Expats · June 2026 · 8 min read
Most Australians abroad assume getting a home loan back home is impossible. In reality, the right lender can change everything, here’s what expats need to know.
Photo: Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
For a lot of Australians living overseas, buying property back home feels like one of those things they’ll “get around to eventually.”
Maybe you’re working in London, Dubai, Singapore, or New York. You’re earning good money, building your career, and thinking about what comes next.
Then one day you jump online and start looking at property prices back home.
The problem?
Most people assume getting a home loan while living overseas is complicated, or worse, impossible.
The reality is it usually isn’t.
In fact, many Australian expats are surprised to learn that there are lenders who actively work with Australians living overseas and are willing to consider overseas income when assessing a home loan application.
The challenge isn’t usually whether you can get approved.
It’s knowing where to start.
This is usually the first question we get asked.
The short answer is yes.
If you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident living overseas, there is a good chance you’ll have lending options available.
We’ve spoken to expats who assumed they needed to move back to Australia before buying property, only to discover they could purchase while still working overseas.
Whether you’re planning to:
there may be more options available than you realise.
One of the biggest mistakes expats make is assuming every bank assesses overseas income the same way.
They don’t.
A lender may love an applicant earning a salary in the UK but be more conservative with someone earning in another currency.
Some lenders will assess close to your full overseas income.
Others may discount it significantly.
The difference can mean borrowing tens or even hundreds of thousands more depending on the lender you choose.
That’s why expat lending is rarely about finding “the lowest rate.”
It’s often about finding the lender whose policy best fits your situation. Use our borrowing power calculator as a starting point, then refine it with a broker who understands expat policy.
One thing we often notice is that expats are in a stronger position than they think.
Many Australians working overseas have:
They’ve spent years building their financial position but assume lenders won’t recognise it because they live outside Australia.
In many cases, that’s simply not true.
The right lender may view your application very differently from the wrong one.
Let’s be honest.
Trying to buy a property from the other side of the world isn’t always straightforward.
You’re dealing with:
All while juggling a full-time job overseas.
That’s usually where people start feeling overwhelmed.
The process itself is often less difficult than expected, but having the right team around you can make a huge difference. See how we work with expat buyers.
One thing we hear all the time is:
“I was planning to wait another few years.”
Then they discover their borrowing capacity is stronger than expected and realise they don’t necessarily need to wait.
For some, the goal is building an investment portfolio while living overseas.
For others, it’s buying a future home before eventually returning to Australia.
Either way, understanding your borrowing position now gives you options.
And options create opportunities.
The biggest mistake isn’t living overseas.
The biggest mistake is assuming you won’t qualify and never asking the question.
We’ve seen Australians spend years on the sidelines because they assumed lenders wouldn’t consider overseas income.
Sometimes a simple conversation is enough to show what’s possible.
Even if you’re not planning to buy immediately, understanding your borrowing capacity and lending options can help you make better decisions moving forward.
Living overseas doesn’t mean putting your Australian property goals on hold.
Whether you’re working in the UK, Singapore, Dubai, New Zealand, Canada, or elsewhere around the world, there may be opportunities available that you haven’t explored yet.
The key is understanding how lenders assess overseas income, what options are available, and how to structure the purchase correctly from the beginning.
Because sometimes the biggest barrier isn’t the bank.
It’s simply not knowing what’s possible. Get in touch with a Vairo broker for a confidential expat lending review.
The information in this article is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances. Speak with a qualified mortgage broker before making lending decisions.
