UK mortgage on Turkish income:
what lenders check.
If you earn in Türkiye and are thinking of buying a London home with a mortgage, the answer depends less on a single rule than on each lender’s own criteria. This guide makes no lending promise. It explains what is assessed and who you should take it to.
There is no single answer;
the lender decides.
UK lenders look at your income and regular outgoings, whether the monthly payments are affordable for you, your deposit, your credit history and your identity.
If you live in Türkiye and earn in Turkish lira, two more questions follow: does the lender accept applicants who live in Türkiye, and how will it treat the currency of your income? Discuss both with a mortgage adviser (broker) registered with the FCA, the Financial Conduct Authority, before you reserve.
What does a lender look at?
According to the buying guide on GOV.UK, the UK government’s official website, a lender deciding how much to lend you considers:
- The total amount you can borrow
- Whether a deposit is needed
- How affordable your monthly payments will be
The affordability assessment takes into account your income and regular outgoings such as utility bills, insurance and council tax, and asks whether you could keep paying if things changed, for example if interest rates rose or you lost your job.
Your credit score matters too: it affects whether you can get a mortgage and the deals you are offered. The lender will also verify your identity and may ask where your deposit comes from. For that last point, see our guide to source of funds.
All of this applies to a buyer who lives in the UK as well. If you live abroad, the questions below are added.
First question: does the lender accept applicants living in Türkiye?
A lender that offers mortgages to people living abroad may state in its product criteria which countries it accepts applicants from. So the question to ask before any interest rate is whether the lender takes applications from the country you live in.
A dated example: on 14 October 2026, HSBC UK’s mortgage page for non-UK residents opened applications only to residents of the countries and regions on its list, and Türkiye was not on that list. The same page set out:
- For a home to live in: a basic annual income of at least £75,000 and a maximum loan-to-value of 75%, meaning a deposit of at least 25%
- For buy-to-let: a basic annual income of at least £50,000 (£75,000 if self-employed) and a deposit of at least 25% (40% for mortgages above £1 million)
That is one lender’s criteria on one day. It is not a general market rule and it tells you nothing about your own chances. Other lenders’ criteria may differ, and they change over time. A mortgage adviser can tell you which lenders fit your situation.
If you earn in Turkish lira, currency is a separate question
With a sterling loan and income in Turkish lira, every monthly payment is a cost set by that day’s exchange rate. The FCA’s rules name this situation: a loan in a currency other than the one in which the borrower receives the income, or holds the assets, from which it will be repaid is a “foreign currency loan”.
Where such a loan is a mortgage regulated under those rules, the lender must, when the contract is entered into, either give you a right to convert the loan into another currency or put other arrangements in place to limit your exchange rate risk. The FCA gives a cap or a risk warning as examples of such arrangements.
In practice, the currency of your income is something to raise at the start of an application, not the end. Ask your adviser how the lender treats income in a foreign currency. If you will convert your deposit and monthly payments from Türkiye, also allow for how exchange rate movements can affect the total cost of the purchase.
Credit history and UK records
Lenders run a credit check when you apply. In the UK, credit history is held by credit reference agencies such as Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. If you have never lived in the UK, these records may hold no history for you; ask your adviser what evidence of your credit history in Türkiye you can provide.
The type of search matters as well. At the mortgage in principle stage some lenders run a “soft search” that leaves no mark on your file, while others run a “hard search” that does; you can ask beforehand which it will be. A formal application uses a hard search.
MoneyHelper, the money guidance service run by the Money and Pensions Service, points out that too many applications in a short time can damage your credit score. That is one reason to start with an adviser rather than trying lenders one by one.
Mortgage in principle, valuation and the formal offer
A mortgage in principle (also called an agreement or decision in principle) is a written estimate of how much a lender might lend you. It is not a formal offer. MoneyHelper says it is typically valid for 30 to 90 days, and your application can still be declined after you have one.
The formal offer also depends on the property. Even if your finances are sound, a lender can decline because it is not comfortable with the property. One of MoneyHelper’s examples matters for London new-builds in particular: some lenders will not lend on homes in high-rise buildings above a certain floor.
The lender will also arrange a valuation, which checks whether the property is worth the price you are paying, or at least the amount you are borrowing.
MoneyHelper says a formal offer is usually valid for six months and can be withdrawn if your income changes. If you are buying off-plan and completion falls beyond that period, plan the timing of the application with your adviser and solicitor. We cover this part of the timetable in mortgage or cash.
To live in, or to let?
The kind of loan depends on what you are buying the home for. There are separate products for buy-to-let, and according to the FCA’s July 2025 policy statement, buy-to-let loans are mostly not regulated by the FCA. If you let the home while living in Türkiye, tax on the rent is a separate matter: see letting from Türkiye and NRLS.
That has a consequence. MoneyHelper explains that when you get regulated mortgage advice and the mortgage later turns out to be unsuitable, you can complain and, if necessary, take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If your loan or the advice you receive is not regulated, that protection may differ, so ask your adviser which rules apply before you start.
MoneyHelper also notes that even “whole of market” brokers might not cover everything, and that for a specific product such as buy-to-let you need the right adviser for your needs.
What a mortgage adviser does, and how to choose one
A mortgage adviser, also called a broker, searches the market for you, knows which lenders suit your circumstances and deals with the lender on your behalf. Some work with many lenders; others are tied to one lender and usually recommend only its products.
Check three things before you choose:
- That the firm appears on the FCA’s Financial Services Register
- That it works with clients who live abroad and earn in Türkiye
- How it is paid: MoneyHelper explains that advisers may charge a flat fee, an hourly rate or a percentage of the loan, or receive commission from the lender, and that you should be told beforehand how the adviser will be paid and all the costs involved
When an adviser recommends a mortgage, they must give you a mortgage illustration document showing the payments, fees and overall cost. It usually comes with a report explaining why the adviser considers the product suitable for you.
What your adviser
is likely to ask for.
This is a preparation list, not an application requirement. The lender and your adviser set the final list of documents.
Short questions,
short answers.
Can you get a UK mortgage on Turkish income?
There is no general yes or no. Whether the lender accepts applicants living in Türkiye, how your income is evidenced and in which currency, your deposit and your credit history are assessed together. While preparing this guide we did not verify any product that clearly accepts residents of Türkiye; the one bank list we checked did not include Türkiye. An FCA-registered mortgage adviser can tell you whether a suitable lender exists for you.
Does a mortgage in principle mean the loan will be approved?
No. A mortgage in principle is not a formal offer. Your application can still be declined afterwards because of your credit history, your debts, your income or the property itself. You need a formal offer to buy the home.
How much deposit will I need?
It depends on the lender and the product, and we do not suggest a figure here. As a dated example, on 14 October 2026 HSBC UK’s products for non-UK residents required a deposit of at least 25%, and Türkiye was not on those products’ country list.
I have just moved to the UK. Does that change things?
It can. MoneyHelper says some lenders will not offer a mortgage if you have lived in the UK for less than three years; lenders that will consider you want to see your employment contract and visa, showing your permission to live and work here. Starting with an adviser makes it easier to find lenders that consider new arrivals.
Can OGKinvest find me a mortgage?
No. We are not mortgage advisers and we do not recommend loan products. If you wish, we can introduce you to an FCA-registered adviser who works with buyers living abroad; if we have a referral relationship with that adviser, we tell you before the introduction.
We are not mortgage advisers,
and this page is not advice.
Giving mortgage advice is a regulated activity in the UK, and OGKinvest is not authorised to do it. That is why you will find no interest rate, no product recommendation and no view on whether you should borrow on this page.
The one product named here appears as a dated example, and criteria change. Before you apply, confirm everything with your adviser and with the lender’s own documents.
What we can do is prepare the purchase side: plan the reservation timetable, the paperwork and the mortgage process so that they do not collide. We introduce buyers to developers and advise on the property; when a developer pays us for an introduction we tell you.
What this guide
is based on.
- GOV.UK: Buying a home, Preparing to buy. What a lender considers, credit score and identity checks.
- MoneyHelper: Mortgage advice, should you use a mortgage adviser? Types of adviser, the FCA register, fees and commission, the mortgage illustration.
- MoneyHelper: What to do when your mortgage application is declined. Credit checks, credit reference agencies, fewer than three years in the UK.
- MoneyHelper: What happens when I get a mortgage in principle? (last updated 11 March 2025). Mortgage in principle, formal offer, valuation and property-based refusals.
- FCA Handbook: MCOB 2A.3 Foreign currency loans and the definition of a foreign currency loan. The foreign currency loan rule.
- FCA PS25/11: Mortgage Rule Review (July 2025). Buy-to-let loans mostly outside FCA regulation.
- FCA: Financial Services Register. Where to check an adviser’s registration.
- HSBC UK: Mortgages for non-UK residents. One product’s criteria, read on 14 October 2026; subject to change.
- Cover photo: Bank junction and the Royal Exchange, City of London. Photo: Francais a Londres, Unsplash (Unsplash License).
Last checked: 14 October 2026. This page gives general information; it is not mortgage, tax or legal advice. Product criteria change often, so confirm the current position with the lender and an FCA-registered adviser before you apply.
Plan the finance
with the purchase timetable.
Tell us about your budget and timing, and we will work out together who you need to speak to, and in what order.
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