Can foreign buyers get mortgages overseas?
A lot of folks might assume the answer is a flat “no.” But that’s far from the reality.
In some countries, banks actively welcome foreigners, offering up to 70% to 80% financing and rates that are more competitive than you’ll get back home.
Today I want to take you on a quick tour of five destinations on my beat where foreigners can get financing…though the last one is a special case.
First, to Europe, where we find some of the easiest countries in the world to get financing…
Over the past 10 years, Portugal has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for vacationers and expats, who are able to avail of local financing.
Portugal
Portugal is one of the world’s most popular destinations among vacationers, expats, and real estate investors.
This country has been a key destination on my global real estate beat for decades. I’ve been scouting real estate here for more than 20 years. I spend part of every year in Portugal. And I’ve bought property in this stunning country multiple times, most recently in the historic town of Caminha in the far north.
I’ve used local financing with each of those purchases. When I applied for my Caminha mortgage in late 2024, the process was incredibly simple. Major banks in Portugal are accustomed to working with non-resident foreign buyers.
In fact, because I was applying at a quiet Caminha branch, the entire process was handled very quickly and efficiently by the kind staff there.
I borrowed €280,000 and got a 25-year mortgage with a five-year fixed rate at 2.9%. My total monthly repayments are €1,509.63, but the mortgage itself is only €1,313.27 of that. The rest is insurance.
Financing is similarly easy across the border in Spain…
The view from my home “office” in Caminha is hard to beat. That’s Spain across the river. These are two of the easiest countries for foreigners to get financing.
Spain
Spain has been a firm fixture on my global beat for two decades. It’s a country my team and I have scouted extensively.
I’ve long kept an eye on the Costa del Sol, one of the world’s most inherently beautiful and desirable destinations. And lately, my attention has also been drawn north and east to another famed stretch of the country’s coast, the Costa Blanca. (RETA members will find full details of both destinations in The RETA Index of the 25 best places in the world to buy real estate.)
Spain remains one of the easiest overseas destinations to get a mortgage.
Non-residents in Spain can get a mortgage up to 60% to 70% of the value of the property. If they are a resident in another country within the eurozone, they may be able to borrow up to 80%.
Fixed-rate 20-year mortgages are the most common for foreigners.
Fixed-rate loans now average around 3% to 4% in Spain.
Loans must be fully repaid before you reach 75 years old, so the duration will depend on your age when you apply for the loan.
Estepona is one of the most popular destinations on the Costa del Sol among vacationers and remote workers.
France
Let’s say you find your perfect dream home in the French countryside.
You can picture your life there…you wake in your own château in the heart of wine country. Morning light spills across acres of meadow and woodland. Vines stretch toward the horizon. You pour a coffee, step outside, and the only sound is the whisper of leaves and birdsong.
It’s a compelling scenario, but can you get financing in France as a foreign buyer?
The answer is yes—though the process can involve more bureaucracy than in Spain or Portugal.
The typical French mortgage currently allows a buyer to borrow between 70% to 80% LTV, though some French mortgage brokers have a limit of only 50% for non-European Union buyers.
Strict Banque de France lending laws state that your total debt (including rents, mortgages, and other regular expenses) cannot exceed more than one-third of your total income.
If you are aged over 65, the banks will not include earned income; only passive income or retirement benefits will be considered.
French loans can be for between five and 25 years (but, most commonly, 15 or 20 years), depending on your age and the bank you’ve chosen.
So, for instance, it’s possible you can borrow 80% for 15 years fixed at a rate of around 3.35%. Or the same amount at a rate of around 3.5% for 20 years fixed.
I recently shared this French manor house on our Your Overseas Dream Home Instagram account. Check out the post here. You can get financing on incredible properties like this in France as an overseas buyer.
The Dominican Republic
Now to a more exotic part of the world…
Few realize that the most visited island in the Caribbean is the Dominican Republic.
And right now, this dynamic and diverse country is stepping into an entirely new role on the world stage—as a luxury destination that’s outpacing its rivals on access, infrastructure, investment, and opportunity.
If you want to buy with local financing here, it’s very possible.
Foreigners can obtain mortgages to purchase real estate.
Non-residents can receive financing between 50% and 70% loan-to-value at terms of 10 to 15 years. Rates are typically from 8% to 10% for U.S. dollar loans and from 11% to 13% for loans in the Dominican peso. This availability of financing is very rare in Latin America…and one of the reasons why the Dominican Republic is such a popular and appealing place to own overseas.
Yesterday, I brought members of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group a deal in the luxurious master-planned enclave of Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic. This is a place of turquoise waters, white-sand beaches, five-star resorts, and a glamorous marina.
Congratulations to those who were fast enough to reserve one of the 23 condos available in the Azul Garden community.
With its white-sand beaches and warm azure waters, this island is emerging as one of the premier luxury travel destinations in the Caribbean. This is one of the key destinations where the people are going next…
Panama
Panama has become one of the most attractive destinations for real estate investment in the Americas. With a strong economy, U.S. dollar currency, political stability, and warm tropical weather, Panama appeals to retirees, investors, and expats alike.
And in Panama it’s easy to get financing—if you’re a RETA member…
Let me explain.
With some of the special off-market deals I bring to my RETA club in certain destinations, members get offered exclusive developer financing. Panama is one of them..
Walk into a bank in Panama, for example, and if you are very lucky, they might lend you 60% and charge you 8% or 12% for the privilege. That’s after they’re done weighing you down with excruciating bureaucratic requirements. Then, and only then, will they decide whether to let you borrow money—they might still refuse.
This is where RETA members-only developer finance comes in…
Panama’s Pacific Riviera boasts stunning beaches…all within an hour to 90 minutes’ drive from booming Panama City. I’ve brought RETA members a number of deals here which included developer financing.
Developer finance is, as the name suggests, where a developer finances a piece of the real estate you buy from him—he’s the bank.
It’s most commonly offered for pre-construction properties and also in markets where bank finance is extremely difficult to get for foreign buyers and/or prohibitively expensive.
Often, the financing I negotiate is at interest rates below what other foreign buyers will pay. And RETA members are typically pre-approved..
That’s just one of the advantages of being a RETA member.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. If you’d like to learn more about financing overseas, check out my video: Can I Get a Mortgage Overseas? Jump in now and let me know what you think in the comments.
Join me on my YouTube channel as I discuss getting a mortgage when buying property overseas.
