Buying on a visa

Buying a home in the UK while you are on a visa.

Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, dependant or spouse visa — many lenders will consider you. Which ones depends on how long you have been here, how long is left on your visa, your deposit and your income.

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What lenders look at

Six things decide your options

Time in the UK

Some lenders have no minimum time here; others look for one year or more before offering their higher loan amounts. Many also want to see where you have lived in the UK for the last three years.

Time left on your visa

Lenders commonly check how long is left on your visa when you apply — typically at least six to twelve months. Applying soon after an extension can widen your choice.

Your deposit

A larger deposit opens more doors. Many lenders limit borrowing to 75 per cent of the price for visa holders, rising to 85 or 90 per cent where you meet their income or time-in-the-UK test.

Your income

Salary paid in pounds into a UK bank account. Some lenders set a minimum income before they lend at higher loan-to-value levels, and they count overtime, shifts and bank work differently.

Your UK credit file

Lenders score your UK credit history, so a short one matters. Keeping a UK bank account and credit card in good order helps, and so does being on the electoral roll where you can register.

Settled status

Once you have Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status, most lenders assess you on their standard criteria, the same as a UK citizen.

The documents to have ready

Saves weeks later

Passport
The passport linked to your immigration status.
Your eVisa share code
Biometric residence permit cards have been replaced by eVisas. You create a share code through the ‘View and prove your immigration status’ service on GOV.UK; each code lasts 90 days.
Payslips and bank statements
Usually your latest three months of payslips and the UK bank statements your salary is paid into, plus your P60 if you have one.
Proof of your deposit
Statements showing the money building up. If it has come from an account abroad, lenders often ask for three to six months of those overseas statements before the transfer.
A gift letter, if family are helping
A short letter from the person giving the money, confirming it is a gift, not a loan, and that they will have no share in the home. Some lenders do not accept gifted deposits from visa holders at all, which is one reason the choice of lender matters.
Your UK address history
Addresses for the last three years, including any time before you came to the UK.

Stamp duty points visa holders often miss

England and Northern Ireland

The non-resident surcharge

An extra 2 per cent applies if you have spent fewer than 183 days in the UK in the 12 months before you buy. It depends on days spent here, not on your nationality or visa.

You may be able to claim it back

If you reach 183 days in the UK within the period HMRC allows around the purchase, you can apply for a refund of the surcharge within two years.

Owning a home abroad counts

First-time buyer relief is only for people who have never owned a home anywhere in the world. A house or flat you own, or have owned, overseas means the relief does not apply.

Stamp duty in England and Northern Ireland, checked September 2026. Wales and Scotland have their own taxes — our stamp duty calculator covers all three.

Asked by visa holders

Questions

Can my parents in India help with the deposit?

Often, yes. Many lenders accept a gift from close family abroad once the money is in a UK account and the paper trail behind it is clear. Some lenders will not accept a gift for visa holders, so we match you to one that does.

I own a property back home. Am I a first-time buyer?

For stamp duty, no — relief is only for people who have never owned a home anywhere. Some lenders use their own definition, so it can still matter which lender you use.

Do government schemes apply to me?

The published rules for Shared Ownership and the government’s mortgage guarantee scheme do not set a nationality condition. The lender’s own criteria still apply, and individual housing providers may have extra checks.

I was refused before. Is it worth trying again?

A refusal usually means the application went to a lender whose visa or income rules did not fit. We would want to see the reason before saying more.

Find out which lenders fit your visa.

A first conversation costs nothing and leaves no mark on your credit file. We look at your visa, time in the UK, income and deposit, and tell you plainly what is realistic.