Accord Mortgages says it in one sentence: it "does not offer any loans which would be deemed as foreign currency." The term comes from the FCA's rulebook, and it is why a strong salary paid in euros or dollars can count for nothing on a UK mortgage application.
Most foreign paperwork trouble is not about salary. It is the savings in Warsaw, the gift from parents in Lagos, the flat sold in Porto, the car loan still running in Mumbai, each evidenced in a language the underwriter cannot read.
Below: the FCA rules, five lenders' criteria as of October 2026, the documents they want and how to translate them.
Can you get a UK mortgage with foreign income?
Sometimes, but rarely if it is paid in another currency, and never on the same terms everywhere. Two FCA rules explain why.
Every lender verifies income and writes its own rules. Under MCOB 11.6.8R a lender "must obtain evidence of the income declared by the customer", adequate "to support each element of income", and "must not accept self-certification of income". Payslips, bank statements and tax returns can count as independent evidence even when the borrower supplies them (MCOB 11.6.9G). Each lender must also have a written policy on "the types of income which are acceptable" and "what is acceptable evidence of income" (MCOB 11.6.20R). Two lenders can give opposite answers on the same file and both be compliant.
Foreign-currency income makes it a "foreign currency loan". The FCA glossary uses that term where the credit is "denominated in a currency other than that in which the consumer receives the income or holds the assets from which the credit is to be repaid". A sterling mortgage repaid from a salary in euros qualifies, and the lender must then warn the borrower, on a regular basis, if exchange rates move the balance or the payments by more than 20% (MCOB 7A.4.1R). Several large lenders simply do not offer such loans.
What do UK lenders' criteria say about foreign income and visas?
Five lenders' published criteria for brokers, as of October 2026. Criteria change often, so check the current page or ask a broker before applying.
| Lender | Income paid in a foreign currency | Applicants without indefinite leave, settled or pre-settled status |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Not acceptable for purchases, remortgages, further advances or porting with extra borrowing | Primary income in sterling, paid into a UK account; at least 12 months left on the visa; up to 85% LTV with basic income of £50,000 (single) or £75,000 (joint), otherwise 75% |
| Coventry Building Society | An unacceptable source of income for new borrowing | Not accepted: each applicant needs indefinite leave, right of abode or EU Settlement Scheme status, plus two years' UK residence and employment history |
| Metro Bank | "Not accepted" | Skilled Worker or Family visa holders up to 75% LTV; a Family visa case needs one British or settled applicant |
| Accord Mortgages | No foreign income or assets used for affordability | Up to 90% LTV if one applicant earns at least £50,000, otherwise 75% |
| Barclays | No general rule published; an LLP partner's overseas profit counts only if paid in sterling | Up to 90% LTV after a year in the UK, with extra checks above 75%; in the first year, Premier or Wealth customers only, up to 75% |
HSBC applies standard criteria to UK-resident foreign nationals with settled or pre-settled status, indefinite leave or a right of abode, and separate criteria to others. Barclays "can't consider applications from refugees until they've got a permanent right to reside in the UK."
Status is proved online now. Barclays wants a share code from non-British, non-Irish applicants whose income is used, and Nationwide calls the GOV.UK status check "the best proof for the majority of cases". Its list of unacceptable proofs includes biometric residence permits, Student and Graduate visas, refugee leave and the Ukraine Permission Extension.
Self-employed income is judged on UK tax records: Nationwide wants two years' HMRC tax calculations (SA302) and tax year overviews, or an accountant's certificate. A foreign tax assessment is not on that list.
Will a lender see your credit history from abroad?
Not through the usual checks. UK lenders score applications against files held by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, which, in the ICO's words, "hold certain information about most adults in the UK": how you have run credit and utility accounts, past addresses and the electoral roll. A newcomer usually has little on those files, however good their record abroad. Coventry wants three years of UK addresses and, where an applicant has fewer, records the non-UK addresses and reviews the case "on its own merits".
Debts abroad still count against you. Lenders must take full account of committed expenditure (MCOB 11.6.5R), including "credit commitments such as secured and unsecured loans and credit cards" (MCOB 11.6.11G). Nationwide has brokers key in any mortgage on a property abroad, converted to sterling, and Barclays converts commitments in other currencies at its Foreign Note Rate on the day of the decision in principle.
Which foreign documents will the lender ask for?
Mostly deposit evidence, plus proof of who you are, where you live and what you owe. Nationwide's rules show the detail to expect:
| Document from abroad | What Nationwide asks for | What the translation must keep |
|---|---|---|
| Savings statements | Savings in the EEA: one full month's statement; outside the UK and EEA: three months; plus the UK statement showing the transfer | Every transaction, balance and currency as printed |
| Donor's bank statements | Gift from a donor in the EEA: three months' statements; outside the EEA: six months; each with a gifted deposit form | Donor's name, account and the outgoing payment |
| Sale of a property abroad | A solicitor's letter or completion statement with the address, payment date and price; three or six months of the overseas account's statements, the latest within 90 days | The deed, statement or letter in full |
| Inheritance from abroad | A letter from the executor or solicitor confirming the amount | Names, amount and dates |
| Mortgage on a property abroad | Its details keyed into the application in sterling; no payment history if it is in a foreign currency | Balance, monthly payment and currency |
| Non-UK bank statement or ID card | Proof of address (a non-UK statement dated within 3 months) or of name (an EEA identity card) | Name and address exactly as printed |
Nationwide refuses gifts or funding from overseas companies, including a donor's non-UK business, and does not count rent from property let abroad. It also "may query" any third-party or cash transaction of £5,000 or more, or the non-UK currency equivalent. See bank statement translation for how statements should be rendered, payslips and employment letters for income documents, and probate and inheritance with foreign assets if the deposit comes from an estate abroad.
Do UK mortgage lenders accept translated documents?
Yes, if the translation meets the lender's own rule, and those rules are usually short. Nationwide's reads: "Documents in languages other than English will only be accepted if they've been translated into English by an independent translator and: the translator's firm or name, address and contact number have been provided; the translator is not a family member of your client." It refuses "documents translated using Google Translate or other translation apps" and requires "a copy of the original and the translated documents."
That is all: no notarisation, no apostille. Other lenders word their rules differently, so ask the broker which documents the lender wants before ordering, and compare its list with the certificate. Ours is signed and dated, confirms accuracy, and gives the certifying official's full name, our contact details and our membership of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC).
For a mortgage file, the translation should show:
- Every page and every transaction line, never a summary of balances.
- Figures and currency exactly as printed. Lenders convert at their own rates; a translator's conversion is a second, wrong number.
- Names in full, middle names included, spelled as in your passport: Nationwide now requires applications in the "full legal name, including any middle names".
- Addresses, stamps and verification codes as they appear on the original, so the lender can match them.
What will the conveyancer check about money from abroad?
Where the money came from, separately from the lender. A conveyancer acting on a purchase is an "independent legal professional" under regulation 12 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. It must verify your identity on documents "obtained from a reliable source which is independent of the person" (regulation 28(18)) and scrutinise transactions, "including, where necessary, the source of funds" (regulation 28(11)). Expect to send it the same foreign documents and translations.
Why mortgage applications with foreign documents stall
- Applying to a lender that never counts foreign currency income.
- A translation that converts the money into pounds, so the figures no longer match the original.
- The wrong period: one month of statements for savings outside the EEA, where Nationwide wants three, or a latest statement older than 90 days after an overseas sale.
- A relative's translation or a machine translation, both refused by Nationwide.
- A gift routed through a parent's company abroad.
- An undeclared loan abroad that surfaces in the bank statements.
Checklist: foreign documents for a UK mortgage
Questions people ask
Can I get a UK mortgage if my salary is paid in a foreign currency?
It is difficult. Nationwide, Coventry Building Society, Metro Bank and Accord Mortgages all say in their published criteria that they do not use foreign currency income for new lending. FCA rules treat such a mortgage as a foreign currency loan, with extra warnings the lender must give, so ask a broker which lenders will consider it before you apply.
What kind of translation does a mortgage lender need, and can a relative do it?
Usually a complete English translation by an independent professional, sent with a copy of the original. Nationwide, for example, wants the translator's or firm's name, address and phone number, refuses translations by family members and by apps, and does not ask for notarisation or an apostille. Other lenders set their own rules, so ask first.
Can I use a gift from my parents abroad as a deposit?
Often, with more paperwork. Nationwide accepts unconditional gifts but wants a gifted deposit form and three months of the donor's bank statements if the donor or the funds are in the EEA, or six months if they are outside it. It does not accept gifts funded by an overseas company.
Should the translation convert foreign amounts into pounds?
No. The translation should show every figure in the original currency, exactly as printed. Lenders convert at their own rates, as Barclays does with its Foreign Note Rate for debts in other currencies.
Can I get a mortgage on a Skilled Worker visa?
Yes, with some lenders and usually with a bigger deposit. Metro Bank considers Skilled Worker visa holders up to 75% loan to value, and Nationwide wants at least 12 months left on the visa and a sterling salary paid into a UK account. Coventry Building Society requires indefinite leave, right of abode or EU Settlement Scheme status.
Do I need a UK credit history to get a mortgage?
It helps, because lenders score you on files held by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, which do not show your record abroad. Coventry, for one, asks for three years of UK addresses and reviews shorter histories case by case.
How much does it cost to translate mortgage documents, and how long does it take?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words. Most single-page documents arrive as a signed PDF by email within 24 hours, and longer sets of statements take 1 to 3 business days.
