Mortgage application documents: what does a German bank need from abroad?

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.

Which extra mortgage application documents does a German bank want from buyers abroad?

A German bank needs the usual mortgage application documents plus proof of residence abroad and certified translations.

• Can I finance a German property with residence or income abroad? Yes — through a land-charge-secured loan at a bank that handles these cases. What is decisive: provable income, sufficient equity of up to 40 % depending on the case plus purchase costs (loan-to-value 60–100 %), complete documents and the right bank. A rejection from the first bank is usually a statement about its process, not about you. The process step by step.
• Why does the first bank reject? The short answer: Residence abroad (uncertainty about applicable law), foreign-currency income (a blanket 'no' at many houses), no SCHUFA history, a temporary residence permit, incomplete or untranslated documents, and internal country limits. For each there is a way through: the bank whose policies fit the case, and creditworthiness proven via income, statements and assets. Foreign-currency income and the banks that accept it.
• Which documents does the bank want? Passport, proof of residence abroad, residence permit where applicable; employment contract, recent payslips and salary-credit statements — or annual accounts, BWA and tax assessments for the self-employed; proof of equity and its origin; listing, floor plans, area calculation, energy certificate and tenancy agreements. Certified translations where the bank requires them. The fillable PDF (9 pages) is free. Mortgages for the self-employed.
• Who arranges this? Perini Finance & Property — licensed under §34i GewO, 650+ banks compared, we know the banks whose lending rules cover residence in Switzerland, the UK, the USA and Canada, the UAE and the EU — each with its own document notes.
• 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 of up to 40 % depending on the case plus purchase costs (loan-to-value 60–100 %), complete documents and the right bank. A rejection from the first bank is usually a statement about its process — not about you.

Why does the first bank reject — and how is it 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:

• Residence abroad (Reason): Uncertainty about the applicable law and extra effort. Solution: approach banks with established procedures for non-resident borrowers.
• Foreign-currency income (Reason): Francs, dollars, pounds trigger a blanket "no" at many houses. Solution: choose a bank with fair recognition of foreign currency.
• No SCHUFA history (Reason): 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.
• Temporary residence permit (Reason): A factor for some banks, not an exclusion. Solution: the right bank; established Blue-Card routes for skilled workers.
• Incomplete documents (Reason): Foreign documents, missing translations. Solution: submit everything complete from the outset and, where necessary, translated.
• Regulation & internal policies (Reason): Bank-internal country and process limits. Solution: deliberately select the bank whose policies fit the case.

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 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.

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.

Country notes: ✓ Switzerland: widest choice of banks with a permanent employment contract; the self-employed with higher equity. Residence in Switzerland →; ✓ United Kingdom: residence in the UK, income in any currency; the self-employed with restrictions.

Residence in the UK →; ✓ USA/Canada & Asia: non-EU — the review depends more strongly on country and employer. Residence in the US, Canada and Asia →; ✓ UAE/Dubai: provable income and equity are decisive.

Residence in the UAE and Dubai →; ✓ EU (e.g. Austria, Netherlands): a euro income makes things easier, but the residence abroad remains a factor for many banks. Residence elsewhere in the EU →.

All checklists — overview →

Frequently asked questions