Chapter 6 of 10 · Buying in a particular situation · 14 of 14
Non-resident and expat mortgages in Ireland
Checked 21 Oct 2026the Central Bank's mortgage measures, Revenue's rules and the scheme operators' published terms.
Buying in Ireland while living abroad: which lenders accept foreign income, deposits, currency, proof of address and returning-emigrant tips.
Check before you hire: a mortgage advisor should be on the register kept by the Central Bank of Ireland. Central Bank register
Written in plain English for the person buying, selling or switching. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
Living abroad and buying in Ireland is possible. It is slower, the paperwork is heavier, and fewer lenders take part. This guide covers what a lender means by "non-resident", which income it counts, the currency question, the deposit, the proof you need from abroad, and the points that matter to someone moving home.
What "non-resident" means to a lender
To a lender, you are non-resident if you live and earn outside Ireland. Where you were born does not matter. An Irish citizen in Sydney is a non-resident borrower. A French citizen working in Cork is a resident one.
Lenders then ask a second question: will you live in the home? That decides which Central Bank limit applies.
- A home you will live in: up to 90% of the price. Up to 4 times your gross income as a first-time buyer, 3.5 times if you have owned before.
- A home you will not live in: a buy-to-let. Up to 70% of the price, and no income multiple.
Read the Central Bank rules and buy-to-let mortgages.
Which lenders lend to people abroad
Not all of them, and the list changes. Some of the main banks lend to non-residents through brokers. Some broker-only lenders do not take non-residents at all. The rates offered to non-residents are often higher than to residents.
A broker (on the Central Bank's register) is the usual way in, because they know which lenders are open to your case that month. Read about the mortgage advisor and broker versus bank. Check any firm on the Central Bank register.
Foreign income: what counts
A lender counts your gross income, which is pay before tax. For income earned abroad it asks three things.
- Is it steady? A permanent job with payslips is counted. Contract or bonus income is counted in part, or not at all.
- Can it be checked? The lender wants payslips, a letter from your employer, bank statements and tax returns from the country you live in. Documents in another language need a certified translation.
- What currency is it in? This is the big one.
The currency question
A loan in euro, paid from income in another currency, is called a foreign currency loan under the European Union (Consumer Mortgage Credit Agreements) Regulations 2016. Those rules give you extra protections, such as a warning when the exchange rate moves against you by 20% or more. They also make lenders careful.
So lenders tend to do one of three things with foreign income.
- Count it in full, if it is in euro.
- Count part of it, often 70% to 80%, if it is in sterling, dollars or another major currency, to allow for the rate moving.
- Not count it at all, for some currencies and some lenders.
Each lender's policy is its own. The discount is why two people on the same salary, one paid in euro and one in dollars, can borrow different amounts.
A worked example
Conor lives in Toronto and earns the equivalent of €75,000. He has never owned a home. He plans to move back to Galway and live in the home he buys.
- A lender that counts 75% of his income counts €56,250.
- 4 times €56,250 is €225,000. That is his limit with that lender.
- At a 90% loan the price is €250,000, with a deposit of €25,000.
- A lender that counts the full €75,000 would give up to €300,000, a price of €333,333.
If Conor planned to let the home instead of living in it, the loan would be a buy-to-let: 70% of the price at most, so a €250,000 home would need a €75,000 deposit.
The mortgage calculator takes the income figure the lender counts and shows the limit, the price and the monthly repayment.
The deposit from abroad
The Central Bank minimum is 10% for a home you will live in and 30% for a buy-to-let. Many lenders ask non-residents for more than the minimum, as their own policy.
The deposit has to be shown, not just stated. The lender and your solicitor need to see where it came from: savings built up over time, the sale of a home abroad, a gift from family. This is the anti-money-laundering check, which applies to everyone and is stricter when money crosses a border. Read how much deposit you need and the gift letter guide.
Move the money early. A transfer from abroad can take days, and the exchange rate on the day sets what arrives in euro. Read buying in Ireland from abroad for the mechanics of moving money and signing from a distance.
Proof of address and identity from abroad
Lenders and solicitors must identify you. From abroad that means certified copies: a passport, and a proof of address from where you live now, such as a utility bill or bank statement dated in the last three to six months. A notary or a solicitor in your country, or the Irish embassy, can certify copies. Some lenders accept a video identity check. Ask what each one needs before you post anything.
Your Irish credit history may be thin or old. The lender checks the Central Credit Register, which records Irish loans only. Some lenders ask for a credit report from the country you live in too.
Returning emigrants
Moving home changes a few things in your favour.
- First-time buyer status. If you have never owned a home anywhere, you are a first-time buyer in Ireland: 4 times income and 90%. A home owned abroad, even one you sold, removes that. Read who counts as a first-time buyer.
- Help to Buy. It refunds Irish income tax and DIRT paid over the last four years. Someone who has paid tax abroad for those years has little to refund. It can still pay out on tax paid before you left, within the four years. Read the Help to Buy guide.
- The First Home Scheme and the council loan. Open to first-time buyers who will live in the home. The council loan needs a right to live and work in the State and an income within its limit. Read the First Home Scheme guide.
- Timing. Some lenders approve a loan for someone with a job offer in Ireland and release it on their return. Others want you home and past probation first. Approval in principle from abroad is common; read approval in principle.
What to have ready
| Document | Why |
|---|---|
| Passport, certified copy | Identity |
| Proof of address abroad, dated in the last six months | Identity and residence |
| Three to six months of payslips and an employer's letter | Income |
| Six months of bank statements, all accounts | Income, outgoings and the deposit's source |
| Tax returns from the country you live in | Income |
| Proof of the deposit and where it came from | Anti-money-laundering |
| A credit report from where you live, if asked | Credit history |
| A job offer or return date, if you are moving back | Which limit applies |
Read the mortgage documents checklist for the full list a lender asks of anyone.
Where this leaves you
Decide first whether you will live in the home, because that fixes the deposit at 10% or 30%. Then put the income a lender would count into the mortgage calculator to see your limit and the repayment. The buying from abroad journey lists every step, and get quotes puts you in touch with a solicitor and a surveyor who can act while you are away.
Questions people ask
Can a non-resident get a mortgage in Ireland?
Yes, from some lenders, mostly through a broker. The lender treats foreign income with care, often counts only part of it, and may ask for a bigger deposit. If you will not live in the home, it is a buy-to-let, so the deposit is at least 30%.
How much deposit does a non-resident need in Ireland?
At least 10% if the home will be your own home and the lender treats you as a returning resident. At least 30% if you will not live in it, because the Central Bank treats that as a buy-to-let. Many lenders ask non-residents for more than the minimum.
Do Irish lenders accept foreign income?
Some do. Income in euro is the simplest. Income in sterling, dollars or another currency is counted by some lenders at a discount, to allow for the exchange rate moving. Each lender's policy is its own, and a broker knows them.
Can a returning emigrant get a mortgage before moving home?
Sometimes. Some lenders approve a loan for someone with a job offer or a return date in Ireland, and release the money when they are back. Others want you home and in a job first. Approval in principle from abroad is common; the full loan offer is harder.
Am I still a first-time buyer if I owned a home abroad?
No. The Central Bank's rules, Help to Buy and the First Home Scheme all count a home owned anywhere in the world. If you have never owned anywhere, you are a first-time buyer when you buy in Ireland, even after years away.