Mortgage in Hong Kong for non-residents: loan-to-value limits, banks and conditions

Hong Kong does not bar foreigners from buying homes, and local banks do lend to non-residents. What decides how much you can borrow is a set of limits issued by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which every bank follows, plus each bank's own policy. This article sets out the limits we could read in the original, what banks publish about non-residents and where we could not confirm details. It is general information, not financial advice. Conditions change, so ask the bank for current terms in writing and check hkma.gov.hk.

The HKMA limits that frame every loan

The most recent official table we read took effect on 28 February 2024. For a borrower with no other outstanding mortgage, the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio on a residential property was:

• Self-use, price up to HK$30 million: 70%.
• Self-use, between HK$30 million and HK$35 million: 60% to 70%, with a loan cap of HK$21 million.
• Self-use, above HK$35 million: 60%.
• Non-self-use or company-held: 60%.
• Net worth-based lending: 60%, whatever the price.

Borrowers who already have another mortgage face caps 10 percentage points lower. The debt-servicing ratio (the share of income that can go to debt payments) was 50% for self-use and 40% for non-self-use. The HKMA also suspended its interest-rate stress test from the same date. "Self-use" means the property is occupied by the owner or close family, so a buyer who lives abroad and lets the flat out should expect the lower non-self-use limits. How a particular bank classifies your purchase is something to ask it directly, because we found no published rule on that point.

A circular of 4 December 2024 added a one-off scheme (up to 80% LTV and 60% debt-servicing ratio) for self-occupying buyers of new, uncompleted homes who signed between 2021 and 2023 and whose valuation had fallen below the price. For everyone else it confirmed 70% and 50%. We did not find a table newer than that circular, so check the HKMA site for anything issued since.

How a non-resident is treated

Until July 2023 the HKMA required banks to lower the LTV and debt-servicing limits by 10 points for applicants whose income came mainly from outside Hong Kong. According to the HKMA circular of 7 July 2023 as summarised in search results, that reduction was removed. A non-resident is therefore not penalised by the HKMA rules for earning abroad, although a bank may still ask for more documents and may offer less than the cap.

What banks publish

No bank gives the same terms to everyone, and we found no single official list. What we saw:

• HSBC's mortgage blog (September 2024) says you must be in Hong Kong to apply and to sign the documents, that overseas buyers are generally offered up to 70%, and that a Mainland ID card is not accepted: use a passport or Exit-Entry Permit.
• Hang Seng's pages (undated) say its mortgage is open to foreign passport holders and to citizens of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and that its 90% option is for applicants without a residential property in Hong Kong who are regular salaried employees. Copies of those pages on different domains list different income-proof periods.
• Guides report that banks usually expect a Hong Kong bank account and proof of income. Treat that as typical, not guaranteed.

We did not find an official page of Bank of China (Hong Kong) and we do not recommend or rank any lender.

Mortgage insurance: usually not for non-residents

The government-backed Mortgage Insurance Programme lets eligible buyers borrow up to 90% of the price of homes up to HK$10 million, according to a government notice summarised in search results, with lower ratios for higher prices. HSBC says holders of Mainland or overseas passports without a Hong Kong ID card are not eligible, and Standard Chartered says ratios above 80% are for regular salaried first-time buyers. We did not open the programme's own page, so treat a 90% loan as out of reach for most non-residents unless the bank confirms otherwise.

Rates: HIBOR or prime, and the peg

Most new loans are priced off HIBOR, the Hong Kong interbank rate. The HKMA's survey for June 2026 (published 31 July 2026) reported that 70% of new mortgages were HIBOR-linked and 1.3% were linked to the best lending rate. As one example only, a bank advertised in March 2026 a plan at one-month HIBOR plus 0.6% when one-month HIBOR was 2.05% and its prime rate was 5.375%. We found no average mortgage rate, so use this as an illustration, not a benchmark. The Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the US dollar, which is why local rates tend to follow US rates (general background we did not verify in this research). A HIBOR-linked loan moves with the market from month to month, while a prime-linked loan changes less often.

Costs

Expect valuation, legal and arrangement costs on top of the price and the stamp duty described in Hong Kong stamp duty and property taxes for non-residents. We did not research the amounts, so ask the bank and your solicitor for a written estimate, including any early-repayment charge.

Risks

• Prices can fall. In a circular of December 2024 the HKMA said official residential prices had fallen by more than 25% since their 2021 peak. We found no recent official count of mortgages in negative equity.
• Rates can rise or fall with the US dollar, which changes the payment on a floating loan.
• Currency: if you earn in euros or zloty and borrow in Hong Kong dollars, the exchange rate becomes part of the risk. See currency and payment for overseas buyers.
• Physical presence: both HSBC's published guidance and common guides say you must be in Hong Kong to sign the mortgage documents.

Alternatives

Many foreign buyers find a loan secured on a property in their own country, or a personal loan, simpler than a Hong Kong mortgage. See mortgage in your country against property abroad and mortgages for non-residents. For moving money, see sending money abroad for property purchase from Poland and multi-currency accounts and exchange rates. For the mainland, where the rules are very different, see mortgages and money transfers for foreigners in China, and for a comparison with another market mortgage in Thailand for foreigners.

FAQ

Can a non-resident get a mortgage in Hong Kong? Banks do lend to non-residents, but terms differ by bank and passport, you usually have to be in Hong Kong to sign, and the cap is likely to be lower than the headline figure.

What is the usual down payment? With a 70% cap it is 30% of the price, and with the 60% non-self-use cap it is 40%. These are the HKMA caps as of the latest table we read; a bank can offer less.

Is the stress test still required? The HKMA suspended the 200-basis-point stress test from 28 February 2024. Banks still assess affordability under their own rules.

What this means for a normal buyer

• Plan for a 30% to 40% deposit and ask whether the bank will treat the purchase as self-use or not.
• Get written terms from the bank before you pay a deposit, including the interest-rate basis and any early-repayment charge.
• Do not assume insurance or a 90% loan: non-residents are generally outside those schemes.
• Compare with a loan in your home country and price the currency risk.
• Read the buying steps in the Hong Kong property guide for foreign buyers and the overview in the China and Hong Kong guide.

An independent buyer-side adviser can compare financing options and bring in a local solicitor. D.H. Realting works from Warsaw as an independent consultant; ask us how we are paid, as you would ask anyone.