Buy a house in Germany while living in Russia: is it still possible?
For a Russian residence, it is not creditworthiness that decides the financing but whether — and how — the equity reaches Germany at all. This is currently the most demanding of the residence constellations, and we say so plainly rather than glossing over it.
Can I get a mortgage to buy a house in Germany while living in Russia?
In principle you can get a mortgage to buy a house in Germany while living in Russia, but not every lender takes this residence. The real hurdle is the capital transfer: over 100 Russian banks are excluded from SWIFT and EU payment traffic. We work only with documented, regular routes. Equity already in Germany makes it easier.
Buy a house in Germany while living in Russia: what condition must the equity meet?
You can still buy a house in Germany while living in Russia if the equity reaches Germany by a regular route.
Can Germans living in Russia finance a property in Germany? In principle yes, but it is not creditworthiness that decides it — it is whether, and how, the equity reaches Germany at all. This is currently the most demanding of the residence constellations.
Can the equity get out of Russia?
To a limited extent. More than 100 Russian banks are excluded from SWIFT and EU payment traffic under the sanctions packages, so transfers must run via non-sanctioned institutions and be checked live before every single transfer.
The capital transfer is the real question
For most countries of residence the first question is whether the income is sufficient. For Russia it is first: does the equity leave the country at all, and through which bank?
Under the EU sanctions packages against Russia, more than 100 Russian banks are now fully excluded from SWIFT and European payment traffic — the 21st sanctions package of June 2026 added roughly 35 more. The list keeps changing and has to be checked live before every individual transfer, not once at the outset.
Transfers via non-sanctioned banks remain legally permitted. In practice a second hurdle comes on top, unrelated to the law itself: several German banks have decided, independent of the sanctions status, to stop handling Russia-related transfers altogether — for reputational and compliance-effort reasons, as an internal business decision. Which bank still accepts a given case is therefore also a question of current house-bank policy, not only of the sanctions list.
Anyone attempting to route around sanctions via a third-country account or cryptocurrency takes on considerable legal risk: since the AWG amendment of 6 February 2026, this carries fines of up to €40 million and, in particularly severe cases, imprisonment of up to ten years. We work exclusively with regular, documented routes.
What works in your favour — and what shouldn't be overrated
Russia is not an EU member state. Among the lenders that finance non-residents at all, a Russian residence is assessed under their own country and currency rules rather than under the restrictions that narrow the pool for EU countries outside the euro — structurally the same advantage as with a residence in China or the US.
That does little to ease the real hurdle, though: the pool of lenders is already narrowed sharply by the transfer question itself, so one fewer exclusion barely moves the needle.
Still helpful: the property is located in Germany and valued at German market value. The bank's security sits in a familiar legal environment regardless of where you live. That is why financing remains possible in principle despite the transfer hurdles — it is simply rarer and needs considerably more lead time than for most other countries.
It gets noticeably easier if part of the equity already sits in Germany (from an earlier sale, an inheritance or a German account) or if a second borrower resident in Germany or the EU co-signs. Such a circumstance belongs at the start of the conversation, not in a footnote.
What to prepare
Settle the transfer route first, document every source of funds completely, plan extra time for scrutiny and prepare translated proof of income. Check whether a co-signer resident in Germany or the EU widens the pool of lenders.
- Settle the transfer route first: which non-sanctioned bank currently still executes SWIFT transfers for your case — we check this before you start looking for a property, not after. Source of funds: salary, sale, inheritance, company profit — every source needs complete evidence.
- Keeping current: the sanctions list keeps changing — a route cleared at the start may no longer be open by completion. We accompany the transfer, not just the initial check.
- Time buffer: extra scrutiny on every Russia-related transfer means more time than usual — plan for it realistically. Proof of income over a longer period, translated and in traceable form.
- Second borrower: check whether a co-signer resident in Germany or the EU widens the pool of lenders.
Frequently asked questions
Can the equity be transferred out of Russia at all?
To a limited extent, yes — and that is the key question to settle before you start looking for a property. Over 100 Russian banks are now fully excluded from SWIFT and EU payment traffic under the EU sanctions packages, and the list keeps growing; it has to be checked live before every single transfer. Transfers via non-sanctioned institutions remain legally possible.
Why do some German banks decline Russia-related transfers even where it would be legally allowed?
Because legal permission and a bank's internal policy are two different things. Several German institutions have stopped Russia transfers altogether, regardless of the sanctions status, for reputational and compliance-effort reasons rather than legal obligation. Which bank still handles a given case changes and needs to be checked individually.
Do I risk legal consequences if I route funds via a third-country account?
Yes, and substantially so. Since the AWG amendment of 6 February 2026, deliberately circumventing sanctions via third countries or cryptocurrency exchanges carries fines of up to €40 million and, in severe cases, imprisonment of up to ten years. We work exclusively with regular, documented routes.
What if my bank in Russia gets sanctioned while the purchase is under way?
That is exactly why we check the transfer route continuously, not once at the start. The sanctions list has expanded several times in 2026 alone; a route that was open at the first conversation can be blocked weeks later. A fallback route belongs in the plan from day one.
Request a feasibility check
We assess your situation and above all the transfer route — plainly, without glossing over the hurdles.
Related pages
Loan-to-value and down payment for a mortgage in Germany
Loan-to-value and down payment for a mortgage in Germany when you live abroad: how much banks lend and how much equity you need.
Buying German property with a Dutch or Austrian residence
Buying a property in Germany with a Dutch or Austrian residence: euro income without a currency discount, equity up to 40 % plus purchase costs.
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
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.
Buy a house in Germany while living in China: what do banks need?
It is not creditworthiness that decides the financing but documentation. Anyone who can prove the route of their equity has cleared the hardest hurdle.
Buy a house in Germany while living abroad: what do banks check?
Buy a house in Germany while living abroad: which German banks lend to non-residents, how much equity is needed and which documents they require.
Non-resident mortgage: still living in Austria, buying in Bavaria, €548,000 financed
We documented the planned move comprehensibly and explained employment, income development and equity in full. The commitment followed after the review.
Non-resident mortgage: salary in Swiss francs accepted, €545,000 for a house near Freiburg
We approached banks that regularly handle Swiss income and explained the CHF income, employer, tax situation, commuter status and equity before submission.
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.