UK Mortgages for Expats & Foreign Nationals Living in China
If you’re a Brit living out in China, chances are the idea of having a place back home in the UK has never really gone away. Maybe you want a base for when you return, somewhere for your family to call home, or just a solid property investment for the future.
But trying to sort a UK mortgage from thousands of miles away? That’s another story. Time zones, overseas income, endless paperwork – and let’s be honest, most UK banks don’t make things any easier for expats.
That’s where we come in – Expat Mortgages UK specialises in guiding British expats and foreign nationals based in China through every step of getting a mortgage on UK soil – making the process simpler, faster and stress-free!
Who Can Apply to Buy Property in the UK from China?
If you live in China and want to buy property in the UK, rest assured – you can certainly do it. In fact, it might be easier than you think, with the right help. There are now a lot of mortgage choices for British expats and people from other countries who live in China.
You can still get a lot of UK mortgage products, even if you are a British citizen working in China or an international professional with ties to the UK. This is especially true if you have the right broker on your side.
Most lenders are happy to work with people who have a steady income, whether that income comes from a job in China or investments in other places. Specialised expat lenders can often help you get a mortgage even if you don’t have an active credit history in the UK right now.
Most expat lenders will want a deposit of about 25% of the property’s value and proof of steady income. Don’t let the details scare you off; that’s what we’re here to help you with. We help you show your finances clearly and give you the best chance of getting your UK expat mortgage approved – stress-free and without leaving China.
Mortgage Options for British Expats in China
If you’re a Brit living in China, you’ve probably thought about buying or holding onto property back in the UK — maybe as an investment, a future home, or simply a way to stay connected to where you’re from. The good news? There are several mortgage options available that make it possible, even while you’re thousands of miles away.
If you’re thinking about buying a place in the UK to rent out, a buy-to-let mortgage could be your best move. It’s a great way to build a bit of extra income in the UK while your life continues in China. Many expats choose this route to keep a financial foothold back home.
Planning to return to the UK soon, or just want a home ready for when you do? A residential mortgage lets you buy a property you can live in whenever you want — now or in the future. It’s ideal if you’re thinking long-term about settling back home or want somewhere of your own to stay during visits.
Remortgaging can be a great way to reduce costs, or open up new opportunities if you already own a home in the UK. You might want to get a better rate and lower your monthly payments, or you might want to take some of the equity that has built up over the years. You could use that money to potentially buy another property, or just give yourself some extra funds to treat yourself!
It might seem hard to do all that from China, but it doesn’t have to be. As the UK’s leading expat mortgage broker, we can help you explore all your options, compare what’s out there, and find something that really works best for your personal plans and requirements. Our team of highly experienced and knowledgeable expat mortgage advisors know exactly what it’s like to live and own property in two countries will give you clear, down-to-earth advice without any pushy sales talk or jargon.
Challenges Expats Face & How We Help
There are a lot of potential problems that British expats or foreign nationals in China face when they want to buy property in the UK. These are some of the most common problems that people run into and how we can solve them:
Access to UK Lenders
If you’re living in China, dealing with traditional UK banks can be tricky. Most high street lenders simply aren’t set up to handle overseas applications, and many simply don’t understand the realities of expat life – things like foreign income, different tax systems, or how you manage your finances abroad. Because of that, they often hesitate to lend to anyone who isn’t a full-time UK resident.
Currency and Income Verification
One of the toughest parts about applying for a UK mortgage while living in China is proving your income in a way lenders will actually accept. You might be earning well, but because it’s in RMB, or even maybe USD – and not British pounds – many UK mortgage lenders struggle to make sense of it.
Exchange rates, foreign payslips, and different accounting systems can all make things more complicated than they need to be. It’s not that your finances don’t stack up — it’s just that most lenders aren’t used to looking at income from overseas.
That’s where the right support really helps and where a specialist broker is really needed – they understand that your earn your income in China and how this needs to be presented to the expat mortgage lenders. A good mortgage broker will bridge that gap and make the process much smoother and save you a considerable amount of time, money and stress!
Limited Mortgage Options
On top of that, the range of mortgages available to expats can be limited if you only look at traditional banks. But that’s where specialist expat lenders – and the right broker, can make all the difference. They understand overseas income, work with international clients every day, and can open doors to mortgage products that most people don’t even know exist.
Tax and UK Property When You’re Living in China
If you’re living in China but still own a place in the UK, the tax side is worth understanding. China doesn’t tax your income from overseas – but the UK does. So if you’re renting out your UK property, you’ll need to pay UK income tax on that rent.
You do this through Self Assessment, where you report what you’ve earned and what you’ve spent on the property. You only pay tax on your profit, not the total rent, so you can claim things like mortgage interest, repairs, and agent fees as expenses.
As China doesn’t tax you on that income, you won’t be taxed twice. But you still have to follow UK rules. Most expats sign up for the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme, which makes sure the right tax is paid – either by your letting agent or by you directly.
If you ever sell your UK home and make a profit, you’ll probably have to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in the UK too. The rules changed a while back, and now even non-residents are included.
Tax can get messy, and the rules change often. The safest move is to talk to a UK tax adviser who knows how things work for expats. It’ll save you a lot of stress and keep you on the right side of HMRC.
How We Help British Expats Living in China
Helping You Prove Your Income
One of the hardest parts of getting a UK mortgage while living in China is showing lenders what you actually earn. Payslips in RMB, Chinese tax records, or income from international work can confuse most UK banks. We help you make sense of it all – turning your income and documents into something UK lenders understand. You don’t need to figure it out alone; we handle that part for you.
Finding Lenders Who Actually Say Yes
Most high street banks won’t touch expat mortgage applications – but that’s okay, because we work with the lenders who do. We have access to specialist UK lenders that you can’t go to directly, and these are the people who understand expat life. They know income from China is normal, not risky. Whether you’re buying a place or remortgaging an existing one, we’ll match you with a lender who’s actually willing to help.
Real People, Not Call Centres
When you work with us, you talk to real people – not some faceless call centre or chatbot. You’ll have one Dedicated Mortgage Adviser and one Dedicated Case Manager who actually know who you are, what you’re trying to do, and what’s going on with your application.
You also get their direct number and email. You can message them, call them, or video chat if that’s easier. No scripts. No hold music and no voicemail. Just normal people who answer when you call and actually care about helping you get this sorted.
We Keep You in the Loop
There’s nothing worse than sending off your documents and hearing nothing for weeks. That won’t happen here. We keep you in the loop from day one – what’s been done, what’s next, what’s holding things up (if anything). You’ll always know where things stand.
If something needs chasing — the bank, the solicitor, whoever — we handle it. You won’t be left chasing updates from halfway across the world. And if you ever want to check for yourself, you can log into our client portal any time to see exactly what’s happening in real time.
No silence. No guessing. Just straight answers and people who actually keep you updated – just like they said they would!
Popular British Expat Locations in China
UK Expat Mortgage from Shanghai
Living in Shanghai, it’s easy to get caught up in the pace of things – big city energy, long workdays, endless opportunities. But every so often, the thought of “something back home” creeps in.
Maybe you’d like a place in the UK to rent out, or maybe you just want a home waiting for you when the time feels right to return.
Sorting a UK mortgage from China can sound like a headache – time zones, documents, unfamiliar lenders – but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve helped plenty of Brits living in Shanghai get it done smoothly. We’ll walk you through what’s needed, handle the tricky parts, and connect you with UK lenders who actually understand expat income.
Expat Mortgage UK from Beijing
Beijing life moves fast – busy schedules, big roles, constant change. For many British expats here, buying property back home is a way to keep something solid while everything else feels temporary. Maybe it’s an investment, maybe it’s a plan for the future – either way, it’s most certainly doable with the right help.
We’ve worked with lots of Brits in Beijing who thought getting a UK mortgage from China would be too complicated. It’s not. We’ll explain what’s possible, what lenders need to see, and guide you through every step – so you can focus on life in Beijing while we handle the details back home.
UK Expat Mortgage from Shenzhen
Life in Shenzhen doesn’t stop – new projects, new tech, new ideas every day. But for many British expats, the goal of owning something steady back in the UK never really goes away. Maybe you want a buy-to-let for extra income, or maybe just a home base to return to one day.
Whatever your plan, we’ll make it simple. We’ve helped many expats and foreign nationals across China – including plenty in Shenzhen – secure UK mortgages that fit their goals. We’ll help you gather what’s needed and connect you with lenders who get that income from China is just as real and reliable as any in the UK.
Expat Mortgage UK from Guangzhou
Guangzhou’s business scene is buzzing, and many British expats here are thriving in trade, logistics, and tech. Still, a lot of people want to keep one foot on the property ladder back home in the UK – whether that’s through an investment or a future home.
If that’s you, we can help make it happen. We’ve worked with British expats all over China to secure UK mortgages from abroad. We’ll make sure you know exactly what’s needed and introduce you to lenders who are comfortable with income from China – so the distance doesn’t hold you back.
UK Expat Mortgage from Chengdu
Life in Chengdu has a slower rhythm – good food, a strong community, and a bit more breathing space than the big cities. It’s no wonder so many British expats here start thinking about setting up something long-term back home. Maybe it’s a flat to rent out, maybe it’s a home for when you eventually move back.
Wherever you’re at, we’ll help you sort it. We’ve made the UK mortgage process work for foreign nationals and expats all over China, including those in Chengdu. We’ll guide you through what’s possible and link you with lenders who understand overseas income. No jargon, no stress – just clear advice from people who get it done.
Expat Mortgage UK from Hangzhou
Hangzhou’s mix of lakeside calm and modern business life makes it a favourite for British expats and Chinese citizens. Whether you’re in tech, teaching, or running your own thing, you might be starting to think about the long term – and owning a property back in the UK is often part of that plan.
We’ve helped many residents and UK expats in China – including those in Hangzhou – get UK mortgages sorted whilst living abroad. We’ll show you what’s needed, deal with the lenders, and keep things moving. You focus on life here; we’ll handle the home back there.
Buying or Remortgaging a UK Property from China
If you’re living in China and thinking about buying or remortgaging a place back in the UK, it can feel like a bit of a mission from so far away. The time zones, the documents, the banks that don’t quite “get” expats – we know, it’s a lot. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s how we make it work, step by step.
1. A Straightforward Chat
We start with a simple chat – no forms, no jargon, just a real conversation. We’ll talk about what you’re trying to do, what you earn, and what kind of property you’ve got your eye on. From there, we’ll work out roughly how much you can borrow and which lenders might be a good fit.
We then go through the whole UK mortgage market to find the best options for you — and we’ll explain each one in plain English, so you can decide what feels right.
2. Getting the Paperwork Together
This bit can feel messy when you’re abroad, but don’t worry – we’ll tell you exactly what you need. Usually that means proof of income, tax records, overseas credit report and ID etc. If you’re buying, you’ll also need to show where your deposit is coming from.
If your income’s in RMB, or your documents are in Chinese, that’s fine. We’ll help you present everything in a way that UK lenders need it and understand.
3. Choosing a Lender and Applying
Once you’ve picked the deal that feels right for you, we take over most of the heavy lifting. We’ll fill in and submit all the forms, talk to the lender and chase the emails etc – all the boring, fiddly bits that can easily drag on if you’re doing it from China.
A property valuation will be required along with a UK solicitor – but again, we’ll help with that. If you don’t already have a solicitor, we can recommend ones who regularly work with expats and actually answer emails on time.
Our job is to keep things moving while you get on with your life. You won’t need to lose sleep over time zones or documents stuck in someone’s inbox – we’ve got that covered.
4. Getting the Mortgage Offer
Once your application has been approved, the lender will send over the formal “mortgage offer” – this is the moment things start to feel real. We’ll go through it with you line by line, explain anything that’s unclear, and make sure you’re comfortable before signing off.
No jargon, no “bank-speak” – just clear English and honest answers. By this point, most of our clients tell us it suddenly feels much simpler than they expected.
5. Completion
This is the best part. All the paperwork’s done, the legal boxes are ticked, and the funds are released. The property officially becomes yours (or your remortgage wraps up), and you can finally breathe out.
We’ll stay with you through the final steps, just to make sure everything lands exactly where it should. Then it’s done – your own property in the UK, all taken care of for you – without you stepping foot outside of China!
Keen to explore what your monthly mortgage costs and deposit are likely to be – try our Expat Mortgage Calculator UK today.
Why Choose Us from China?
If you’re living in China and thinking about either buying or remortgaging a property back in the UK, the first question is usually the same – where on earth do I start?
The truth is, doing it from overseas does make things a bit trickier. The time zones, the paperwork, the different income systems – even just finding a lender who understands expats and foreign nationals can be a real challenge without the right support. You need someone who gets that, who actually understands what it’s like trying to sort UK property stuff while living halfway across the world.
That’s where we come in. At Expat Mortgages UK, we’ve helped countless British expats across China — from Shanghai to Shenzhen – secure UK mortgages sorted without all of the complications and stress. We know how to explain your situation to the right lenders – we know which lenders will say YES to your expat income, and crucially – we handle every bit of the expat mortgage process for you.
You won’t have to fill in endless forms or chase people for updates. We take care of it all – from start to finish. You just tell us what you’re seeking to achieve, and we’ll do the heavy lifting in the background.
Less stress. Less waiting around. Just a clear, simple path to getting your UK mortgage sorted – even when you’re living on the other side of the world.
FAQs – UK Mortgages for British Expats in China
Is it possible to get a UK mortgage while living in China?
Yes, absolutely you can, and many people do. It’s easy to assume that being thousands of miles away makes it impossible, but the reality is that several UK lenders now offer mortgages to British expats based in China. The key is finding the right lender – as most UK high-street banks will simply say “no” to non-residents.
We work directly with specialist expat lenders who understand that your life and income are based abroad. They don’t expect you to have UK payslips or a local address – instead they look at your full picture: your income, stability, and property goals.
You don’t have to fly back to the UK or deal with endless forms – everything can be done remotely for you.
My income is in RMB - will UK mortgage lenders accept that?
That’s one of the first questions almost every Brit in China asks – and it’s a fair one. The short answer is: YES, some lenders will and we know who they are!
A lot of the big UK banks struggle with RMB income because they don’t know how to verify it properly or deal with the currency conversions. But there are lenders who do this all the time – they understand that plenty of expats earn solid, steady salaries in China.
Our job is to make it easy for them to understand your situation. We help translate your income and documents into a format UK lenders are comfortable with, so you don’t get stuck in red tape or lost in translation.
Whether you’re paid in RMB, USD, or a mix of currencies, we’ll make sure it’s presented clearly and converted accurately so the lenders can fully understand and consider it.
What if I don’t have an active UK credit history anymore?
That’s completely normal – honestly, most Brits living in China don’t. If you’ve been away for a few years, your UK credit file probably looks pretty quiet, maybe even empty. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a UK mortgage.
Some mortgage lenders care less about your UK credit score and more about the bigger picture – such as your income, stability, and deposit. They know expats live differently, and that being abroad doesn’t mean you’re a risk.
If needed, we’ll help you rebuild a bit of UK credit along the way – small, simple things that make a difference. But don’t worry, you don’t need a perfect credit history to move forward. You just need a lender who understands expats – and that’s where we come in.
How much deposit do I need to buy or remortgage a UK property from China?
Most of the time, you’ll need around 25% as a deposit – but don’t let that number put you off. It’s not a hard rule. Some lenders are happy with less if your income’s strong or if the property’s in a good area.
We’ll sit down with you and look at what’s realistic. Maybe you’ve got savings sitting in China, or money in a UK account, or even equity tied up in another property – we’ll help you make sense of it all.
A lot of people living abroad think, “I probably don’t have enough yet,” when actually, they do. We’ll show you what your options really are and what your money can do for you.
And if you already own a property in the UK, we can look at remortgaging for you – which might let you free up some cash for another investment or just to make life a bit easier.
There’s no pressure, no judgment — just a real conversation about where you’re at and what’s possible from China.
What documents will I need to provide from China?
Lenders want to see proof of who you are, what you earn, and where your money is coming from. Typically, that means:
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Passport and proof of address (your Chinese residence address is fine)
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Proof of income (such as salary slips, local tax filings, or business accounts)
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Bank statements
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Proof of deposit (if you’re buying)
We’ll send you a full checklist and walk you through each step. If something’s in Chinese, we’ll tell you exactly what needs translating and what doesn’t. Our job is to make the paperwork feel simple – not like a mountain of admin.
There’s no pressure, no judgment — just a real conversation about where you’re at and what’s possible from China.
How long does it take to get a mortgage from overseas?
There’s no sugar-coating it — it takes a bit of time, but it’s nowhere near as bad as most people expect. On average, it’s around four to eight weeks from start to finish.
The truth is, living in China doesn’t really slow things down. The lenders, the valuers, and the solicitors are all in the UK – and we handle all the back-and-forth for you. You won’t be sitting up late chasing emails or trying to call someone at 3 a.m.
Most of our clients tell us they’re surprised by how smooth it feels once things get going. We’ll keep you updated at every stage — what’s done, what’s next, and what we’re waiting on. If something needs chasing, we chase it. If something changes, you’ll hear it from us first.
There’s no pressure, no judgment — just a real conversation about where you’re at and what’s possible from China.
What if I’m self-employed or run a business abroad?
That’s more common than you might think — and no, it doesn’t stop you from getting a UK mortgage.
A lot of British expats in China run their own companies, freelance, or work on contract. Lenders just want to see that your income is steady and that your business is real – not huge profits or perfect accounts, just consistency.
Usually, that means showing the last couple of years of financial records – things like business accounts, tax returns, or bank statements. And don’t worry if they’re in Chinese or structured differently from UK paperwork – we’ll explain it in a way UK lenders need to see it presented.
We know self-employed income can look a bit uneven at times – one good month, one quiet one – and that’s okay. The right lenders see the bigger picture.
How do taxes work if I rent out my UK property while living in China?
China doesn’t tax your overseas income – which is great news. But the UK still taxes rental income from UK properties. You’ll need to register under the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme (NRLS) and file a Self Assessment tax return in the UK each year.
The good news is that you can offset a lot of your costs – mortgage interest, agent fees, repairs, insurance – so you’re only taxed on your actual profit.
If you ever sell your UK property, you may also have to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT), even while living in China. The rules changed a few years ago, and now most non-resident property owners fall under UK tax laws.
How do I even start the process?
Simple – start with a conversation. No forms, no commitment. We’ll talk through what you’re trying to do, give you an honest picture of what’s possible, and guide you from there.
Most of our clients begin with a quick call. Once we’ve got a clear picture, we handle the rest – applications, documents, lender communication – literally everything!
You focus on your life in China; we handle the UK side.
Start Your Mortgage Journey Today!
The time has come to get a UK Expat Mortgage from China! Start your journey today! We are always available to give you free consultations and quotes.
You can contact us anytime:
Call us on +44 1494 622 555
Email us at [email protected]
Our team is always ready to help you make the process smooth and stress-free.