Can Australian expats still buy property in Australia?

Yes — Australian citizens and permanent residents can buy without FIRB approval. The main constraint is finding a lender that accepts your overseas income and currency.

How much deposit do I need as an expat?

Most expat-friendly lenders want 20-30% deposit (70-80% LVR). A few accept 90% LVR with LMI for strong-currency expats. With Sydney property at $1.5M+ that's typically $300K-$450K deposit.

Will my foreign income be accepted at full value?

Most lenders apply a 20% haircut to foreign currency income. Some accept 100% of strong currencies (USD, GBP, SGD, EUR). The difference can be $100K-$300K of borrowing capacity.

What about the 1-3% expat surcharge?

Some lenders apply a 1-2% rate premium for non-resident or expat borrowers. We compare net rate after any surcharge — it doesn't always make sense to chase the lowest headline rate.

Can I use the property I'm buying as my eventual primary residence?

Yes — many expats buy investment, then convert to PPOR when they return. The lender treats it as investment until you advise the change of use.

Expat Home Refinancing

Who this guide is for

Australian citizens working in Singapore, Hong Kong, UK, US, UAE, Middle East
Permanent residents on assignment overseas
Returning expats planning to buy before re-entry to Australia
Investment property buyers using overseas income

The real challenge

Many Australian banks have exited expat lending. Of those that remain, each has different rules — accepted countries, accepted currencies, foreign currency haircut, minimum income, minimum deposit. The wrong lender means an automatic decline regardless of how strong your overseas income is.

Tax residency, visa status, employment contract structure and remittance pattern all play in. Without the right broker connections you can spend months on the wrong lender.

How Mortgagefy helps

Mortgagefy works with the active expat-friendly lenders — including those that accept SGD, USD, GBP, AED, EUR and other major currencies. We know which lender wants notarised documents, which accepts digital, and which won't lend if you're on a local employment contract.

We coordinate across time zones — most expat applications happen entirely by phone, video, email and DocuSign. We work around your hours and your jurisdiction's documentation rules.

How it works — 4 simple steps

Expat profile review

Country, currency, employer type, tax residency and remittance pattern — every element matters.

Lender match

From the active expat lenders we identify the 2-3 most likely to approve your specific scenario.

Document pack

Notarised ID, employer letters, payslips, bank statements — each lender has different format requirements.

Settlement

Application, valuation, settlement coordinated remotely. Most expat loans settle in 6-10 weeks.

Frequently asked questions

We use offer letters and vesting schedules to value RSUs conservatively. We present current vesting value + projected future vesting as a 3-5 year income average. This gives lenders confidence in your income stability while accounting for market volatility.

Both. We work with W2 employees, 1099 contractors, and consultants. For contractors, we use 2 years of tax returns plus business financials. We have lenders who specialise in contractor income—they understand the variability.

Unvested options have zero value for refinancing. We count only vested equity. If you have a 4-year vest, we use 25% of the grant value (what's vested) plus a conservative projection of future vesting.

If you've been in your new role 6+ months, most lenders will refinance. We'll use your offer letter plus 6 months of pay stubs. If less than 6 months, it's harder but possible with specialist lenders.

Yes, if you have 2+ years of bonus history. We average the past 2 years and present it conservatively. Some bonuses get counted at 50% to be conservative with variable compensation.

ESPP is counted as deferred compensation. If your company matches or you have a discount, we value it as part of total compensation package.

Get a free expat home loan assessment

Free consultation by video call. We work across time zones and tell you upfront which lender will approve — and at what rate.

Start Your Free Assessment Call 0432 634 648

Get your personalised answer in 2 minutes

Free, no obligation. We'll match you with the right lender for your situation.

Specialist Lending Solutions

Model your scenarios: Use our free home loan calculators to estimate borrowing capacity, repayments, and savings.

Expat Home Loans — Buying Australian Property From Overseas