A mortgage for non-residents in Germany: what limited tax liability means for your application and which banks lend in this situation. A home loan for non-residents is available — the requirements differ, not the possibility. Where the income carries it, up to 100 % of the lending value is within reach — foreign-currency salaries included. With a residence abroad, incidental purchase costs come from own funds.
Yes, a non-resident mortgage in Germany is available, but not at every bank. Non-residents for tax, foreign-currency earners, cross-border commuters, expats and Germans abroad all fall outside a branch's standard grid. What decides it is whether the lending bank underwrites such cases and reads the evidence correctly. That is exactly the work: knowing the lenders that finance foreign-linked cases.
Your country of residence decides which bank takes the case, not the range of 60–100 % of the lending value. We know the banks whose lending rules cover residence and tax liability abroad.
How much can a non-resident borrow for a German property? 60–100 % of the lending value, depending on income type and creditworthiness — the country of residence decides which banks take the case, not the range; the bank's valuation, not the purchase price, is the basis.
The top of the range requires correspondingly strong income — foreign-currency income included; incidental purchase costs come from own funds where the borrower lives abroad. 'As a non-resident you'll get 50 to 60 percent' is one branch's number, not the market's. Foreign-currency income and the banks that accept it.
What documents does the bank want — and how long does it take? Verifiable income, employment contract, recent payslips or annual accounts, bank statements showing salary receipts, proof of residence abroad — plus certified translations where the bank requires them.
Your passport or ID should still be valid for at least six months.
With complete documents a commitment usually takes 3 to 10 working days; what extends it is documents from abroad, source of funds, foreign currency or self-employment — not the foreign link as such. Foreign-currency income and the banks that accept it.
The documents are the same as for a resident — plus an apostille, a certified translation and a longer proof period. Three figures really differ: loan-to-value, equity and how income in a foreign currency is recognised.
Non-resident mortgage checklist: all key parameters and documents →
| Item | Value | What follows from it |
|---|---|---|
| Loan-to-value, non-residents | 60–100 % | calculated against the lending value, not the purchase price |
| Equity | up to 40 % depending on the case, plus side costs | ancillary costs on top: 8–15 % depending on federal state |
| Income in a foreign currency | haircut 10–25 %, 50 % for 100 % financing | safety margin on the income converted into euro |
No German salary, no German tax return, often no SCHUFA score — and yet a viable German property in view. If you want to assess your status yourself, you should know the widespread myth about deregistration and tax liability (DE) — deregistering alone does not end limited tax liability on German-source income.
A German property as an investment, even though your residence and tax liability are abroad. Which banks finance this and which documents count.
The fixed-rate period is ending while you live abroad. What is different about switching now compared with the first purchase — and how to make it work.
Inheritance tax on a German property when the deceased or the heir is based abroad. What the financing structure has to do with it.
No broker can change the mind of a bank that on principle says “no” to residence abroad. What we can do is know which banks are structurally able and willing to do it — instead of scattering an enquiry blindly and misreading the rejection as a verdict on your creditworthiness. The real trigger for many banks’ cautious stance is the EU Mortgage Credit Directive of 2016: it noticeably tightened due-diligence and liability obligations for foreign connections and foreign currency — since then some institutions avoid this effort across the board instead of examining the individual case.
With residence abroad it is not automatically clear whether German law or the consumer law of your country of residence applies — not even within the EU. Many banks shy away from the legal review and reject across the board instead of clarifying the individual case.
Some banks do not accept foreign-currency income — others do. Where it is accepted, it is counted with a safety discount. Both are set out in the lending rules of the individual bank, not in your creditworthiness.
Identity checks for residents abroad are more laborious, in some cases with enhanced due diligence depending on the country. Some banks on principle do not want to take on this effort — regardless of your creditworthiness.
The consequence: a rejection often says more about a bank’s internal risk policy than about your case. We know the banks that have structurally solved these three points, and we discuss your case specifically with them — instead of with all of them. Which type of bank this is in practice is explained on the page Which banks finance tax non-residents?
For non-residents, a loan-to-value ratio of 60–100 % is realistic, rather than a flat rate of 50 to 60 %; this is based on the bank valuation, not the purchase price.
“As a non-resident, you’ll only get 50 to 60 %” – that figure comes from one particular bank, not the market as a whole. In our experience as mortgage brokers, up to 100 % of the mortgageable value can be achieved; the range is 60–100 %, depending on the type of income and credit rating (your country of residence determines which banks you can access, not the range); the bank value (mortgageable value), not the purchase price, forms the basis. The remainder is the so-called unsecured portion: the part of the loan that is not covered by the property’s value. The higher this proportion, the more limited the range of banks willing to underwrite the loan at all.
Proof of income, employment contract, recent payslips or annual accounts, bank statements showing salary payments, proof of registration abroad — in the case of documents in a foreign language, certified translations may be required. Providing the full list in advance avoids the need for a second round of enquiries.
Provided all the necessary documents are in order, it usually takes between 3 and 10 working days to receive a financing commitment — we prepare all the documents and submit them to the most suitable bank. A foreign link as such does not extend this timeframe.
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The rouble is the only exception. The bank converts into euro and takes a discount (haircut) of 10–25 % (50 % at 100 % financing), depending on currency and type of income — Swiss cross-border commuters included.
Which bank takes the case is decided by the country of residence, not by the loan-to-value of 60–100 %.
No German needed — we talk in English, Russian, Spanish or French.
The real loan-to-value for non-residents: “As a non-resident you get 50 to 60 percent” — not true. What the loan-to-value actually depends on and where the higher tranches begin.
Don’t avoid it, but don’t ask it first: most house banks do not finance borrowers living abroad — starting there collects rejections that say nothing about your creditworthiness. Most failed applications fail not on the case itself but on the order of steps.
1. Video call: is your case financeable, and which banks come into question? 2. Budget: which purchase price works with your equity — with a residence abroad, purchase costs come from your own funds.
5. Submission and commitment: the rate is usually secured on submission; with complete documents the commitment usually comes within 3 to 10 working days. You then typically have about two weeks to accept.
You can apply for a foreign loan for a property in Germany at one of the 6 to 10 banks that accept proof of residence abroad and income in foreign currency — using the documents from your country of residence, which, depending on the bank, may require an apostille and a certified translation; the initial selection of a bank is free of charge for you; the commission is usually paid by the lending bank.
What counts in full is pay that is fixed and permanent. Banks only count bonus, commission and employee shares cautiously and often only in part. A large total package therefore convinces less than a solid base salary.
Base salary: permanent contract, probation completed — the basis of every household budget calculation. Variable pay: bonus, commission and share plans (RSUs) only count if they are documented and stable, and then usually with a discount. Currency: any income outside the euro is converted and counted with a 10–25 % (50 % at 100 % financing) discount. Clear evidence: payslips, employment contract and tax assessment from your country of residence — in a foreign language, partly with translation.
Does rental income from property abroad count? Less and less: banks may only count the actual rent, at most the usual local rent — and that is hard to verify for a flat in London or Los Angeles. More and more banks therefore count rent from abroad as zero, while the instalments on those properties count in full.
That can tip the household budget even on a high income. Some lenders still count the rent when a tenancy agreement and bank statements prove it — we know these lenders.
A real case with employee shares →
For self-employed borrowers living abroad, the mortgage interest rate in Germany matters less than how the figures are prepared.
If you return within about six, at most twelve months and want to live in the property yourself, many banks treat you as a returnee — and the pool of lenders becomes much larger. With your return, many checking and monitoring duties fall away for the bank.
Evidence: easiest when your secondment ends and your employer confirms the return to Germany. Mortgage during probation: if you change employer when you return, it gets tighter — many banks only count the new income in full after probation.
Better to clarify with us beforehand whether changing before or after the commitment makes more sense. Owner-occupation: it makes the return credible and opens KfW and state funding.
Cross-border commuters: even if you keep working abroad after returning, a centre of life and registered address in Germany often makes you one of the easier cases.
Which properties do banks finance if you live abroad? Mainly residential property in Germany in a normal location — flat, one- or two-family house, apartment building. Whether you move in or let it usually plays a minor role. Purchase, new build, modernisation, follow-up financing and equity release are all financed.
Hardly or not financeable: purely commercial property, farmsteads and hobby properties, genuine holiday homes (only properties allowed as a permanent residence are financeable) and very small flats, often under 40 m².
German passport, residence abroad: A German citizen in Switzerland, the USA, the UK or Asia — with a property in Germany in view. As an investment or for a later return.
The same foreign connection, but a different starting point — depending on where your residence, tax liability and workplace are.
You live and work in Germany — EU Blue Card, settlement permit or fixed-term residence. Owner-occupied home or investment property, KfW funding applies.
A German citizen in Switzerland, the USA, the UK or Asia — with a property in Germany in view. Investment or later return.
You live in Germany and work in Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg or the Netherlands — income often in a foreign currency. The banks that accept this.
You do not want to buy in Germany but abroad — the banks in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Austria and their criteria.
Foreign currency, fixed-term contracts abroad, assets held overseas: the figures are correct, it’s just the format that’s wrong. What matters here is which bank assesses the actual financial viability rather than just the box ticked on the application form.
Salary in a foreign currency, loan in euros. How banks calculate the currency buffer and what scenarios they actually take into account.
A German property free of encumbrances as a source of capital for a purchase abroad — the structure that your branch won’t offer you.
Variable income, employee share schemes, fixed-term contracts, sources of funding — real-life cases from our brokerage practice, from London to Singapore.
Initial consultation is free of charge; our fees are usually paid by the bank — and only if the loan is granted. Consultations are available in German, English or Russian.
55 more answers on non-residents for tax purposes and foreign currencies →
Only once the bank has signed the loan offer. Therefore, if you are resident abroad: first clarify your financial viability and budget, then look for a property — and do not sign the purchase contract until you have received this confirmation. Preliminary commitments, certificates or verbal statements do not replace it; our confirmation of financing is a feasibility assessment for estate agents and sellers, not a bank commitment.
Mainly residential properties in Germany in standard locations — flats, detached and semi-detached houses, and blocks of flats. Whether you plan to live in the property yourself or let it out is usually of secondary importance. We provide financing for purchases, new builds, modernisation, follow-up financing and raising capital.
Yes, but only at a few banks: German banks must be able to verify a foreign business income — if they are unable to do so, they treat it as zero. The key factor is therefore how the figures are presented, not the interest rate.
Self-employed people and non-residents for tax purposes as investors →
We — as an independent intermediary under Section 34i of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO) — compare over 650 banks and know which institutions systematically accept non-residents for tax purposes rather than rejecting them across the board. The key factor is which bank treats your case as a standard one in the first place — and that is precisely what we check for you.
Not first. Most house banks do not finance borrowers living abroad — a rejection there says nothing about your creditworthiness. Better to approach the banks that handle your country of residence and income currency; that selection is exactly what we do for you.
Banks generally use this term simply to refer to people whose place of residence or centre of life is outside Germany — regardless of where they actually pay tax. The term is vague and is often used synonymously with ‘non-domestic’ or ‘non-resident’.
Only with the loan offer signed by the bank. So sign the purchase contract at the notary only once that commitment is in hand — pre-approvals, certificates or verbal assurances are not a bank commitment. With complete documents the commitment usually comes within 3 to 10 working days.
Non-residents for tax purposes are resident abroad. Cross-border commuters live in Germany but earn their income abroad. For banks, these are two distinct categories — some provide financing to cross-border commuters but not to non-residents for tax purposes, and vice versa.
Only cautiously and often only in part. Fixed, permanent salary counts in full; income outside the euro is additionally converted and counted with a 10–25 % (50 % at 100 % financing) discount.
Yes, that is possible. The assessment will then depend more on the specific country, the currency in which your income is paid, your employer, your credit rating and the property itself. The range of suitable banks is smaller, but there are still options available.
We — as an independent broker under §34i GewO — know the banks that apply foreign-currency income (CHF, USD, GBP etc.) with a currency buffer; which bank accepts which currency differs greatly. With a changing place of residence it also matters which institution structurally accepts this situation instead of refusing across the board.
Usually not: the majority of banks offering this service do not charge any additional fees. A few justify charging a fee on the grounds that it involves more administrative work. The specific terms and conditions will always depend on your individual circumstances.
Less and less. Banks may only count the actual rent, at most the usual local rent, and that is hard to verify abroad — many count it as zero while counting the instalments in full. Some lenders still count the rent when a tenancy agreement and bank statements prove it.
Yes, with a few banks. As a rule you need at least three full financial years and a presentation that explains the foreign accounts to the bank. Shareholder-directors above a certain stake and partners in law firms also count as self-employed.
For owner-occupation, yes; for letting it depends on the programme, e.g. KfW 261. If you live outside the EU and Switzerland, KfW requires a legal opinion that hardly any bank provides — in practice KfW then only applies once you are resident in Germany.
Only if you live in an EU country without the euro when you sign, such as Sweden, Denmark or Poland. It does not apply if you live in Switzerland, the UK, the USA, the Emirates or Asia — even though banks like to cite it as a reason to decline.
The first consultation is free, my fee is, as a rule, paid by the bank — and only if the financing goes through. Advice in English, German or Russian. Not sure where to start? Work through the document checklist, see which banks finance tax non-residents, or read the questions answered in the FAQ. How I am paid · More answers for non-residents →
Perini Finance & Property — licensed under §34i GewO, 650+ banks compared, we know the banks whose lending rules cover residence and tax liability abroad — non-residents, Germans abroad and cross-border commuters. First consultation free, the fee is, as a rule, paid by the bank; advice in English, German or Russian. A 'no' has three reasons: creditworthiness, equity – or the bank's lending rules. Nobody moves the first two. The third is our field. Cross-border commuters.
"As a non-resident you'll get 50 to 60 percent" is one branch's number, not the market's. The range is 60–100 %, depending on income type and creditworthiness (the country of residence decides which banks take the case, not the range); the bank's valuation, not the purchase price, is the basis. What matters is which of the 650-plus compared banks treats the case as routine.
Verifiable income, employment contract, recent payslips or annual accounts, bank statements showing salary receipts, proof of residence abroad — plus certified translations for documents in another language where the bank requires them. Having the full list upfront saves a second round of questions.
With complete documents, a financing commitment usually takes 3 to 10 working days — we prepare all documents and submit them to the right bank in the best possible way. A foreign link by itself does not extend this timeline; what matters is which bank treats the case as routine.
A German property as an investment even though your residence and tax liability are abroad. Which banks finance it and which documents actually count.
Your fixed-rate period ends while you live abroad. Why switching is harder now than at the first purchase — and how it still works.
Inheritance tax on a German property when the deceased or the heir lives abroad. What the €2,000 myth gets wrong — and what the financing structure has to do with it.
Salary in a foreign currency, loan in euros. How banks apply the currency buffer and which situations they accept at all.
An unencumbered German property as the capital source for a purchase in Spain or Portugal — the structure the branch does not offer you.
Variable income, employee shares, fixed-term contracts, source of funds — real cases from the brokerage desk, from London to Singapore.
You live and work in Germany — EU Blue Card, settlement permit or a fixed-term stay. Own home or investment, KfW subsidies apply.
EU Blue Card mortgage: which banks finance Blue Card holders, how much equity, whether KfW funding is possible. § 34i GewO advice, Krefeld and nationwide.
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.
