Foreign Nationals (Non UK Resident)

By foreign nationals, we mean someone who is not a UK citizen and does not currently reside or work in the UK. If it is your intention to buy an investment property in the UK and you require a mortgage, then you have come to the right place.

The City of London attracts a number of international property buyers from all over the world. Nationals from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Africa, Russia, and practically all the Middle Eastern countries consider London and the UK property market as an ideal investment location. There are a number of niche UK lenders that offer Buy to Let mortgages (BTL) to foreign nationals that are looking to buy a property in the UK.

The key requirements to obtain a UK mortgage are:

• Proof of Income: last three months payslips or, if self employed, last three years trading figures
• Last six months bank statements
• Assets and Liability statement
• Passport
• Proof of address: utility bill (not more than three months old)

Get an Agreement in Principle

Before commencing your property search, it’s best you speak to a specialist mortgage broker who will need to complete a financial questionnaire (fact find). On completion of the fact find, they will have a full picture of your finances and proceed to obtain an Agreement in Principle.

Decision in principle

An Agreement in Principle (AIP), sometimes referred to as a Decision in Principle (DIP), is where a lender reviews your financial circumstances and confirms to your mortgage broker that, subject to all the information being verified and background checks satisfactory, they will offer you a mortgage. You are then free to commence your property search with confidence, knowing that your mortgage has been partially approved. Once you find a property and the valuation comes back satisfactory, you will receive your formal mortgage offer (formal written approval of the loan amount from the lender). This is the most effective and efficient way to obtain a mortgage.

Your mortgage broker will give you an indication of the mortgage rate, monthly cost, fees and, most importantly, the documents that will be required by the lender to obtain your mortgage offer. Please don’t make an offer on a property and then start running around for a mortgage. It’s a waste of time and disrespectful to all the parties involved in the house chain. To be honest, some estate agents in central London won’t allow you to view the property until you’ve confirmed your mortgage status.

Lenders

There are a number of niche lenders that offer mortgages to foreign nationals. In quite a number of cases, a number of the foreign banks in the UK offer mortgages to their nationals looking to buy in London. For example:

• Bank of China in London offer BTL mortgages to UK residents and residents in China and Hong Kong
• Ahli United Bank (formerly Bank of Kuwait) offers residential and BTL mortgages to UK nationals and nationals from the Middle Eastern Countries
• Barclays
• NatWest International
• Private Banks: Experienced brokers have access to underwriters and niche lenders that adopt a lateral thinking approach to lending and if the case makes sense to the underwriter or Credit Committee, they’ll do the deal

International Mortgage Desk

Our International Desk comprises specialist mortgage brokers from the top UK mortgage firms. They have been specifically chosen for their experience and expertise in arranging mortgages for foreign nationals from China, Malaysia, Singapore, Russia, Africa, and all countries from the Middle East. Some of the mortgage brokers are multilingual and can converse in English, Chinese, and Russian.

Home Finders Service

Have you been searching actively for a particular kind of property, and when you contact the agent, you’re informed that the property has been sold? There is an insatiable appetite for quality London real estate from both local and international buyers. The best properties get snapped up very quickly or they go to sealed bids. In some cases, it’s not necessarily the highest bid that secures the sale, but it’s who can move the quickest.

If you want to improve your chances of securing a property and have allowed a reasonable time frame to arrange your mortgage before the competition steps in, then you need to consider our Home Finders Service. As a result of their extensive contacts in the London and SE region, they can source residential and investment properties in a short space of time and, most importantly, secure the best price possible. In some cases, they are able to secure properties at below market values.

In relation to investment properties, they are involved in the entire value chain: sourcing, finding tenants, property management, and maintenance. If you are looking for a one stop shop— mortgages, property, solicitors, lettings agent, and property management— then you have come to the right place.

For more information about our home finders service please contact: info@mortgageintellectual.com

Mortgageintellectual.com is not recommending that you invest in any specific property. You must conduct your own due diligence before investing in property. Property prices can rise and fall in value and past performance of the UK property market is no guarantee to future performance.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate most types of buy to let mortgages, bridging loans, development loans and commercial loans.