Foreign investor & expat loansacross Australia.

Direct answer

Foreign investor and expat loans provide Australian property and business finance for non-residents, Australian expats living overseas, and offshore entities, arranged with lenders who accept foreign income, foreign guarantees and offshore documentation. In Australia they are secured by a first mortgage over residential or commercial property, sometimes supported by an offshore guarantee, typically run one to five years, and are arranged through banks, private lenders and specialist funds.

Who uses it and why

Standard Australian lending policy is generally built around Australian residents with Australian income and Australian-held assets, which leaves a meaningful gap for a genuine category of borrowers who fall outside that assumption despite having a legitimate and often substantial connection to Australia. An Australian expat working in Singapore or Hong Kong wants to purchase an investment property or commercial asset back home, earning income in a foreign currency that a standard bank policy struggles to assess. A Dubai-based investor wants to acquire Australian commercial property as part of a broader portfolio, backed by an offshore entity and guarantees. A non-resident business owner is expanding operations into Australia and needs property or construction finance to establish that presence.

These borrowers are frequently well-resourced and creditworthy in their home jurisdiction, but foreign income, foreign tax treatment, and offshore entity structures all sit outside what a standard Australian lending policy is built to assess, which is why a specialised part of the panel exists specifically to serve this borrower profile. Typical borrowers are Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai based investors, Australian expats retaining or building an Australian property or business position, and offshore companies establishing an Australian presence.

The common misconception is that non-resident or expat status alone rules out Australian finance altogether. In practice, a specific and well-established part of the lender panel exists to serve exactly this borrower profile, and a well-prepared application — clear income evidence, appropriate guarantees, and a lender genuinely active in this space — is very often fundable, even where a first enquiry with a generalist bank was declined.

What lenders look at

Security is assessed in much the same way as for a resident borrower — property type, location and marketability — with loan-to-value ratios typically more conservative, extending to around 65–75%, reflecting the additional complexity of assessing and, if required, enforcing security against a foreign-resident or offshore-entity borrower. Security can include a first mortgage over residential or commercial property, and, particularly for offshore entities, an offshore guarantee supporting the Australian facility.

Foreign income is scrutinised through a different lens than domestic income: currency of earning, the stability and verifiability of that income in its home jurisdiction, and how comfortably it translates into servicing an Australian-dollar facility once currency movement is factored in. Banks generally have narrower policies for foreign income and non-resident borrowers and will often require larger deposits and more conservative gearing; private lenders and specialist funds active in this space are typically more flexible on documentation and income verification, understanding the practical realities of assessing an offshore financial position, and can generally move with more flexibility around foreign paperwork.

⚠ Foreign purchases of Australian residential and, in some cases, commercial property may require approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board, and specific visa, residency or entity considerations apply depending on the borrower's circumstances — these are legal and regulatory matters that should be confirmed with the borrower's own migration or legal adviser, separate from the finance itself. Documentation is generally full-doc or alt-doc, translated and certified where required, and credit history is assessed with reasonable flexibility, drawing on both Australian and offshore credit information where available, with minor, explained defaults generally accommodated.

Typical terms

Structures we see most

Expat investment purchase. Funds an Australian property purchase by an Australian citizen living and earning overseas, assessed on foreign income and, where relevant, coordinated with the expat's Australian tax and residency position.

Non-resident commercial acquisition. Funds an Australian commercial property purchase by a non-resident individual or offshore entity, typically supported by an offshore guarantee and a more conservative loan-to-value ratio than an equivalent resident purchase.

Offshore entity refinance. Refinances an existing Australian facility held by an offshore company or trust, often used where the original lender's policy has changed or a better-suited lender for the entity structure is required.

Foreign investor construction facility. Funds a development undertaken by an offshore developer or investor establishing an Australian project, assessed with the same construction-lending rigour as a resident developer, alongside the additional entity and guarantee structuring this borrower profile requires.

Currency-matched facility. Structured with an awareness of the borrower's foreign-currency income, in some cases with servicing calculated to build in a buffer for currency movement between the borrower's earning currency and the Australian dollar facility.

Costs and how we're paid

Pricing on foreign investor and expat loans reflects the security, the borrower's residency and income profile, and the complexity of the entity or guarantee structure involved, and is quoted on enquiry once a lender has reviewed the file — no flat rate applies across the product, and pricing here is generally set with reference to the additional complexity of assessing an offshore position. Facilities may carry an establishment fee; all costs are set out in the loan offer before a borrower commits.

Solara is remunerated by the lender, the borrower, or both, depending on structure, which may include a commission from the lender and/or a broker fee agreed with the borrower. Any commission or fee is disclosed in writing before an application proceeds.

Process and timing

1. Initial scoping call — typically same day. We confirm the borrower's residency status, income jurisdiction, the property and the entity structure involved.
2. Document collection — typically 5–10 business days. Foreign income evidence, entity and guarantee documentation, and certified translations where required.
3. Lender matching and submission — typically 3–5 business days. We place the file with the banks, private lenders and specialist funds whose foreign investor or expat policy matches the borrower's profile.
4. Approval and offer — typically 15–35 business days, reflecting the additional verification these facilities generally require.
5. Documentation and settlement — typically 5–15 business days once terms are accepted and, where applicable, any required regulatory approvals are confirmed.

Frequently asked

Can an Australian expat get finance to buy property back home? Yes — this is one of the most common uses of this product, assessed on the expat's foreign income and coordinated with their Australian tax and residency position where relevant.

Can a non-resident with no Australian income get an Australian loan? Yes, though the assessment relies entirely on foreign income and, generally, a more conservative loan-to-value ratio and, for entities, an offshore guarantee supporting the facility.

Do foreign buyers need approval to purchase Australian property? ⚠ Many foreign purchases of Australian property require approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board, a legal and regulatory matter separate from the finance itself — borrowers should confirm their specific requirements with a migration or legal adviser.

What currency is the loan and repayments in? Facilities are generally denominated and repaid in Australian dollars, with the borrower's foreign-currency income assessed for its capacity to service the facility after accounting for currency movement.

Can an offshore company borrow directly, or does it need an Australian entity? Both structures are used — an offshore entity can borrow directly, generally supported by an offshore guarantee, or a related Australian entity can be established to hold the borrowing, depending on the transaction and the borrower's broader structuring needs.

Is it harder to get finance as a non-resident than as an Australian resident? Generally, yes, in the sense that the lender panel is narrower and loan-to-value ratios are more conservative, though a well-documented file with a specialist part of the panel can still achieve strong outcomes.

What documentation is required for foreign income? Typically certified evidence of income and employment or business ownership in the borrower's home jurisdiction, often requiring translation and certification, alongside the standard property and entity documentation any Australian facility requires.

Can this product fund a construction project for an offshore developer? Yes — a foreign investor construction facility is available, assessed with the same rigour as resident construction finance, combined with the additional entity and guarantee structuring an offshore developer's position requires.

Related products

Commercial property loans — worth considering directly for an Australian resident entity's straightforward commercial purchase where residency status is not a factor.

Construction finance — the closer match once a foreign investor's development project moves from acquisition into an active build, sharing this product's coordination around entity and guarantee structuring.

Private first mortgages — the better fit where documentation or timing, rather than residency itself, is the main factor requiring a private lender's flexibility.