Which Australian Banks Lend to Expats in 2026? CBA, ANZ, Westpac, NAB, Macquarie, Bankwest, HSBC and ING, Compared
Fewer Australian banks lend to an Australian citizen living overseas than most expats assume: two lenders, CBA and Bankwest, carry most expat files today. Westpac and Macquarie are not options for a borrower abroad, and NAB excludes overseas residents outright. A bank that lends to expats is defined as one whose published policy accepts an overseas residential address and foreign currency income. ING lends to Australians living in Australia who receive foreign currency income, a different case. Below is each of the eight banks’ published position as at September 2026. Everstone Finance has no affiliation with or endorsement from any lender named here; the names describe their published policies.
Not sure which Australian bank will take your file from abroad? A former banker narrows it down, free.
Give us your country, your passport or visa and your pay currency. You hear which of these banks, and which other lenders, would look at your file and why.
Book an expat lending call with a former banker- Two practical options, not eight. CBA and Bankwest are the lenders carrying most expat files today. Westpac and Macquarie are off the table for an Australian living overseas: Macquarie’s published policy requires a current Australian residential address, and Westpac’s Key Fact Sheet excludes non-Australian-resident borrowers. NAB excludes overseas residents outright.
- Currency lists decide the haircut. Macquarie publishes nine accepted currencies and counts 80% after conversion. At least one major bank owned lender runs a longer preferred list, including AED, SAR, INR, IDR and VND, at 80%, with other currencies at 70% and a credit delegation.
- Tax treatment is the hidden variable. Most lenders apply Australian tax rates to foreign income notionally. One major bank owned lender, under a recent change, applies the source country’s top tier rate flat to a short list of currencies: 24% Singapore, 17% Hong Kong, zero for the UAE and Saudi Arabia, a list that changes.
- Negative gearing now needs local returns at the majors. ANZ and CBA will not support negative gearing in servicing without Australian tax returns, a recent change that has failed expat equity releases which looked straightforward.
- The ceiling follows the currency. One major bank’s foreign income policy takes an Australian citizen paid in a listed currency to 95% of value with lenders mortgage insurance, stops at 80% with no LMI for second tier currencies and for permanent residents living overseas, and HSBC is exiting Australian retail banking altogether.
Not sure which of these banks will take your file? Book a free expat lending call with a former banker: your currency, income type and residency status read against each bank’s published policy, with no credit check until you choose to apply.
- What are the four questions every bank answers differently?
- Does CBA lend to Australian expats?
- Does ANZ lend to Australian expats?
- Does Westpac lend to Australian expats?
- Does NAB lend to Australian expats?
- Does Macquarie lend to Australian expats?
- Does Bankwest lend to Australian expats?
- What happened to HSBC expat home loans?
- Does ING lend to Australians earning foreign currency?
- How do the eight banks compare for expat home loans?
- Which bank suits which expat?
- Check what your salary counts for
- Frequently asked questions
What are the four questions every bank answers differently?
Four questions separate the Australian banks on expat lending: whether they lend at all without an Australian residential address, which currencies they accept, how much of the salary they count, typically 80 per cent of gross for listed currencies and 70 per cent for the rest (one major bank’s foreign income policy, read September 2026), and whether they apply Australian tax rates to a salary that was never taxed in Australia.
Will they lend to you at all? Australian citizens and permanent residents living overseas face no FIRB approval and no foreign buyer surcharges, so the law is not the barrier. Bank policy is. Some lenders require a current Australian residential address; some exclude overseas residents outright; some lend freely to citizens abroad. This is the first filter, and it removes more banks than most expats expect.
Which currencies do they accept? Every lender that takes foreign income keeps a list. Fall outside it and you are either declined or shaded harder and pushed to a credit delegation. The lists differ meaningfully: Gulf and South Asian currencies appear on some and not others.
How much of your income do they count? Foreign income is discounted for exchange risk, typically to 80% of the gross amount for listed currencies and 70% for the rest (one major bank’s foreign income policy, read September 2026). Whether overtime, allowances, commission and bonuses are counted at all is a separate policy setting, and for allowance heavy packages it can be worth more than the base rate.
Do they tax it as if you were in Australia? The quietest and largest difference. A tax free Gulf salary assessed with Australian marginal rates applied loses a large notional slice before servicing begins. A lender that applies the source country’s rate instead can assess the same salary whole.
What the assessor actually looks at first. The address. Before currency, shading or tax, the first filter on an expat file is whether the applicant holds a current Australian residential address, and at more than one bank the answer ends the conversation before income is discussed. The second filter is the currency against the list; only then does the reading of the salary begin. That order is why two banks can say no to a file a third approves without a single number changing.
Does CBA lend to Australian expats?
Yes. CBA is one of the two lenders we place most expat files with, and its appetite for Australians earning overseas is among the most consistent in the market. Its published material covers residents and non-residents alike, and its documentation requirements for salaried applicants are standard: three months of statements, a recent payslip or employment contract. It does not publish an expat specific foreign income policy on its consumer site, so the exact settings for your currency and package are confirmed with the bank on each file.
Two things to plan around. First, CBA will not include negative gearing in servicing unless it is supported by an Australian tax return, which most expats do not lodge, so an investor file is built on salary and proposed rental income instead. Second, the loan-to-value ceiling is set by the currency on the payslip and the borrower’s status rather than by the strength of the file; the tiers are set out under the maximum LVR question below. Within those two rules, CBA is a strong home for a salaried expat file.
Does ANZ lend to Australian expats?
Yes, and ANZ is one of the more visible lenders in this space: its home loan checklist explicitly accepts foreign income and asks for evidence covering the last three months, and ANZ Private runs a dedicated service for international clients buying Australian property. Its digital ANZ Plus product is not the route, since it requires PAYG or rental income and is built for domestic applicants.
The recent change that matters: ANZ now will not consider negative gearing in servicing unless the income is declared in Australia, which in practice means an Australian tax return. For an expat on tax free income that removes a meaningful part of the assessable position, and borrowing capacity drops with it. ANZ also assesses foreign income with Australian tax rates applied. Strong salaried expats in accepted currencies still get approved at ANZ; investors relying on negative gearing increasingly do not.
Does Westpac lend to Australian expats?
No. Westpac’s home loan Key Fact Sheet states plainly that residential lending is not available for non-Australian-resident borrowers, and in practice that closes the door to an Australian citizen living and working overseas. Westpac’s separate expatriate package is aimed at people moving to Australia, not Australians living away. For an expat file, Westpac is off the table.
Profession based lending policies are assessed on Australian resident income and rarely apply to expat files, at any lender.
Does NAB lend to Australian expats?
NAB is the clearest no on the list. Its home loan product pages state that NAB home loan products are not available to applicants who reside overseas, regardless of citizenship, or to applicants who require FIRB approval. An Australian citizen living abroad is therefore outside NAB’s home lending until they are back in Australia. It is a clean rule, and it removes NAB from the expat shortlist entirely.
Does Macquarie lend to Australian expats?
Macquarie is the most transparent lender on this list, because its published policy answers the expat question precisely. On residency: an Australian citizen or permanent resident who does not hold a current, valid Australian residential address is outside policy. On currency: acceptable foreign currencies are GBP, EUR, HKD, NZD, SGD, USD, CAD, JPY and CHF. On shading: only 80% of the amount after conversion is used for servicing (Macquarie’s published policy, read September 2026), and overtime, commission and bonuses are haircut further.
The practical reading: Macquarie is off the table for an Australian living overseas. Without a current Australian residential address you are outside its policy before income is discussed, and a Gulf, Indian or South East Asian salary is outside its currency list in any case. Macquarie’s transparency is useful because it shows exactly what a strict lender looks like; it is not a lender an expat file goes to.
Does Bankwest lend to Australian expats?
Bankwest does not publish its foreign income settings on its consumer site, and its application material asks for citizenship, tax residency and, for non-citizens, passport and visa evidence. It is one of the two lenders we place most expat files with, alongside CBA, and in our experience currently the most favourable desk for tax free salaries from the Gulf. Several of our recent expat purchases and refinances have settled there. Its settings, like every lender’s, change without notice and are established on each file.
For Australian citizens and permanent residents who own property in Australia, a cash out refinance while living overseas, often looked up as a home equity loan, is decided file by file too. Most lenders refinance to about 80 per cent of current value without mortgage insurance, and one major bank’s foreign income policy makes that a firm ceiling, with no mortgage insurance above it, for permanent residents living overseas and citizens paid in second tier currencies. Our explainer on how Australian expats structure a cash out refinance covers loan increases, refinances and splits.
What happened to HSBC expat home loans?
HSBC, historically the most expat friendly name in Australian retail banking, is exiting Australian retail banking. Existing HSBC home loans continue, but the door for new expat lending there is closing, and every HSBC expat customer will face a lender decision at their next rate review or fixed rate expiry. Our guide for HSBC customers on what to do next covers the timeline and the options in detail.
Does ING lend to Australians earning foreign currency?
ING is a different case from the lenders above. ING lends to Australians who live in Australia and receive foreign currency income, for example a salary paid by an overseas employer, or income paid in a foreign currency while you are resident here. That is not the same situation as an Australian citizen living abroad, which is what the rest of this page compares. This page does not assess ING’s currency list, shading, LVR or pricing; ask us. If you live in Australia and are paid in a foreign currency, ING belongs on your shortlist; if you live overseas, it is not the lender this comparison is about.
How do the eight banks compare for expat home loans?
The comparison table below sets out eight Australian lenders’ published expat positions as at September 2026: CBA and Bankwest lend to citizens living overseas and carry most expat files; ANZ lends but applies Australian tax rates; Westpac, NAB and Macquarie exclude borrowers living overseas; HSBC is exiting Australian retail banking; ING lends only to Australians living in Australia on foreign currency income.
| Lender | Lends to citizens living overseas | Foreign income counted | Accepted currencies | Notable settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBA | Yes: one of the two practical options | Confirmed on each file | Confirmed on each file | Negative gearing needs Australian tax returns; LVR ceiling set by currency tier, see the maximum LVR question below |
| ANZ | Yes | Accepted, evidence last 3 months | Not published | Negative gearing needs Australian tax returns; Australian tax rates applied to foreign income |
| Westpac | No: Key Fact Sheet excludes non-Australian-resident borrowers | n/a | n/a | Off the table for expats living overseas |
| NAB | No: product pages exclude applicants residing overseas, regardless of citizenship | n/a | n/a | Available again once you are living in Australia |
| Macquarie | No for expats living overseas: policy requires a current Australian residential address | 80% after conversion (Australian based borrowers only) | GBP, EUR, HKD, NZD, SGD, USD, CAD, JPY, CHF | Off the table for expats; policy published |
| Bankwest | Yes: one of the two practical options | Confirmed on each file | Confirmed on each file | Most favourable desk for tax free Gulf salaries in our experience |
| HSBC | Exiting Australian retail banking | Existing loans continue | n/a | Customers need a lender decision at next review |
| ING | Different case: lends to Australians living in Australia who receive foreign currency income | Not assessed here | Not assessed here | For residents paid by an overseas employer or in a foreign currency; not for expats living abroad |
Sources: Macquarie’s published residential lending policy; ANZ home loan application checklist; Westpac home loan product pages; CBA and Bankwest application material; our own file experience through 2026. Lender policy changes without notice and every application is assessed individually.
Which bank suits which expat?
The right Australian bank for an expat depends on currency and income structure: tax free Gulf salaries in AED or SAR belong at the lender that lists those currencies and applies a local rate of zero; Singapore and Hong Kong salaries suit both practical options, with flat 24 or 17 per cent treatment at one; UK, European, US and Canadian salaries are on every list.
Tax free Gulf salary, AED or SAR. The whole decision is tax treatment. Outside the currency lists at Macquarie and outside most banks’ comfort, this profile belongs at the lender that lists the Gulf currencies and applies the local rate flat, which is zero. The difference between that desk and a desk applying Australian tax rates is the difference between a marginal file and a strong one.
Singapore or Hong Kong salary. Accepted at both practical options. The edge is the flat 24% or 17% treatment at one lender versus Australian rates at the other, worth chasing on a large loan.
UK, European, US or Canadian salary. The easiest currencies, on every list. The decision between CBA and Bankwest comes down to variable income treatment, the structure you need and price on the day.
Indian, Indonesian or Vietnamese salary. Outside several banks’ appetite, but on at least one major bank owned lender’s preferred list at 80%. Lender choice is not a refinement here, it is the whole approval.
Investor relying on negative gearing. The majors now want Australian tax returns to support it. Without them, the file needs a lender that services on proposed rental income and salary alone, and the structure needs to be built that way from the first conversation.
HSBC customer. Do not wait for the bank to tell you. Review now, while your loan history is clean and your income documentation is current, and move to a lender that is in the expat business for the long term.
In short: two practical options, not eight; the currency list decides the haircut, the tax convention decides whether a tax-free salary is assessed whole, negative gearing now needs Australian tax returns at the majors, and the loan-to-value ceiling follows the currency tier, 95 per cent with lenders mortgage insurance for a citizen on a listed currency and 80 per cent otherwise (one major bank’s foreign income policy, read September 2026).
Which bank is right for your file?
Fifteen minutes with a former banker, in your time zone. Bring your payslip and your plan, and we will tell you which two or three desks suit it and what each would lend.
Book my expat callLiving overseas? WhatsApp Ahmed from wherever you are. It is his own mobile, no call centre, and the first chat is free.
Check what your salary counts for
Enter your annual gross salary in Australian dollar terms and pick your currency. The result shows how much a lender counts after shading and what the tax treatment does next, on the policy settings above.
The lender rules behind this guide are collected on our Australian expat home loans page, and the way we work with clients in overseas is on our Australian expat mortgage broker page.
Frequently asked questions
Which Australian banks lend to expats?
In practice two lenders carry most expat files: CBA and Bankwest. ANZ accepts foreign income but has tightened around negative gearing. Macquarie requires a current Australian residential address under its published policy, Westpac’s Key Fact Sheet excludes non-Australian-resident borrowers, NAB’s product pages exclude applicants residing overseas regardless of citizenship, and HSBC is exiting Australian retail banking. Settings change without notice and every application is assessed individually.
Which currencies do Australian banks accept for expat home loans?
Macquarie publishes GBP, EUR, HKD, NZD, SGD, USD, CAD, JPY and CHF. At least one major bank owned lender runs a longer preferred list that also includes AED, SAR, INR, IDR and VND, counted at 80 per cent of gross income, with other currencies at 70 per cent subject to a credit delegation.
Do Australian banks tax foreign income when assessing an expat home loan?
Most apply Australian tax rates to foreign income notionally before servicing. At least one major bank owned lender applies the source country’s top tier rate flat instead, which is 24 per cent for Singapore, 17 per cent for Hong Kong and zero for the UAE and Saudi Arabia, so a tax free salary is assessed whole.
Can an expat use negative gearing in servicing?
At the major banks, only if it is supported by an Australian tax return, which most expats do not lodge. This is a recent change and it has failed expat equity releases that looked straightforward. Files that need the support are placed with lenders that service on proposed rental income and salary alone.
What is the maximum LVR for an Australian expat home loan?
It depends on the currency and your status. One major bank publishes a foreign income policy: an Australian citizen, living in Australia or overseas, paid in Australian dollars or in pounds, euros, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, US or Canadian dollars can borrow to 95 per cent of value with lenders mortgage insurance; the same citizen paid in yen, rupees, rupiah, dong, dirhams or renminbi stops at 80 per cent with no LMI; a permanent resident living overseas stops at 80 per cent whatever the currency; a currency it does not list is taken case by case with at least 30 per cent deducted. Other lenders sit at or below those lines, so the currency decides whether a 5 per cent or a 20 per cent deposit plus stamp duty is the planning number.
What if I live in Australia but earn in a foreign currency?
That is a different case from an expat living abroad, and the lender list changes. ING lends to Australians who live in Australia and receive foreign currency income, for example a salary paid by an overseas employer, or income paid in a foreign currency while resident here. This page does not set out ING’s currency list, shading, LVR or pricing; confirm them on your own file before you plan around it.
Does CBA offer an expat home loan?
Yes. CBA lends to Australians earning overseas and is one of the two lenders we place most expat files with. Two settings shape the file: the loan-to-value ceiling follows the currency on the payslip and the borrower status rather than the strength of the file, and negative gearing is only counted in servicing when it is supported by an Australian tax return. Documentation for a salaried expat is standard: three months of statements and a recent payslip or employment contract.
Does ANZ have an expat mortgage?
Yes. The ANZ home loan checklist explicitly accepts foreign income with three months of evidence, and ANZ Private runs a service for international clients buying Australian property. ANZ applies Australian tax rates to foreign income and will not count negative gearing unless the income is declared in Australia, which reduces borrowing capacity for investors on tax-free salaries. ANZ Plus is a domestic product and is not the route for an expat.
Does NAB lend to Australian expats living overseas?
No. NAB home loan product pages state that its home loans are not available to applicants who reside overseas, regardless of citizenship, or to applicants who need foreign investment approval. An Australian citizen living abroad is outside NAB home lending until they are back in Australia.
Does Westpac offer a non-resident home loan?
No. The Westpac home loan Key Fact Sheet states that residential lending is not available to non-Australian-resident borrowers, which in practice includes an Australian citizen living and working overseas. The Westpac expatriate package is for people moving to Australia.
Does Macquarie accept foreign income for a home loan?
Only for borrowers with a current, valid Australian residential address. The published Macquarie policy lists GBP, EUR, HKD, NZD, SGD, USD, CAD, JPY and CHF as acceptable currencies, uses 80 per cent of the converted amount for servicing and haircuts overtime, commission and bonuses further. An Australian citizen living overseas is outside that policy before income is discussed, so Macquarie is not a lender an expat file goes to.
Which bank is best for a foreign income home loan in Australia?
It depends on where you live. If you live in Australia and are paid in a foreign currency, ING and Macquarie belong on the shortlist alongside the majors. If you live overseas, CBA and ANZ lead the major banks, NAB and Westpac are closed to you, and the gaps are filled by lenders that specialise in expat and non-resident files. The lender that reads your currency and tax position most generously is the best one for your file, and that is decided on the day by policy settings rather than by brand.
Sources
Related guides
- 01. Which banks are open to you. Address, currency and income structure, mapped against the settings above.
- 02. The two or three desks that suit your file, and why. With what each would lend.
- 03. The documents and the timeline. What to send, what we do not need, how long pre-approval takes from your city.
Eight banks, four questions, one right desk for your file.
We place expat files every week. Bring your payslip and your plan, and a former banker will tell you which lender reads them best right now, and what that means in dollars.
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