Can an overseas investor get UK property finance? Yes, and here is what it takes.
Yes. Non resident investors, expats and overseas companies borrow against UK property every week, usually through a UK SPV and sometimes through a foreign company with UK security. Expect 60% to 70% loan to value on bridging and investment mortgages against 70% to 75% for a UK resident, pricing roughly 0.25% to 1% a year above domestic terms, a deposit of 30% to 40% that has to be evidenced to the source, and 3 to 6 weeks on a bridge or 8 to 14 weeks on a term loan because the due diligence is deeper. The lenders that do this are a defined panel, not the whole market, and knowing which ones is the job.
By Dominic Whitecross, Co-Founder, HyLend. Last reviewed November 2026.
The short answer, by borrower
| Who | What is available | LTV, 2026 | What lenders need |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK expat, UK income or assets | Bridging, limited company buy to let, commercial mortgages | Up to 70% to 75% | UK bank account, credit footprint, proof of overseas income |
| GCC and Middle East investor | Bridging, investment and portfolio facilities via SPV | 60% to 70% | Enhanced due diligence, source of wealth, UK solicitor; Sharia structures on request |
| EU investor or company | Bridging, development and investment finance | 60% to 70% | Corporate documents apostilled, UBO disclosure, UK security over the asset |
| US and Canadian investor | Bridging and investment finance | 60% to 65% | A narrower panel because of US person rules; we know which lenders accept them |
| Asia Pacific investor | Bridging, investment and portfolio facilities | 60% to 70% | Translated and certified documents, longer source of funds trail |
| Overseas investor with no UK footprint at all | Bridging first, term loan once a UK track record exists | 55% to 65% | Larger deposit, UK professional team, often a UK SPV with a UK director |
Two things we do not arrange on this page: lending against an overseas investment portfolio or international equities as collateral is private bank Lombard lending, which we introduce for cases above £2m rather than broker directly; and finance secured on property outside the UK is covered on the Europe page, market by market. Buying UK property from abroad is what this page is for. Bridging → Limited company buy to let → Portfolio finance →
Leverage and deposit for overseas buyers of UK property
Plan for lower leverage than a UK resident borrower on the same asset. Where a domestic investor might see 70% to 75%, an overseas structure more often lands at 60% to 65%, and lower still on specialist assets, so the equity requirement is 35% to 40% before fees. The reason is lender recovery risk on an overseas borrower, not the asset.
The deposit also has to be evidenced to a higher standard: source of funds and source of wealth are checked in depth, and funds arriving from multiple jurisdictions take longer to clear. Having that documentation ready before the offer is accepted is the single biggest accelerator for an overseas transaction. How much deposit a commercial mortgage needs → and, for a refurbishment or auction purchase, the bridging deposit →
Scope. We arrange non-regulated finance on investment and commercial property for corporate, SPV and investor borrowers. We do not arrange regulated mortgages on a home for your own occupation. HyLend Limited is a UK credit broker, not a lender.
How UK and European lenders treat overseas borrowers
No UK credit footprint is not a barrier. The lending we arrange is underwritten on the asset, the income and the exit rather than a domestic credit score. What replaces the footprint is documentation: clean evidence of identity, source of funds and source of wealth, prepared properly before the application rather than during it.
Structures are standard, not exotic. Most international investors hold UK and European property through a company (a UK SPV or an acceptable offshore entity) with personal guarantees from the principals. We structure this with your advisers; the entity's jurisdiction affects the lender pool, and we place accordingly.
Expect an LTV a notch below a domestic borrower on some products, and a smaller lender panel, which is precisely where whole-of-market access matters. The panel that genuinely lends to non-resident borrowers is a subset, and knowing it is the job.
What we arrange for international investors
The full range we arrange for domestic clients, on investment and commercial assets: bridging (including auction and below-market-value purchases), development finance, commercial mortgages and investment facilities (including SPV buy-to-let and portfolio finance), and specialist and structured capital. Deals across the UK, including Scotlandand nine European markets.
By investor region
The mechanics differ by where you and your capital are based, documentation, structures and the lender pool all shift. Detailed guides:
Middle East & GCC
Family offices and investors from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the wider Gulf.
North America
US and Canadian investors, including the lender considerations around US persons.
Asia-Pacific
Hong Kong, Singapore and the wider region's long-standing UK investment corridors.
European investors
EU-based investors buying into the UK, and UK-held capital deploying into Europe.
Currency: the cost line most investors miss
Investing into sterling or euro assets from abroad, the exchange rate can move your returns more than the loan margin does, deposits, drawdowns and the eventual exit all cross currencies. We work closely with Total Currency Exchange, a UK currency specialist whose payment services are provided through FCA-authorised partners. Want an introduction? Tell us when you send the deal, or ask us directly. We do not provide currency advice; timing and hedging decisions remain yours with your FX provider.
International investor FAQs
Can an overseas investor get UK property finance?
Yes. The lending we arrange is underwritten on the asset, income and exit rather than a UK credit score, so no UK credit footprint is required. What matters is clean documentation of identity, source of funds and source of wealth, and the right structure, typically a UK SPV or acceptable offshore entity.
Do I need a UK company to borrow?
Usually a corporate structure is used, a UK SPV is the most widely accepted, and some lenders accept established offshore entities with personal guarantees from the principals. The entity's jurisdiction affects which lenders will lend, and we place accordingly.
Are rates higher for non-resident borrowers?
Sometimes, and maximum LTVs can sit a notch below domestic levels on some products. The non-resident lender panel is a subset of the market, which is exactly why whole-of-market access matters.
Which locations can you finance?
Across the UK, including Scotland with its separate legal system, and nine European markets including Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. European deals are corporate and SPV only, at higher minimums.
How much longer does UK finance take for an overseas borrower?
Allow two to four weeks on top of the equivalent domestic timeline. The additional time is spent on identity, corporate structure and source of wealth verification rather than on credit underwriting, and document legalisation or apostilles carry their own lead times. Remote execution is routine and rarely the constraint. Having certified corporate documents prepared before the transaction begins is the single most effective way to shorten it.
Valuations: what actually sets your loan and your timetable
Wherever you are based, the loan you receive is a percentage of a valuation figure chosen by the lender, and on UK commercial security that is often not market value but the same asset valued on the special assumption of a 90 or 180 day sale, typically 5% to 25% lower. Two lenders can quote an identical loan to value and offer materially different money.
The valuation type also sets the timetable, which matters when you are coordinating across time zones. Automated and desktop valuations return in minutes to 72 hours on standard UK residential security; a full Red Book valuation of a commercial or trading asset takes one to three weeks and will normally require physical access.
Neither decision can be changed once a lender is instructed, so both belong in the lender selection. The full valuations guide →
What being overseas adds to the timetable
Allow two to four weeks on top of the equivalent domestic timeline. The additional time is not underwriting: it is identity, corporate structure and source of wealth verification, which is more involved for an overseas borrower and cannot be compressed by good intentions. Document legalisation and apostilles have their own lead times.
Remote execution is routine and rarely the constraint. Getting certified corporate documents ready before the deal starts is the most effective thing an overseas borrower can do. The honest bridging timeline →