or approved digital channel, confirm the witnessing rules for your country, and work with your conveyancer, agent and lender right through to settlement.
Construction loan secured while living overseas
I tried a few brokers, who said it would be impossible to organise, but MAP Home Loans took over and guided us through the process. We were able to get the loan we needed and construction is now underway.
Step 1: Free Lending Assessment
Ends with a clear GO or NOT YET.
You pay MAP Home Loans no fee. The lender pays us a commission when your loan settles.
Book a Free Lending AssessmentAfter your assessment
Match
Compare your residency, foreign income and situation with 31+ lenders
Apply
Lodge where you’re most likely to be approved
Pre-approval in as little as 7 days
Purchase
Buy from an assessed position and settle your loan from abroad
Settlement
Your loan settles and the home is yours
As an expat working overseas, MAP Home Loans have been great in getting me a home loan. All the processes were seamless, and I never thought buying a home from overseas was easy.
Refinance tailored to my objectives and circumstances
MAP Home Loans recently helped refinance my mortgage and I cannot speak highly enough of my broker’s professionalism, knowledge and willingness to help. I have dealt with a number of banks and brokers over the years and they could all learn a thing or two from him. He ensured that all my objectives were taken into account and was able to tailor advice that was appropriate to my circumstances. He kept in touch with me throughout the whole process and was always happy to answer all my questions. I sincerely thank him for all the help and look forward to working with him again in the future.
Yes. Australian citizens are exempt from FIRB approval, so living overseas doesn’t stop you buying an established home (one that has been lived in before).
Yes, though lending criteria are stricter than for salaried (PAYG) employees. The maximum LVR for self-employed Australian expats is typically 75% to 80%, compared with up to 95% for salaried expats.
You’ll typically need 2 years of personal and business tax returns and financials prepared by an accountant. MAP Home Loans works with lenders that assess overseas business income and can review your structure before you apply. With the right lender you can generally access mainstream rates and features.
Yes, for both vacant land and construction loans. Australian citizens and permanent residents living abroad can buy vacant land or finance a new build from overseas.
MAP Home Loans arranges land-only loans, land-and-build construction packages and established home loans for expat borrowers:
No, if you’re an Australian citizen buying in your own name. Permanent residents may also be exempt, though state rules differ for expats living abroad.
Putting an Australian citizen or permanent resident on the title doesn’t automatically exempt a foreign co-owner’s share. For example, NSW and Queensland can charge the surcharge on that share, though some states offer spouse exemptions with residence conditions.
These rules are separate from Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval.
Usually no, if you buy together as joint tenants. If one of you is an Australian citizen or already holds an Australian permanent visa, a non-citizen spouse or de facto partner is usually exempt from FIRB approval and fees when you buy together as joint tenants.
The exemption does not cover tenants in common. On an investment, some states can still charge the foreign buyer surcharge.
Book a 15 to 30 minute chat for a clear GO or NOT YET and fast approval at a competitive rate, even without a 20% deposit.
You pay MAP Home Loans no fee. The lender pays us a commission when your loan settles.
You leave the call with one of two answers
GOA viable pathway, and we explain the next step.
NOT YETWe say what needs to change before you apply.
Written & reviewed byCraig Vaughan, Director & Mortgage Broker
MFAA 47419Credit Representative 376082Last reviewed
Authorised under LMG (ACL 517192). AFCA member 121620.
