Doctor mortgage from abroad: can you finance a property in Germany while living abroad?
You work as a doctor in Switzerland, Dubai, the UK or the USA and want to buy or refinance in Germany? Then you already know the rejections. We have specialised in exactly these cases and know which banks finance despite residence abroad and foreign-currency income.
Doctor living abroad: is creditworthiness the obstacle?
For a doctor living abroad, the obstacle is rarely credit standing but the process. Many lenders finance non-resident taxpayers only on restricted terms, and foreign income documents, taxation and identification without PostIdent add work. A standard branch has no process for this case, so a refusal says little. A small, stable circle of institutions handles these constellations.
Will German lenders finance a doctor living abroad?
Yes — a doctor living abroad can finance a German property through a fixed circle of lenders.
Which lenders accept residence abroad? A fixed circle of banks. Since the Mortgage Credit Directive (2016) many banks finance non-residents only on a restricted basis — the reasons are internal country lists, service of documents and review effort.
Some lenders do not accept foreign-currency income — others do. But there is a fixed circle of banks that accepts residence in Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA, Canada and elsewhere in the EU.
The prerequisite is, as a rule, a loan secured by a land charge on the German property. Foreign-currency income and the banks that accept it.
Which constellations are financed?
Residence in Switzerland with income in CHF; UAE/Dubai with tax-free income; UK, USA and Canada with income in GBP or USD; elsewhere in the EU; follow-up financing of an existing German loan after moving abroad; and let property in Germany as a non-resident. Refinancing your German loan.
Who arranges this? Perini Finance & Property — licensed under §34i GewO, 650+ banks compared, we know the banks whose lending rules cover physicians with residence abroad and foreign-currency income — the core of Perini Finance & Property. Your enquiry is free; the commission is, as a rule, paid by the bank. Advice in German, English and Russian. Foreign-currency income and the banks that accept it.
Country lists and currency: what each lender's credit policy decides
Since the Mortgage Credit Directive (in force since 2016), many banks have moved to financing so-called non-residents only on a restricted basis — in part only where the residence is within the EU and the salary is paid in euros. The reasons sit in the lenders' credit policies: internal country lists, service of documents, review effort — and the income currency.
Income in a foreign currency: some lenders do not accept foreign-currency income — others do, and which currencies are on the list differs from one bank to the next. Where it is accepted, it is converted and taken with a safety margin rather than in full. Knowing which lenders have mapped this into their process saves you the rejections from the rest.
Worth knowing: anyone living and working in Switzerland often has it easier than expected — Switzerland is not part of the EU, and there is a fixed circle of banks that accept residence in Switzerland and income in francs. The prerequisite is, as a rule, a property loan secured in the land register (a classic mortgage with a land charge on the German property).
Which constellations do I arrange financing for?
We arrange financing for residence in Switzerland, the UAE and Dubai, the UK, USA and Canada, elsewhere in the EU, and for follow-up financing.
- Residence Switzerland: Income in CHF, cross-border commuter or permanently resident — a proven speciality.
- UAE / Dubai: Tax-free income, often as a hospital doctor. Demanding, but doable.
- UK, USA, Canada: Foreign currency in GBP or USD — we know the banks that examine this.
- Elsewhere in the EU: Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Austria and more — handled differently depending on the bank.
- Follow-up financing: An existing German financing, but now residence abroad? we solve that too.
- Investment for non-residents: A let property in Germany despite residence abroad.
Why me in particular?
This specialisation is the core of Perini Finance & Property — long before we addressed the medical market specifically. Advice is in German, English and Russian. And if your property is not in Germany but in Spain or Portugal, our sister site helps: perini.es for financing in Spain and Portugal.
Bank-independent & free. we compare over 650 banks and know the small circle that accepts cases abroad. Your enquiry is free — the commission is, as a rule, paid by the bank.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay higher interest with residence abroad?
Usually not. Most banks that finance non-residents do not charge higher interest. A few institutions add a surcharge for the higher processing effort — we steer you to the cheaper ones.
Do I need equity?
For cases abroad, banks tend to be more cautious, and somewhat more equity is often expected. With very strong credit standing — and doctors usually bring that — a great deal is achievable. we check your specific case.
Is a pure investment possible, not owner-occupied?
Yes, let properties for non-residents are also possible. The bank selection is even narrower here — which is exactly our field.
I might return to Germany — is that relevant?
Yes, a planned return can make the financing easier and should be considered in the application strategy. Tell us, and we build it in.
Any questions on this topic?
A first consultation is free and without obligation — the commission is, as a rule, paid by the bank. We tell you what this means for your own financing.
Related pages
Medical practice financing: which bank funds setup and takeover?
Medical practice financing in Germany: KfW loan programmes, capital requirement for setup or takeover, and how banks assess the case.
Working as a doctor in Germany — mortgage and approbation
Mortgage for international doctors in Germany: fixed-term contract, probation, residence permit, no Schufa history — and lenders that underwrite manually.
Practice financing for doctors in Germany: what must be in place first?
Practice financing in Germany: medical licence and Approbation, capital requirement, KfW funding and the order the steps have to follow.
Mortgage income requirements for doctors: which documents count?
Mortgage income requirements for doctors: the documents banks require by career stage, including practice purchase and cases abroad. Free checklist.
Doctor mortgage in Germany: which bank finances a practice and a home?
Doctor mortgage in Germany: home and practice loans, doctors living abroad. 650+ banks compared, bank-independent, §34i. Free consultation.
Mortgage for female doctors: how do banks treat part-time and parental leave?
Mortgages for female doctors: part-time, parental leave, return to work — lenders that assess these life phases fairly. §34i.
Editorially responsible: Olga Nikushkina — owner, §34i GewO (German mortgage brokerage), adviser register D-W-132-ZUCB-95. Specialised in German property financing with an international dimension: non-residents, foreign-currency income, cross-border workers, expats. Siegfried Perini is entered in the German intermediary register under this licence as a person directly involved in brokerage and advice (§ 11a GewO), active in real estate since 1992. Not legal or tax advice.