No deposit mortgages for expats and overseas buyers

Who this page is for

Zero deposit lending returned to the UK in 2023 and has grown since. The headline travels fast, and we hear it weekly from buyers in the Gulf, Asia and Europe who want to know whether it applies to them. The short answer is that it does not. The longer answer is that the deposit gap is smaller than most overseas buyers think.

• British expats renting abroad who have read about 100% mortgages and want to know if they qualify.
• Foreign nationals earning overseas and planning a UK purchase with limited savings.
• Buyers whose income is strong but whose deposit is the sticking point.
• Owners of an existing UK property wondering whether its equity can fund the next purchase.

What counts as a no deposit mortgage?

A no deposit mortgage, also called a 100% loan to value (LTV) mortgage, lends the entire purchase price of the property. The buyer covers legal fees and moving costs but brings no deposit. These products largely disappeared after 2008 and returned in 2023 when Skipton Building Society launched its Track Record mortgage. Two more lenders followed in May 2025.

Which UK lenders offer 100% mortgages in 2026?

Three lenders currently offer true 100% products.

Skipton Building Society. Its Track Record mortgage is built for renters. Applicants must show 12 months of on-time rent payments within the last 18 months, must not have owned a UK home in the previous three years, and can borrow up to £600,000 on a five year fixed rate.

April Mortgages. Lends to 100% on ten and 15 year fixed rates, on houses only, with a minimum income of £24,000 and borrowing capped at 4.49 times income.

Gable. Launched two five year fixed products in May 2025, including a lower rate for new build homes, with a minimum loan of £125,000. In August 2026 Gable secured a funding line of up to £250 million to expand its no deposit and low deposit range over the next 12 months.

Rates on all three sit well above what buyers with a 25% deposit pay. That premium is the price of the missing deposit. Our guide to expat mortgage rates shows how the same trade-off works further down the LTV scale.

Can you use a 100% mortgage while living abroad?

Realistically, no. Skipton's Track Record mortgage asks for a UK rental payment history, which a tenant in Dubai or Singapore cannot show. April and Gable underwrite UK resident applicants with sterling income. None of the three products is designed for an application made from overseas.

Expat and non-UK resident lending is a separate part of the market, served by a different group of lenders, and every one of them expects a deposit. The useful question is not where the 0% deals are. It is how small your deposit can be, and which lender will make your income work hardest.

What deposit do expats and non-UK residents actually need?

For British expats with a clean credit profile and income in a major currency, deposits start at around 15% with a small group of lenders. Between 20% and 25% opens most of the expat market and materially improves the rate.

For foreign nationals and non-UK residents the comfortable norm is 25%, with some lenders asking 30% to 40% depending on your country of residence and the currency you earn in.

Currency treatment moves the numbers as much as the deposit does. Many lenders discount foreign income by 20% before calculating what you can borrow, to allow for exchange rate movement. A lender that uses your full income can lend substantially more from the same salary, which shrinks the deposit you need for the same property. Being placed with the right lender on that single point is often worth more than a year of extra saving.

How can you cut the deposit you need?

Four routes do most of the work.

A gifted deposit from close family is accepted by almost all expat lenders. The giver signs a letter confirming the money is a gift with no repayment expected. Gifts sent from overseas usually need paperwork showing where the funds came from, so allow time for that.

Equity in a UK property you already own can be released through a capital raising remortgage and used as the deposit on the next purchase. For returning expats and existing owners this is often the fastest route.

A joint application with a UK resident partner or family member can open products and rates that a solo overseas applicant cannot reach.

Finally, choosing a lender that takes 100% of your foreign income raises your maximum loan without a penny of extra deposit. If your savings are fixed, lender choice decides what you can buy.

Common questions