Expats should allow a little extra time for loan approval compared to a local borrower. The timeline can vary depending on the lender and the complexity of your situation, but here’s a general guide:

• Pre-approval stage: Approximately 1-2 weeks from the time you submit all required documents to when the bank issues a pre-approval. Some lenders might move faster if their queues are short, but because expat applications often require additional manual review it’s wise to budget a couple of weeks. Time zone differences and obtaining documents (like having your payslips or employment letters verified) can add a few days as well. We do everything we can to expedite this – for example, we ensure the application is complete and error-free to avoid back-and-forth requests.
• Property purchase and formal approval: Once you have a pre-approval and then sign a contract to buy a property, the formal (unconditional) approval usually takes another 1–2 weeks. During this phase, the bank will do a valuation of the property and final checks on your financial documents. Expats might face a slightly longer process here if, say, updated documents are needed or if scheduling a valuation in a remote area takes time. However, many of our expat clients see formal approval well within a week after signing a purchase contract.
• Total timeline: From first contact to final approval, expect roughly 3–5 weeks in total. This can be shorter if everything goes smoothly and quickly; or it could stretch a bit longer if there are complicating factors (for instance, waiting for an embassy appointment to verify ID could add time). If you’re refinancing an existing loan from overseas (with no property purchase involved), the timeline might be a bit shorter since there’s no property search or purchase contract waiting period.

It’s important to start the process early – ideally get pre-approved before you even place an offer on a property. Planning ahead is crucial for expats. At AEXPHL, we monitor the progress closely and keep you updated, so you’ll know exactly where things stand. Our goal is to minimize delays, but we’ll also give you realistic timelines so you can plan your property purchase or refinance accordingly.