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Checked 7 October 2026

Westpac home loan for Australians living overseas: what Westpac publishes

Westpac does not publish an expat home loan. Its customer site says online applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents, and a note on several of its customer pages and on three broker pages says residential lending is not available for "Non-Australian Resident" borrowers without saying what that term means. This guide reflects Westpac's pages as at 7 October 2026.

The note does not define "Non-Australian Resident", so it does not settle whether an Australian citizen living overseas is covered. Confirm with Westpac before relying on any reading.

What Westpac's customer pages say

Westpac's "How to apply" page lists three eligibility conditions: you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, employed or self-employed, and 18 or over. It then asks whether you can apply if you are not a citizen. The answer is that you can apply online if you are 18 or over and an Australian citizen or a permanent resident, including New Zealand citizens living in Australia. If you do not meet those criteria, the page says Westpac can discuss your options and points you to an appointment or a branch.

Several other customer pages carry a note under "Things you should know": residential lending is not available for Non-Australian Resident borrowers. It appears on the refinance, fixed rate, variable rate, first home and next home pages, and on the "Is it better to build or buy a house?" page, which promotes Westpac's construction loan option. The "How to apply" and "Investing in property" pages did not carry it when checked.

The home loan portability page separately lists existing loans taken out by non-residents among the loans that cannot be ported to a new property. It does not say whether that covers someone who became a non-resident after taking out the loan.

None of the customer pages checked mentions living overseas or expats.

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What Westpac's broker pages say

Three pages on Westpac's broker site (the broker home page, the products page and the policy page) carry the same note under "Things you should know": based on Westpac's credit criteria, residential lending is not available for Non-Australian Resident borrowers. The policy page is labelled for broker purposes only.

The note leaves three questions open:

  • whether "resident" means immigration status, tax residence or where you live;
  • whether an Australian citizen living abroad is a "Non-Australian Resident";
  • whether it applies to refinancing and existing loans as well as new purchases.

Foreign income documents Westpac lists

Westpac's minimum required documents checklist for brokers (reference WBC22133 0226) has a "Foreign Income" section under other sources of income. It asks for:

  • Foreign salary: the last two consecutive foreign income payslips, or one year-to-date payslip covering two pay cycles, and in all cases an account statement covering at least three months that shows consistent salary credits.
  • Foreign pension: a government letter showing the pension and account statements covering at least three months.
  • Foreign rental income: a bank statement covering at least six months that shows consistent rental credits.
  • Translations: if foreign income is used, the Translation Checklist on BrokerHub must be completed and included.

The checklist does not say who may use foreign income or how much of it counts. It is a list of evidence, not a statement of acceptance. How lenders weigh this income is covered in how lenders assess foreign income.

What Westpac does not publish

None of the pages read for this guide gives:

  • a list of countries or currencies;
  • a deposit or loan-to-value rule for overseas borrowers;
  • a separate rate or fee for overseas borrowers.

Westpac's Target Market Determination page is a search by product name, and the home loan TMDs were not retrieved for this guide, so any residency wording in them is not covered here. Look them up on Westpac's TMD page if you want the product-level eligibility statement.

If you are a foreign national in Australia

The customer page limits online applications to citizens and permanent residents and sends others to a lender conversation. The broker checklist lists foreign investment approval as a document for temporary visa applicants buying property. Our guide to temporary visa home loans explains how that group is usually assessed.

Keep reading

Frequently asked questions

Does Westpac lend to Australian citizens living overseas?

Westpac does not say either way in so many words. Its customer and broker pages say residential lending is not available for "Non-Australian Resident" borrowers, but do not define the term. A citizen living abroad should ask Westpac, or a broker who deals with it, how the bank reads that wording for their situation.

What does "Non-Australian Resident" mean on Westpac's broker pages?

The pages do not say. It could refer to immigration status, tax residence or where someone lives, and each reading gives a different answer for a citizen abroad. The tax test is explained in our guide to Australian tax residency, but Westpac's own test may differ.

Can I apply with Westpac online from overseas?

The page says online applications are for Australian citizens and permanent residents aged 18 or over who are employed or self-employed. It does not mention applicants outside Australia. If you do not meet the criteria it directs you to book an appointment or visit a branch, so ask which route applies to you.

What does Westpac ask for as proof of foreign income?

Its broker checklist lists two foreign payslips or one year-to-date payslip, plus statements covering at least three months of salary credits. For foreign pensions it asks for a government letter and three months of statements. For foreign rent it asks for six months of bank statements. Translations are needed where documents are not in English.

Does the checklist mean Westpac accepts foreign income?

No. The checklist lists the evidence Westpac wants if foreign income is used. It does not say which borrowers can use it, in which currencies, or what proportion is counted. That belongs to credit policy, which Westpac does not publish on these pages.

Sources

Checked 7 October 2026.

Expat Finance is an independent guide. It is not a lender, mortgage broker or credit provider, it does not hold an Australian credit licence, and it does not give credit, legal, tax or migration advice. It is not affiliated with any bank, the ATO or the Foreign Investment Review Board. General information only, not legal, tax, migration or financial advice.