Buying a property in Australia as an Australian citizen living overseas (‘Australian Expat’) is never easy. But securing your home loan has never been easier than it is now, thanks to MAP Mortgage Brokers. Our experienced mortgage brokers specialise in securing home loans for Australian citizens living and working abroad to 95% LVR at standard home loan interest rates.
The team at MAP Mortgage Brokers are specialists in the provision of home loans for
Australian expats. We regularly secure loans with an LVR of up to 95% against quality properties, and have the knowledge, connections and experience to make your overseas
home buying process easier.
Yes. Australian citizens living abroad can borrow up to 95% LVR plus LMI. Australian permanent residents working overseas can access up to 90% LVR plus LMI. MAP works with 31+ lenders, including several who accept foreign income in multiple currencies without the excessive shading most big banks apply. The application is fully remote — no need to fly back to sign.
We handle the parts of an Australian mortgage that no local broker understands: foreign income, overseas tax, currency conversion, and expat residency status. That is the difference between an approval and a decline.
No. The foreign buyer stamp duty surcharge applies to non-citizens and non-PR holders. Australian citizens and permanent residents living overseas are exempt, regardless of how long you have been offshore. This alone can save tens of thousands of dollars on a median-priced property — and it is the key differentiator between you and a temporary visa holder buyer.
No. As an Australian citizen you don’t need FIRB approval, even if your partner isn’t an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Your citizenship is what determines the exemption — not your household’s combined status. The bank will still verify both applicants’ identities and servicing capacity, but FIRB review isn’t required when an Australian citizen is on the loan.
Yes. The April 2025 ban on established dwelling purchases applies to temporary visa holders, not to Australian citizens or permanent residents. As an expat you can buy established homes, new builds, off-the-plan apartments, or vacant land with no dwelling-type restriction. If your partner holds a second passport or is on an Australian visa, the rules shift — see our British expat and temporary visa holder pages for the other side of that rule.
Yes. Australian citizens living abroad can buy vacant land or take a construction loan from overseas — MAP has placed all three variations (land-only, land + construction, and established dwellings) for expat borrowers. The practical constraints most expats don’t hear about until they apply:
Yes, but the requirements are stricter than for PAYG employees. Most lenders will not lend to self-employed non-residents because they do not understand overseas tax returns and financials, and processing these loans requires specialised knowledge that takes longer than a standard approval.
To qualify, you will typically need to provide:
The maximum LVR for self-employed Australian expats is typically 90%, compared with up to 95% for PAYG expats. The criteria are strict, but MAP has placed self-employed expat loans across multiple lender panels and can advise on your specific situation.
This is one of the most common questions we receive, and for good reason. Buying property from abroad involves practical complications that go well beyond the loan approval itself: certifying your ID from overseas, signing and witnessing documents, exchanging contracts across time zones, and navigating the delays that come with international postal and legal requirements.
The truth is that most of what MAP does is ensure you do not miss any steps. We provide guidance on how to certify identification at an Australian consulate or via approved overseas channels, coordinate document signing and witnessing requirements for your specific country, and liaise with solicitors, real estate agents, and lenders across time zones to keep your purchase moving. For most expat buyers, having a broker who has managed this process hundreds of times is the difference between a smooth settlement and a missed deadline.
No. Being self-employed and living overseas does not limit you to a restricted set of products. You will have access to the same rates, products, and features as resident borrowers, including competitive variable and fixed rates. Depending on the loan you choose, you can access:
The key is choosing the right lender from the start. MAP filters its 31+ lender panel to find lenders who actively accept self-employed non-resident applications, so you do not waste time on lenders who will decline at the credit assessment stage.
Australian Citizens living abroad (Expats) seeking a home loan are often told by financial institutions that they have to adhere to an 80% LVR on property purchases, chewing up valuable capital and reducing the deductible benefits of negative gearing that are available to some expat home owners*. But in our experience, that is simply not the case. We have recently placed expat home loans for Australians citizens living in a wide array of foreign countries (including Singapore; Dubai, UAE; London, UK; Hong Kong and Shanghai, China) at an LVR of over 80%.
The following table provides a high level summary of our maximum lending ratios:
Bank policy on home loans for non residents is a minefield with competing lenders applying vastly different credit policies and home lending criteria. This difference in lending criteria can result in one bank approving the home loan while others will decline the application, reduce the loan amount or require a larger deposit from the borrower.
For example, some lenders will:
This is where MAP Mortgage Brokers can help. MAP understands the complex non-resident lending policies and requirements for all the Australian banks and non bank lenders to ensure that your home loan is approved the first time and at the best available interest rate.
Don’t risk a decline (or another decline) on your credit file. We do not charge you for our services so give us a call or enquire online for obligation assessment.
Most big banks apply a 20–40% shading to foreign income, or decline outright. Specialist lenders on MAP’s panel assess the income using the actual overseas tax paid, not phantom Australian tax rates. For an expat earning in GBP, USD, SGD, HKD, AED, or NZD, that treatment can increase borrowing capacity by up to 25% compared to a standard bank application.
That gap is exactly why an expat mortgage broker matters. A standard Australian broker submits your file to a domestic bank that assumes you pay Australian tax on your Australian salary. A cross-border specialist submits it to a lender that reads your Singapore, Hong Kong, or UAE payslip correctly on the first pass.
MAP works with expats in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, the UK, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, and most other major markets. Lender appetite varies by country — some restrict lending to countries with Australian consulates, others accept any major currency, and a handful have no country restriction at all. We filter the 31+ lender panel down to the lenders who actively finance from your specific country before we waste a single application.
| Country | Currency accepted | Typical max LVR | Foreign stamp duty surcharge? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | SGD, USD, AUD | 95% (citizen) / 90% (PR) | No (if Australian citizen or PR) | Strong lender appetite; fastest approvals. Works for 482-visa returners too. |
| Hong Kong | HKD, USD, AUD | 90–95% | No (if Australian citizen or PR) | Multiple lenders accept HKD directly. Some require an Australian consulate in country (met). |
| UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) | AED, USD, AUD | 90–95% | No (if Australian citizen or PR) | Tax-free income treated well by specialist lenders. Deposit often held in USD or AED until settlement. |
| United Kingdom | GBP, AUD | 90–95% | No (if Australian citizen or PR) | Largest expat lender pool. British passport holders returning — see the British Expat page. |
| United States | USD, AUD | 80–90% | No (if Australian citizen or PR) | Slightly tighter LVR at some lenders; strong USD servicing. |
Yes. Most of our expat clients buy investment property before they return — a primary residence, an investment, or both. As an Australian citizen or PR you keep negative gearing deductions, you do not pay the foreign buyer surcharge, and you can hold rental income in an offshore account if the lender permits. The structure matters: we map loan structure, offset strategy, and ownership (sole, joint, or trust) to your return-to-Australia timeline before you submit a single application.
If you are unsure whether you qualify as an expat or a non-resident — for example, you are a long-term tax resident of Singapore or the UAE — book a free Home Loan Strategy Session and we will confirm your category before you spend a dollar on due diligence.
This is a short presentation by Craig Vaughan of MAP Home Loans on financing options for Australian property available to Australian citizens living overseas earning foreign income. The presentation covers off on bank policy as well as some practical examples, with a specific focus on the deposit required.
DanielCraig recently helped refinance my mortgage and I cannot speak highly enough of his professionalism, knowledge and willingness to help. I have dealt with a number of banks & brokers over the years and they could all learn a thing or two from Craig. 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 Craig for all his help and look forward to working with him again in the future.
Request an exploratory chat about your options and how to secure fast home loan approval, at a competitive rate – even if you don’t have a 20% deposit.
