Perini Finance & Property Mortgages in Germany · §34i GewO
Checklist · Non-residents

Financing a property in Germany while living abroad

The complete checklist — requirements, documents and the typical stumbling blocks. Everything visible here, nothing hidden behind a form. The fillable PDF and the personal financial statement come free of charge on top.

Information

In brief: A German property can be financed even with a residence or income abroad — through a land-charge-secured loan at a bank that handles these cases. What is decisive is provable income, sufficient equity (at least the transaction costs), complete documents and the right bank. A rejection from the first bank is usually a statement about its process — not about you.
Why it stalls

Why the first bank rejects — and how it is solved

The most common reasons for rejection rarely lie with you, but in the bank's process. For each one there is a way through:

Reason

Residence abroad

Uncertainty about the applicable law and extra effort. Solution: approach banks with established procedures for non-resident borrowers.

Reason

Foreign-currency income

Francs, dollars, pounds trigger a blanket "no" at many houses. Solution: choose a bank with fair recognition of foreign currency.

Reason

No SCHUFA history

Anyone who has lived abroad for a long time often has no history. Solution: prove creditworthiness via income, bank statements and assets; the bank accepts this.

Reason

Temporary residence permit

A factor for some banks, not an exclusion. Solution: the right bank; established Blue-Card routes for skilled workers.

Reason

Incomplete documents

Foreign documents, missing translations. Solution: submit everything complete from the outset and, where necessary, translated.

Reason

Regulation & internal policies

Bank-internal country and process limits. Solution: deliberately select the bank whose policies fit the case.

Part 1

Personal requirements

  • ✓ The property is located in Germany (secured by a land charge).
  • ✓ Provable, ideally stable income — employed (preferably permanent) or self-employed with a proven earnings position.
  • ✓ Clean creditworthiness; no burdensome open negative entries.
  • ✓ Equity available — as a rule of thumb, at least the transaction costs.
  • ✓ With a temporary residence permit: keep prospects and income in view (not an exclusion).
  • ✓ For couples it often helps if one person brings adequate German-language skills or German citizenship.
Part 2

Personal documents

  • ✓ Valid passport or identity card (guide: still valid for at least 6 months).
  • ✓ Proof of registration / proof of residence abroad.
  • ✓ Residence permit / visa where applicable.
  • ✓ For foreign documents: certified translations or explanations, if the bank requires them.
Part 3

Income proofs

Employed:

  • ✓ Employment contract.
  • ✓ Recent payslips (usually for the last few months).
  • ✓ Bank statements showing salary credits.

Self-employed:

  • ✓ Annual accounts or income-surplus statements for the last two to three years.
  • ✓ Current business analysis (BWA).
  • ✓ Tax assessments.

With foreign-currency income, additionally: evidence showing the amount and stability of the income — banks sometimes count it with a safety discount.

Part 4

Equity & property

Proof of equity:

  • ✓ Bank/securities-account statements for the available equity.
  • ✓ Proof of the origin of larger amounts (e.g. a sale, a gift).

Property documents:

  • ✓ Listing (Exposé), recent photos.
  • ✓ Floor plans and living/usable-area calculation.
  • ✓ For freehold flats: declaration of division, minutes of the last owners' meetings, budget plan.
  • ✓ For existing buildings: energy certificate; for tenanted property: tenancy agreements / rent schedule.
  • ✓ For new builds: draft construction or purchase contract, building specification.

The exact list depends on country, type of income and bank. Transaction costs (property transfer tax, notary, land registry, estate agent where applicable) are added to the purchase price and should be paid from equity — estimate them with the transaction-cost calculator.

Part 5

Country notes

  • ✓ Switzerland: widest choice of banks with a permanent employment contract; the self-employed with higher equity. More →
  • ✓ United Kingdom: residence in the UK, income in any currency; the self-employed with restrictions. More →
  • ✓ USA/Canada & Asia: non-EU — the review depends more strongly on country and employer. More →
  • ✓ UAE/Dubai: provable income and equity are decisive. More →
  • ✓ EU (e.g. Austria, Netherlands): a euro income makes things easier, but the residence abroad remains a factor for many banks. More →

As a fillable PDF — free on top

This checklist also comes as a fillable PDF, together with a personal financial statement to prepare your financing. Free and without obligation by email — ideal for going into the initial call with structured documents.

Request the fillable PDF + financial statement

Free · §34i GewO · not legal or tax advice · no financing commitment

FAQ

Common questions about the checklist

Do I already need a specific property?
No. It is worth clarifying the framework in advance — then you search more precisely and can commit quickly when the right property comes along. The personal documents (Parts 1–3) can already be prepared.
Do I have to submit everything at once?
No, but the more complete it is, the faster the commitment. We say in advance what the specifically selected bank actually needs — that way you avoid duplicate work and translations no one reads.
Does the checklist apply to all countries?
It is the common core. Depending on country, currency and type of income, individual proofs are added — the country notes above and the initial call cover the fine points.
Read on
FAQ

FAQ on financing from abroad

50+ answers on non-residents, foreign currency and more.

To the FAQ → Investment

Investment property for non-residents

A tenanted property in Germany with a residence abroad.

Learn more → Property

Check the property

What belongs in the listing before the bank sees it.

Learn more →