Buy a house in Germany from Australia or New Zealand: what does it take?
Planning to buy a house in Germany from Australia or New Zealand? Setting up the mortgage twelve time zones away works — but in a different order than from Europe. Foreign currency, power of attorney and apostille.
Can I buy a house in Germany from Australia or New Zealand with a German mortgage?
Yes, you can buy a house in Germany from Australia or New Zealand with a German mortgage, but it takes more preparation than a European residence. The circle of lenders is smaller than for a German resident, income in AUD or NZD is credited with a safety discount, and the notary appointment usually runs via power of attorney with apostille.
How much preparation does it take to buy a house in Germany from Australia or New Zealand?
Buying a house in Germany from Australia or New Zealand takes more preparation than from Europe.
Living in Australia: do I have to fly to Germany for the notary appointment? Usually not. The notarisation runs via a power of attorney, certified locally and provided with an apostille — that is the standard route, not a workaround.
Why distance is not the main problem
The biggest worry is usually the wrong one. Distance does not decide the financing; three structural points do — and two of them fall in your favour.
- First: Australia and New Zealand sit outside the EU. Whether a bank finances from there is decided by its internal country list, not by the distance — and several institutions handle both countries routinely. Against a Swedish or Danish residence that is a structural advantage.
- Second: Both countries are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. Certification therefore follows a regulated route familiar to German banks and notaries — no legalisation through embassies.
- Third, and this is the actual point: your income in AUD or NZD is foreign currency. Banks do not credit it one to one but apply a safety discount to the converted euro figure. How large that discount is varies considerably between institutions — and that is exactly where the right bank for you is decided.
The notary appointment — the question everyone asks
You generally do not need to travel to Germany for the purchase.
The notarisation runs via a power of attorney, certified locally and provided with an apostille. That is the standard route, not a workaround.
What takes time before the notary appointment?
What takes time is the sequence before the appointment: financing commitment, wording of the power of attorney from the German notary, local certification, apostille and postal transit.
What takes time is not the appointment but the sequence before it: financing commitment, wording of the power of attorney from the German notary, local certification, apostille, postal transit. Anyone who starts this chain only after finding a property loses weeks — and in a competitive market the property with them. This is why we settle the financing side before you bid.
What we clarify in the first conversation
The first conversation covers type of income, currency and discount on AUD or NZD, equity and transfer route, use of the property, intention to return and the form of documents.
- Type of income: employed, self-employed or mixed — this shapes the pool of lenders more than the amount does. Currency and discount: which institutions apply which discount to AUD or NZD.
- Equity and transfer route: where it sits, how it reaches Germany, whether the route is provable. Use: owner-occupation after return or investment — this changes both lenders and eligibility for subsidies. Intention to return: a fixed date widens the possibilities noticeably.
- Form of documents: what needs translating, what needs an apostille, in which order.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a German bank account?
Advisable, though not always mandatory. Many banks insist on an account for the direct debit of the instalment. Which institutions accept alternatives is something we clarify upfront — it is one of the points where applications otherwise fail late.
Do I have to fly to Germany for the notarisation?
Usually not. The purchase runs via a power of attorney certified locally and provided with an apostille. What matters is allowing for the lead time — certification, apostille and postal transit all take time.
Is my AUD or NZD salary credited in full?
No, foreign-currency income is assessed with a safety discount. How large it is differs markedly between banks, which is why targeted selection beats approaching your existing bank.
I plan to return to Germany — does that help?
Yes, usually considerably. Buying for later owner-occupation with a foreseeable return date makes you financeable for more banks than a pure overseas investment purchase.
Request a feasibility check
We assess your specific situation from Australia or New Zealand — free of charge and without obligation, in English or German.
Related pages
Buying a property in Germany from the Netherlands or Austria: is it easier?
Buying a property in Germany with a Dutch or Austrian residence: euro income without a currency discount, equity up to 40 % plus purchase costs.
Buy a house in Germany while living in Russia: is it still possible?
Buy a house in Germany while living in Russia: sanctions, SWIFT exclusion and the capital transfer, explained honestly — how equity reaches Germany at all.
Buying German property from Switzerland: how do banks treat CHF income?
Buying German property from Switzerland: CHF income counted with a 10–50 % discount, 60–100 % loan-to-value and banks that accept a Swiss residence.
Buying German property from Scandinavia: what differs by country?
Buying German property from Scandinavia: kroner income from Sweden and Denmark, Norway in the EEA, Finland with the euro — and the right choice of lender.
Buying German property from the USA or Canada: who will finance it?
Buying German property from the USA or Canada: USD/CAD income at 6 to 10 specialist banks, FATCA, source of funds and power of attorney with apostille.
Buying property in Germany from the USA, UK and Asia: which banks lend?
Buying property in Germany from the USA, UK and Asia: 60–100 % loan-to-value, up to 40 % equity plus costs, FATCA and substitute evidence without SCHUFA.
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.