Expat home loan: buying in Australia while living overseas

Can an Australian living overseas get a home loan?

Yes, if you are a citizen or permanent resident, from a smaller set of lenders than a local borrower and on different terms. The lender has to accept income earned in another country and currency, verify employment it cannot easily check, and take on the risk that the exchange rate moves against your repayments. Each lender handles that differently: some discount the income, some cap the loan-to-value ratio, some exclude certain countries or currencies, and most of the major banks decide case by case without publishing a policy. Non-citizens living overseas are a different category: they need Foreign Investment Review Board approval, which CommBank notes is lodged through the ATO, and face state foreign purchaser surcharges.

Which lenders publish an expat home loan policy?

Checked against each lender's published page on 20 September 2026. Terms change without notice; confirm the current position with the lender or your broker before relying on it. Where a lender does not publish a figure the cell says so.

How is foreign income assessed?

Two adjustments happen before the lender runs its usual serviceability test. The income is converted to Australian dollars at the lender's rate, and then shaded to allow for currency movement: Granite publishes a 20% shading, and Bluestone publishes that it counts up to 90% of net foreign income. Bluestone also states it does not apply notional Australian tax to the foreign income, which matters because some lenders assess overseas earnings as if Australian tax were payable on them, cutting the usable income further. Employment type is then treated as it would be locally: PAYG with payslips and statements, self-employed with financials, and Bluestone accepts both plus variable income. Expect to provide documents in English or certified translations, and bank statements from the account the salary lands in.

What LVR and deposit do expats need?

More deposit than a local borrower at most lenders, though the published figures are not far off. Granite publishes up to 85% LVR; Bluestone publishes its limits through an LVR calculator on the product page rather than a headline number. Lenders that do not publish tend to sit at 80% for expats with strong income and lower for weaker currencies or countries. A 20% deposit plus costs is the safe planning figure, and it avoids LMI everywhere.

What about FIRB, tax and surcharges?

For citizens, FIRB is not involved: an Australian citizen can buy residential property regardless of where they live. For permanent residents living abroad and for non-citizens, FIRB rules apply, CommBank describes the application going through the ATO, and most states add a foreign purchaser stamp duty surcharge and land tax surcharge for foreign persons. Tax residency is separate again: an expat who is a non-resident for tax purposes loses the main residence exemption on sale in most cases and pays non-resident rates on rental income. None of this changes the loan, but it changes whether the purchase makes sense, so get tax advice before the finance.

What should an expat have ready before applying?

• Proof of citizenship or permanent residency, and current visa or residency status in the country you live in.
• Three to six months of payslips and the bank statements they land in, or two years of financials if self-employed, in English or certified translations.
• An employment letter confirming role, tenure and salary, since the lender cannot phone a foreign HR department easily.
• Your Australian credit file, which may be thin after years abroad, and details of any Australian debts.
• Deposit evidence and its source, particularly if it is coming from an overseas account.
• A decision on structure: owner-occupied for a return home, or investment with a property manager, because lenders assess the two differently.

Why use a broker for an expat loan?

Because most of the market does not publish its policy. Bluestone and Granite say what they do; the major banks decide case by case, and the outcome depends on which lender, which country, which currency and how the file is packaged. A broker who works expat files knows which of those combinations is currently approved and presents the income the way each lender assesses it. Time zones are the other reason: the broker runs the application in Australian hours while you sleep. The mortgage broker guide covers how brokers are paid and regulated.