Buying german property from the netherlands or austria: Buying a property in Germany from the Netherlands or Austria – is it easier?
Euro income — the Netherlands and Austria are among the more accessible non-resident constellations. We also explain what still gets checked closely. A non-resident mortgage works differently here: the bank looks at income, equity and where you live — residence decides which banks take the case.
Is buying from the Netherlands or Austria noticeably easier — and why?
Yes, buying a property in Germany is noticeably easier from the Netherlands or Austria, because both are euro countries and income arrives in the same currency as the loan. That removes the safety discount on foreign-currency income. The bank still verifies more, and the circle of lenders is narrower than for a borrower living in Germany.
Buying a property in Germany from the Netherlands or Austria: the key facts
Buying a property in Germany is easier from the Netherlands or Austria, because your income is in euros.
What makes a euro income simpler for the bank? Both are euro countries and income is paid in euros — which makes the assessment considerably simpler for banks.
How much equity do I need to buy in Germany from the Netherlands or Austria? Loan-to-value 60–100 %, depending on income type and creditworthiness — the country of residence decides which banks take the case, not the range; equity up to 40 % depending on the case, plus incidental costs — with euro income preferred by banks. Calculate the closing costs.
NL/AT residence at a glance: EUR Preferred by banks; up to 40 % Equity depending on the case + incidental costs; 20–30 % Of all banks active here.
How large is the choice of banks with a Dutch or Austrian residence?
Around 20–30 % of all banks active here — a residence abroad still decides which banks come into question. The choice is larger than for foreign-currency countries, but smaller than for residents. we find the right bank for your constellation.
What banks check closely despite a euro residence: Stability of residence: how long in NL/AT already? A temporary posting or a permanent centre of life?; Employer: a Dutch/Austrian company, or a German company with a foreign posting?; Intention to return: some banks factor this in; less relevant for investment properties; Creditworthiness / SCHUFA: a SCHUFA score may be missing — alternatives: a Dutch BKR extract or an Austrian KSV report; Notary appointment: EU free movement makes appearing in person easy.
Which obstacle falls away in the eurozone — and which legal points remain?
Of all cross-border constellations, the Netherlands and Austria are the most straightforward — and not for the reasons people expect. It is not proximity, not language, not the single market. It is the currency.
Many lenders screen out cases where the borrower lives outside the euro area and is paid in a foreign currency.
If you live in Amsterdam or Vienna, that filter does not catch you — you live in a euro country, and a German euro loan is already in the right currency.
No safety discount on the income, no extra work for the bank, no reflexive rejection. That reflex is precisely what blocks German nationals in Switzerland, the UK or the Gulf.
What still applies once your German residence is given up?
You are still a tax non-resident, and Rome I, service of documents and the documented creditworthiness assessment under § 505d BGB all still apply.
What remains: you are still a tax non-resident once your German residence is given up. Rome I, service of documents and the documented creditworthiness assessment under § 505d BGB all still apply. But one obstacle is gone — and in practice it was the tallest.
Three points that trip up otherwise clean files
The three points are unfamiliar income documents, cross-border commuters being a different case entirely, and double taxation treaties, under which rental income from German property is generally taxed in Germany.
- Unfamiliar income documents. A Dutch jaaropgave or an Austrian annual payslip looks nothing like a German Lohnsteuerbescheinigung. No problem for a lender who knows the case — a hard stop inside an automated application process.
- Cross-border commuters are a different case entirely. If you live in Germany and work in the Netherlands, you are tax-resident in Germany with foreign income — a far easier constellation, with a much wider field of lenders. Do not assume the two are interchangeable.
- Double taxation treaties. Rental income from German property is generally taxed in Germany. That is not the bank's concern — but it is yours, after tax. We work with pre-tax figures; the tax assessment belongs with your tax adviser.
The bottom line: this is the widest field of lenders of any cross-border case. Not every bank will say yes — but enough remain that a genuine comparison is possible.
Germans abroad — main page (Overview): All countries of residence at a glance.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a euro income simpler for the bank?
Both are euro countries and income is paid in euros — which makes the assessment considerably simpler for banks.
How much equity do I need to buy in Germany from the Netherlands or Austria?
Loan-to-value 60–100 %, depending on income type and creditworthiness — the country of residence decides which banks take the case, not the range; equity up to 40 % depending on the case, plus incidental costs — with euro income preferred by banks.
How large is the choice of banks with a Dutch or Austrian residence?
Around 20–30 % of all banks active here — a residence abroad still decides which banks come into question. The choice is larger than for foreign-currency countries, but smaller than for residents. we find the right bank for your constellation.
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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.