Can a Foreigner Get a Mortgage in the Philippines? The 2026 Lender Rules

Short answer: yes, as of 2026, for a condominium unit. A year ago the honest answer was “almost never”. Selected Philippine banks now lend to foreign nationals for condominium purchases under specific conditions, and our broker, a licensed mortgage agent, arranges those loans directly. Land and house-and-lot financing remains for Filipino citizens and dual citizens. Here is what the lenders ask for, what they will not do, and how the money actually moves.

What changed

Philippine banks have always been able to lend to foreigners in principle; in practice most declined because the collateral had to be a condominium, the borrower’s income was abroad, and the bank had no way to pursue a defaulting borrower overseas. Three things shifted: lenders built overseas-income underwriting for the OFW market and extended it; condominium developers in Cebu, BGC and Makati now sell a meaningful share of units to foreign nationals; and brokers with lender relationships can present a complete, verifiable file. The programmes are selective and the terms are set per lender, which is why we do not publish a rate here.

Who the banks will lend to

Minimum income thresholds and debt-service ratios apply: one major bank, for example, requires at least PHP 40,000 gross monthly income and caps debt service at 40% of income. Maximum age at loan maturity is usually 65 to 70. Philippine banks do not pull your U.S. or other foreign credit report; they require a police or NBI clearance and no bankruptcy in the last two years, plus proof of income. A few of these banks keep offices in the United States, which is one reason Americans and a few other nationalities can now be served.

What the file contains

Country-specific lists, including spouse co-borrower and special-power-of-attorney rules, are on our pages for the USA and Guam, Canada, UK, Middle East, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. In general:

• Passport and visa; for foreigners, proof of residence status or the Filipino co-borrower’s documents.
• Police clearance from your home country or NBI clearance, and a declaration of no bankruptcy in the last two years.
• Income: certificate of employment and payslips, or audited financial statements and bank statements if self-employed; tax returns; proof of remittances for overseas Filipinos.
• The contract to sell or reservation agreement for the unit.
• For condominium units, the developer’s licence to sell and the master deed; the bank checks the project’s foreign ownership share for a foreign borrower.
• Insurance: fire insurance on the unit, and mortgage redemption insurance where the lender requires it.

Developer financing versus bank financing

During pre-selling, the developer’s own instalment plan is open to everyone, foreign or not, usually with little or no interest while the building rises. At turnover the balance falls due, and that is where the bank loan comes in. Many foreign buyers combine the two: developer plan for the down payment over construction, bank loan for the balance. We check the turnover date against the lender’s approval window so you are not caught between the two.

Where HighTech Mortgage fits, and where it does not

Our U.S. partner HighTech Mortgage (California DRE Broker License 01106294, NMLS 291547, offices in Sacramento and Manila) is a U.S. lender: it provides mortgages on U.S. property for U.S. borrowers. It does not lend on Philippine property. Its role in a Philippine purchase is the money leg: a U.S. escrow for the transaction paperwork and payment, including digital-currency transfer of the purchase funds, with smart-contract and loan-servicing capabilities for both countries on its roadmap. Some U.S. buyers raise their Philippine down payment against U.S. equity through HighTech Mortgage and then borrow the balance from a Philippine bank; that is two loans in two countries, planned together.

A worked example

Condominiums you can finance

Verified condominium listings and developer projects follow. Projects are shown for discovery; availability and the foreign share are confirmed at inquiry.