By James Warrington · Legal & Finance
Financing property in another country while your income, assets, and credit history are held in a different banking system is one of the most structurally complex aspects of international property buying. Several specialist lenders — HSBC Expat being the most widely recognised — have built products to address this gap. Understanding what those products actually offer (and where they stop) is essential before treating international mortgage availability as a given.
HSBC Expat: what the product actually covers
HSBC Expat, based in Jersey, is a private banking and wealth management entity of HSBC Group that serves international clients — primarily British, European, and Hong Kong-based professionals working abroad. It offers mortgage products in specific markets for property purchases in those markets, but it is not a universal overseas lender. HSBC Expat mortgage availability in 2026 covers: UK residential property (for British expats living abroad), and a limited selection of overseas markets where HSBC has a physical banking presence and in-country risk assessment capability.
For most Mediterranean property markets — Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece — HSBC Expat does not directly offer mortgage products. What it does offer, however, is credit facilities that can be pledged against assets held with the bank, and in some cases portfolio lending (borrowing against investment assets at rates tied to the underlying portfolio value, rather than a property mortgage per se).
The confusion in most "HSBC international mortgage" searches arises because HSBC advertises its Expat proposition generally, and many buyers assume that access to HSBC banking and an HSBC relationship means access to HSBC mortgage products in their destination market. This is not always the case — check specifically whether HSBC offers mortgage products in the jurisdiction where you are buying before progressing with any application.
Skipton International: the specialist alternative
Skipton International (Channel Islands) is consistently the most recommended specialist lender for British expats buying residential property abroad. It offers mortgage products in the UK (for expats buying while overseas) and in specific overseas markets including Dubai and selected European jurisdictions. Its products are structured for borrowers whose income is in a currency other than the property's transaction currency — a common expat scenario.
Rates in 2026 for Skipton International expat mortgages (UK property): roughly base rate + 1.5–2.5%, with LTV caps at 70–75% for non-residents. Overseas market products (where available) are typically priced higher to reflect the additional jurisdiction risk the lender takes on. Minimum loan sizes tend to be £150,000–£200,000 equivalent.
Barclays International and Lloyds International
Barclays International (also Isle of Man-based) offers mortgage and banking services to high-net-worth expat clients, with mortgage availability primarily focused on UK property purchased by overseas-based British nationals. Lloyds International similarly targets UK property for expatriates rather than property in the destination country. These are useful for UK buyers who have relocated abroad and want to buy UK investment or retirement property while earning overseas.
Local bank financing: the often-overlooked first option
For most European property markets, a local bank in the destination country is more competitive than an international expat lender. Portuguese banks (Millennium BCP, Santander Portugal, BPI) will lend to non-residents at 60–70% LTV with documentation requirements that are demanding but manageable: Portuguese NIF, proof of income (payslips, tax returns, employer letter), bank statements, and a valuation of the property. Spanish banks similarly lend to non-residents at 60–70% LTV. Italian banks are the most restrictive for non-resident foreign nationals, and typically require a banking relationship established before the mortgage application.
Greek banks have tightened non-resident lending significantly following the financial crisis and capital controls of 2015–2016; cash purchases dominate the Greek market for international buyers.
Home-equity financing: the clean alternative
Many buyers with significant equity in their primary residence find that the most cost-effective financing for an overseas property purchase is a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or remortgage on their existing home, with the drawdown used to purchase the overseas property cash. This approach simplifies the transaction (cash buyer in the local market), removes currency mismatch risk from the mortgage, and often achieves better rates than any international mortgage product. The risk is concentration — your primary residence is now partly funding a second asset — which requires careful consideration of downside scenarios.
For specific, up-to-date product availability, work with an independent international mortgage broker (Holborn Assets, Niche Advice, Chartwell Finance) who can search across available products rather than being limited to one lender's range.