Expat Mortgage Rates:
What UK Lenders Charge Borrowers Living Abroad
10 October 2026
Expat mortgage rates are set lender by lender, and many expat lenders publish their prices only for brokers, so a British borrower living abroad rarely sees them side by side. This page sets current 2-year and 5-year fixed rates from eight UK lenders that take non-resident borrowers in one dated table, for buy-to-let and for a home to live in. Mortgage One is a whole of market mortgage adviser that places expat cases with international banks, building societies and specialist lenders.
For a free initial consultation on which lender's country list and income rules fit where you live and work, call 01202 155992 or contact Mortgage One.
Expat mortgage rates checked on 11 October 2026
At our 11 October 2026 check, the lowest expat buy-to-let fixes at 75% LTV were HSBC Expat's 5.44% on a 2-year fix and Skipton International's 5.19% on a 5-year fix for loans from £400,000. For a home to live in, NatWest International led the 2-year at 5.64% and Darlington Building Society the 5-year at 5.69%.
The first table sets each lender's buy-to-let fixes at 75% loan to value (LTV), a band every lender in it covers, with its maximum LTV and fee. The second does the same for residential mortgages on a UK home the borrower will live in or return to. Each lender reprices on its own timetable, so the date beside every rate is the date of that lender's own rate sheet.
| Lender | 2-year fixed | 5-year fixed | Maximum LTV | Product fee | Rates dated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Expat | 5.44% | 5.54% | 75% | £999 | 30 September 2026 |
| NatWest International | 5.74% | 5.74% | 75% | £1,999 | 1 October 2026 |
| Skipton International | 5.99% (3-year) | 5.59% | 75% | £1,999 purchase, £999 remortgage | 18 August 2026 |
| Suffolk Building Society | 5.90% | 5.94% | 80% | £1,499 plus £199 application | Read 11 October 2026 |
| Darlington Building Society | 5.89% | 5.89% | 80% | £999 | 22 September 2026 |
| Marsden Building Society | 5.99% | 6.19% | 75% | £1,999 (2-year), £1,499 (5-year) | 22 September 2026 |
| Vida Homeloans | 6.18% | 6.51% | 75% | 2% of the loan | Read 11 October 2026 |
| Harpenden Building Society | 6.44% | 6.49% | 75% | £1,500 | Read 11 October 2026 |
Each lender's lowest standard expat buy-to-let fix at 75% LTV, or the product that covers 75%, for a purchase. HSBC Expat at up to 60% LTV: 2-year 5.34% and 5-year 5.44% for a purchase, 5.24% and 5.34% for a remortgage, all on a £999 fee, or 5.84% and 5.94% with no fee at 75%. NatWest International at up to 60% LTV: 2-year 5.64% and 5-year 5.54%, with lower rates for homes rated EPC A or B. Skipton International offers no 2-year fix: its 3-year and 5-year fixes fall to 5.44% and 5.19% on loans of £400,000 or more. Marsden's 2-year fix moves to a 5.84% variable rate until 31 December 2031. Vida's rates are for its Vida 36 tier, for the cleanest credit. Rates after the fix: HSBC 7.25%, NatWest International 6.74%, Skipton International, Suffolk and Harpenden 7.49%, Darlington 7.64%, Marsden 8.39%, Vida 8.64%.
| Lender | 2-year fixed | 5-year fixed | Maximum LTV | Product fee | Rates dated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NatWest International | 5.64% | 5.74% | 80% | £1,999 | 1 October 2026 |
| Suffolk Building Society | 5.65% | 5.75% | 90% | £999 plus £199 application | Read 11 October 2026 |
| Darlington Building Society | 5.69% | 5.69% | 90% | £999 | 22 September 2026 |
| Marsden Building Society | 5.79% | 5.89% | 80% | £1,499 (2-year), £998 (5-year) | 22 September 2026 |
| Harpenden Building Society | 6.29% | 6.44% | 75% | £1,500 | Read 11 October 2026 |
Each lender's lowest standard expat residential fix covering 75% LTV, on a capital and interest repayment basis, for a UK home the borrower will live in or return to. NatWest International at up to 70% LTV: 2-year 5.59% and 5-year 5.54%. Suffolk at up to 90% LTV: 2-year 5.89% and 5-year 5.99%, maximum loan £650,000. Darlington at up to 90% LTV: 6.29% on both terms. Marsden's 2-year fix moves to a 5.69% variable rate until 30 November 2031. HSBC's expat rate sheet covers buy-to-let only. Sources: each lender's own rate sheet, product guide or product page as listed in the Rates dated column, read 11 October 2026. Lenders change rates and accepted countries without notice.
Minimum loans shape the shortlist as much as rate. Skipton International and Harpenden Building Society start at £150,000 and NatWest International at £100,000, while Darlington and Vida Homeloans lend from £50,000. HSBC Expat's best rates apply at up to 60% LTV, where its 2-year fix was 5.34% for a purchase and 5.24% for a remortgage.
Which UK lenders offer expat mortgages, and to whom?
Three groups lend to British expats and foreign nationals abroad: the international and offshore arms of UK lenders, such as HSBC Expat, NatWest International and Skipton International, building societies with an expat range, and specialist lenders such as Vida Homeloans. Each keeps its own list of accepted countries, so where you live decides the shortlist before rate does.
Skipton International lends on buy-to-let only, to British and foreign nationals abroad, but not to residents of Australia or the EU, nor to Chinese nationals living in mainland China. Employed applicants need income of at least £50,000 alone or £80,000 jointly. NatWest International lends to non-UK residents in its accepted countries and to foreign nationals moving to the UK, through regulated brokers only.
HSBC states that it cannot lend to residents of every country, and that expat buy-to-let may come from HSBC Expat or HSBC UK depending on where the borrower lives. HSBC UK's own range is priced on our HSBC mortgage rates page.
Among building societies, Marsden lends to UK citizens and to foreign nationals with indefinite leave to remain, pre-settled or settled UK status, from a minimum salary of £37,500. Harpenden accepts over 40 countries with no minimum or maximum time abroad, and Darlington takes expat buy-to-let in personal names for up to three properties per client. Our guide to non-UK resident mortgages sets out which lenders take which nationalities.
Are expat mortgage rates higher than UK resident rates?
Yes, by around half a point at the keenest lenders. At 75% LTV the lowest expat residential 2-year fix, NatWest International's 5.64%, sat 0.45 points above the 5.19% average of seven big UK lenders on 10 October 2026. The highest expat rates in our residential table ran about 1.1 to 1.25 points above that average.
That average comes from each big lender's standard fee deals for a UK resident home mover on our current UK mortgage rates page, so the comparison is close rather than exact. On a £250,000 repayment mortgage over 25 years, a gap of 0.45 points is about £67 a month. UK resident landlord pricing sits on our buy-to-let mortgage rates page.
Fees widen the gap. Expat lenders charge £999 to £1,999, or 2% of the loan at Vida Homeloans, and several set minimum loans of £100,000 or £150,000. On a £250,000 buy-to-let loan, Vida's 2% fee is £5,000 against £999 at HSBC Expat, so the fee, the rate and the minimum loan together decide the real cost.
Income currency matters too. Several lenders reduce income paid in a foreign currency before assessing affordability, and Harpenden accepts selected foreign incomes for affordability on interest-only applications only.
How much rent does an expat buy-to-let mortgage need?
Expat buy-to-let lenders test the rent against the interest at a stress rate, commonly with 125% cover. Skipton International tests its 5-year fix at the pay rate and its other deals at 7.24%, so on £1,500 a month of rent its 5-year fix supports about £257,600 against £198,900 on its 3-year fix.
Skipton International also offers 110% cover for high earners, from £100,000 of employed or pension income alone or £140,000 jointly or self-employed, on loans of at least £150,000 and no more than two loans. Our rental stress test calculator runs the sum on your own rent and rate.
Expat landlords borrowing through a limited company face a smaller panel still, and Darlington's expat buy-to-let is for personal names only. Our guide to expat limited company buy-to-let covers which lenders take the company route.
If you live abroad and your UK buy-to-let or home loan is due for a new deal within six months, call 01202 155992 or contact Mortgage One.
Why a broker matters for an expat mortgage
Several expat lenders deal only with brokers. NatWest International accepts UK property applications only through regulated mortgage brokers, and Darlington, Marsden, Vida Homeloans and Harpenden publish their expat products for intermediaries. A broker also knows which lender accepts your country this month, which matters because those lists change without notice.
The same broker can test whether to buy, remortgage or switch, compare total cost including fees and minimum loans, and present foreign income in the form each underwriter expects. Our guide to using an expat mortgage broker explains the process, and our expat remortgage guide covers moving an existing UK loan while abroad.
For borrowers in specific markets, our UAE and Dubai expat mortgages and UK mortgages for British expats in Singapore guides set out local considerations, and our expat mortgages guide covers the full process from deposit to completion.
The lenders in our tables revert to rates between 6.74% and 8.64% after the fix, so the end date matters as much as the starting rate. Bank Rate is 3.75% with the next decision due on 5 November 2026, and our UK interest rate projection tracks where markets expect it to go. Figures as of 11 October 2026, London.
To have your country of residence, income currency and deposit matched to the lenders in this table, call 01202 155992 or contact Mortgage One.
The information provided in this article is for general guidance only and does not constitute personal or regulated financial advice. If you'd like to understand what these moves could mean for you, speak to Mortgage One. We can explain your options and timings based on your specific circumstances.
FAQs
1. What are current expat mortgage rates in the UK?
On 11 October 2026 the lowest expat buy-to-let fixes at 75% LTV were 5.44% on a 2-year fix from HSBC Expat and 5.19% on a 5-year fix from Skipton International for loans of £400,000 or more. Expat residential fixes started at 5.64% for two years and 5.69% for five.
2. Can you take out a buy-to-let mortgage while living abroad?
Yes. HSBC Expat, NatWest International, Skipton International, several building societies and specialist lenders such as Vida Homeloans lend on UK buy-to-let to borrowers living abroad, usually up to 75% LTV and some to 80%. Each lender keeps its own list of accepted countries.
3. Which UK banks offer expat mortgages?
HSBC lends to expats through HSBC Expat and HSBC UK, NatWest International lends through regulated brokers, and Skipton International lends on buy-to-let. Building societies including Suffolk, Darlington, Marsden and Harpenden also run expat ranges.
4. Are expat mortgage rates higher than UK rates?
Usually, by around half a point at the keenest lenders. On 10 and 11 October 2026 the lowest expat residential 2-year fix at 75% LTV was 5.64%, against a 5.19% average across seven big UK lenders for resident borrowers. Fees and minimum loans add to the gap.
5. What deposit do I need for an expat mortgage?
Most expat buy-to-let lenders lend up to 75% LTV, so a 25% deposit is the usual minimum, with Suffolk and Darlington reaching 80%. For a home to live in, Suffolk and Darlington lend up to 90% LTV to some expats, and NatWest International and Marsden to 80%.
6. Can foreign nationals living abroad borrow from UK lenders?
Some lenders accept them. Skipton International lends to foreign nationals abroad on buy-to-let, and NatWest International lends to non-UK residents in its accepted countries. Marsden lends to foreign nationals only with indefinite leave to remain, pre-settled or settled UK status.
7. Do I need a broker for an expat mortgage?
Often, yes. NatWest International accepts UK property applications only through regulated mortgage brokers, and several building societies publish their expat ranges for intermediaries. A broker also tracks which lenders accept your country and compares total cost across them.