You can apply for a UK mortgage with EU Settlement Scheme settled status. You do not need to become a British citizen first. Approval still depends on the lender’s criteria, your finances and the property you want to buy or remortgage.
Count Ready provides mortgage advice for people buying a home, moving or reviewing an existing mortgage. Tell us about your plans, your settled status and any circumstances that concern you, so we can discuss the next steps for your application.
This page is for people living in the UK who hold settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). That includes eligible family members who hold this status but are not EU citizens. Your nationality and your immigration status are separate details, and both may need to be recorded for a mortgage application.
Settled status is permission to stay in the UK indefinitely under the EUSS; it is not British citizenship. Pre-settled status is a different form of permission. If you hold another type of visa or permission, our visa mortgage guidance is a more relevant starting point.
Settled status can meet a lender’s immigration-status requirement, but it does not replace the other checks. For example, NatWest’s published foreign-national criteria, checked on 7 September 2026, accept settled and pre-settled status under its normal loan-to-value limits, including for non-EU nationals with EUSS status. Applicants must still meet its UK-residency and other lending criteria. This is one lender’s policy, not a promise of approval or confirmation that a particular product is available through Count Ready.
The lender considers the income it can accept alongside your debts, regular spending and other financial commitments. There is no income threshold or borrowing multiple that applies to every settled-status applicant. Tell your adviser about overtime, bonuses, benefits, contract work or income paid in another currency, as lenders may assess these differently.
If you run a business, the evidence and income calculation may depend on whether you are a sole trader, partner or company director. See our self-employed mortgage guidance for the wider income questions.
Your deposit affects how much you need to borrow compared with the property’s value. This proportion is called loan-to-value, or LTV. For a remortgage, the equity in your home plays a similar role. There is no universal deposit percentage for someone with settled status: the lender, product, property and application all matter.
Explain whether your deposit comes from savings, a property sale, a gift or another source, including money held overseas. A larger deposit may bring an application within a lender’s limits, but it does not guarantee approval. Allow for purchase costs as well as the deposit itself.
Be ready to give accurate address details for the period the lender requests, including time abroad. Holding settled status does not mean your credit file contains all the history a lender needs. A limited UK credit record is also different from missed payments or other adverse credit. Our guide to mortgages with a limited credit record explains useful preparation.
The property must meet the lender’s requirements and valuation checks. On a joint application, each person’s income, commitments, credit history and immigration circumstances can affect the assessment. One person’s settled status does not automatically remove the checks on the other applicant.
If you are applying together, describe each applicant’s status and where they live. Our joint mortgage guidance covers the broader decisions involved in borrowing together.
The exact list depends on the lender and your circumstances. A useful starting point is:
Your eVisa is the digital record of your immigration status. Use the official GOV.UK eVisa and share-code service when evidence is requested, and confirm the lender’s required checking process with your adviser. A share code lasts for 90 days; that is the code’s validity period, not the duration of your settled status.
You do not need to attach identity, immigration or financial documents to an initial callback request. Start with a short summary and confirm the appropriate secure method before sending documents. Never share your UKVI password or sign-in security codes. The mortgage-document checklist provides more preparation guidance.
First-time buyers: discuss your budget, deposit and likely purchase costs before choosing a property. Immigration status alone does not establish eligibility for a buying scheme or a tax relief. Start with our first-time-buyer mortgage advice.
Home movers: bring details of your current mortgage, sale plans and the home you hope to buy. If you want to move an existing mortgage to another property, check its terms and the lender’s assessment requirements.
Remortgage customers: tell us when your current deal ends, your outstanding balance and whether you want to borrow more. Fees and early repayment charges can affect the comparison. Read our remortgage guidance.
A mortgage may still be possible. Some lenders accept pre-settled status under standard policy; others apply different criteria, including different limits for sole and joint applicants. You should not assume that you must wait for settled status, or that both statuses give access to every lender on identical terms.
Our pre-settled status mortgage deposit guide explains this variation with dated lender examples. If your immigration status is changing, tell your adviser. For questions about extensions, eligibility or converting to settled status, use official EUSS guidance or appropriate immigration advice.
We provide mortgage advice by phone and online. In your initial enquiry, tell us whether you are buying, moving or remortgaging, your approximate budget or mortgage balance, and the circumstances you would like help with.
Read our Terms of Business and ask for the fees relevant to your case. The lender decides whether to offer a mortgage; legal work and completion are separate stages. Timescales depend on the application and the parties involved.
Discuss your mortgage options or call 01245 934515.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Information and linked criteria checked on 7 September 2026. Lender policies can change. This page provides general mortgage information, not immigration, legal or tax advice.
No. Lenders can accept applicants who hold EU Settlement Scheme settled status without requiring British citizenship. You still need to meet the lender’s affordability, credit, residency and property requirements.
Yes, there are lenders that accept EUSS settled status held by non-EU nationals. Explain your own status rather than assuming the lender will assess you solely by your passport. Its other criteria still apply.
You can contact us to discuss what happened. Bring the reason given by the lender, if available, and details of the application. A decline may relate to affordability, credit, evidence or the property rather than settled status itself. An alternative application is not guaranteed to succeed.
Do not assume that life insurance or income protection is a general mortgage eligibility requirement. Protection advice is a separate discussion about your needs. Check the specific mortgage conditions, including any buildings-insurance requirement.
Guidance ownership
This guidance is published by Count Ready Limited. Mortgage enquiries can be discussed with Zia Khan, CeMAP, whose adviser details and appointment options are listed on our About page.
This is general mortgage information rather than personal advice. Lender criteria can change, and an application will depend on the lender’s current requirements and your individual circumstances.
