Expat home loans: which Australian lenders say no, and how foreign income is counted (2026)
Facts checked 27 October 2026
Australians living abroad often assume their bank will lend to them. Several major lenders publish that they won’t, and those that accept foreign income count only part of it.
See where you stand in 5 minutesFree self-check against lenders’ published rules. No credit check.Lenders that publish they don’t lend to overseas residents
As published on the lenders’ own sites on the date above.
| Lender | Published position |
|---|---|
| NAB | Home loan products are not available to applicants who reside overseas, regardless of citizenship |
| Westpac, St.George | Residential lending is not available for non-Australian-resident borrowers |
| Macquarie | Applicants without a current Australian residential address are outside guidelines |
| AMP | New customers must live and work in Australia |
| HSBC | Closing its Australian retail banking business |
Each lender’s published criteria as at 27 October 2026, from its own website. This is not a comparison or a recommendation: not every lender was checked, and lenders change these terms often.
How foreign income is counted (if you live in Australia)
Lenders convert foreign income and then count only part of it, to allow for currency swings.
| Lender | Share counted | Currencies | LVR cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie | 80% (PAYG only) | GBP, EUR, HKD, NZD, SGD, USD, CAD, JPY, CHF | Not stated |
| AMP (tier 1) | 80% | CAD, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, USD | 70% |
| AMP (tier 2) | 50% (capped at USD 50k) | CNY | 50% |
Each lender’s published criteria as at 27 October 2026, from its own website. This is not a comparison or a recommendation: not every lender was checked, and lenders change these terms often.