UK Mortgages for African Nationals

A growing number of African nationals are coming to the UK to live, work and invest, but what are your options in this demographic if you need a mortgage?

In our guide to UK mortgages for African nationals, you will learn whether you are eligible for a mortgage, how to get one, and what we can do to help you.

Can African nationals get a mortgage in the UK?

Yes, under the right circumstances. As an African national, you will need to meet the following requirements before most lenders will consider you for a mortgage:

Have a permanent job in the UK

Hold a UK bank account

Have lived in the UK for 2-5 years

These are usually the minimum requirements you will need to meet to get a UK mortgage as an African national, but keep in mind that you could have options if you don’t fit the criteria.

Moreover, you will still need to meet the general eligibility criteria for a mortgage and ensure that you hold an acceptable visa - you can read more on these factors below.

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Visa requirements

You will usually need a minimum of 12 months remaining on your visa, unless you have official confirmation from your employer stating that your work permit will be renewed.

The following types of visa are acceptable to mortgage lenders.

• Tier 1 visa: No longer available to apply for, but if you are an African national who holds one, you will likely have mortgage options, provided there is at least 12 months left to run on your visa and you have resided in the UK for at least two years.
• Tier 2 visa: These are visas for skilled workers and lenders accept them as long as there is at least a year remaining, and you have lived in the UK for the minimum amount of time.
• Spousal visas: Are treated similarly to tier 1 and tier 2 visas by mortgage lenders, and largely the same criteria is applied to them.
• Other visa types: It is more difficult for African nationals to get a mortgage with other visa types, such as ancestry and student visas. Your choice of lenders is likely to be very restricted and the amount of deposit you would have to put down will be higher. It is not possible to get a mortgage with a tier 5 visa, for temporary workers.

General eligibility requirements

UK mortgage applications from African nationals are often subjected to more scrutiny, but if you satisfy the lender’s visa requirements, hold a permanent job and have lived in the UK for at least two years, your chances of securing a mortgage are realistic.

You will still need to meet the general criteria for a mortgage, which you can find below:

• Deposit requirements: Can be higher for visa holders in general, so you may need more than the usual minimum of 5-10% of the property value for a deposit.
• Credit history: Most lenders will prefer you to have clean credit due to your status as a foreign national already increasing the risk. There are, however, bad credit mortgages available for African nationals, offered on a case-by-case basis.
• Age: Most lenders won’t offer a mortgage to anyone over the age of 75, but some stretch to 85 and a minority have no upper age limit at all.
• Employment: Lenders will prefer your income to be in pound sterling. If you are self-employed, you will need 2-3 years’ accounts to evidence your income, although some mortgage lenders may accept less than this.
• Property type: If the property you are buying is ‘non-standard’ - i.e. not made from bricks and mortar - you may need a specialist lender to get approved.

Are there specialist mortgage lenders for African nationals?

There is a specialist lender called Afin Bank that is due to launch in the UK in 2025 to help African nationals who are living and working in the UK get a mortgage.

According to Mortgage Solutions, which broke the news of Afin entering the UK market, they will offer residential and buy-to-let mortgages and have a flexible criteria that takes into account the needs of UK-based Africans, many of who faces challenges getting onto the property ladder due to obstacles including their visa status and limited credit history.

In addition to helping Africans in the UK, Afin will also specialise in the following customers:

• Overseas investors who are buying property in the UK
• High net worth individuals
• Self-employed mortgage applicants
• Professionals

They will also offer buy-to-let mortgages aimed at borrowers in West African countries, including Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, who want to invest in the UK market.

Afin Bank will offer its mortgages through brokers when it breaks into the UK market next year. Get in touch to begin a free, no-obligation chat with an adviser to find out what options you have right now, and whether it’s in your interest to wait for Afin to launch in the UK.

Why choose Teito for your mortgage needs?

At Teito, we have brokers who specialise in helping foreign nationals, including Africans, onto the property ladder, and they can provide the expert advice you need.

Our advisers have deep working relationships with lenders who offer exclusive rates on foreign national mortgages, which means they could help you secure a better deal.

Here are just some of the reasons people choose us for their mortgage needs:

• Our brokers specialise in foreign national applicants
• We could help you secure a lower rate on your mortgage
• We are 5-star rated on leading review websites
• We can help you secure an agreement in principle in minutes

Ready to take advantage of a free, no-obligation chat with a broker who specialises in arranging UK mortgages for African nationals - get started here.