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The UK is home to a wide range of offshore workers who play a critical role in the marine and energy sectors. And just like those who work on the mainland, from time-to-time they may also need to raise extra cash through a secured loan.
Working offshore can present some extra challenges when it comes to applying for a loan, such as the currency you are paid in and the length of time spent in the UK.
This is also true of non-UK residents who have property investments in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and are interested in getting a secured loan.
The good news is there are still ways you can get the financial help you need, and you can use the information below as your first step towards finding a solution.
The way you apply for a secured loan is effectively the same as someone who works on land. You will be required to go through the standard identity, financial and credit history checks and provided these meet the lender’s criteria, you should be in a good position to receive an offer.
If it is your first time applying for a secured loan or if you have a specific question about your eligibility as an offshore worker, you can give us a call today to get more insight.
If you are an offshore worker based in Scotland and receive your wages in UK sterling, you can apply in the usual way. This is because no special considerations are needed regarding the currency in which you are paid.
Lenders with experience working with offshore workers understand the need for flexibility when it comes to the currency used to repay a secured loan.
If your employer pays you in a non-UK currency, there may still be suitable options available. We work with lenders who automatically accept salaries paid in US Dollars or Euros, subject to your residential and tax status. Other currencies may be considered on a referral basis.
If you are securing the loan against your residential home (rather than a buy-to-let property), most lenders will either require your salary to be paid into a UK bank account or expect you to be submitting a UK tax return declaring your foreign income—even if your tax liability is zero.
Offshore workers that are paid in a foreign currency can still be eligible for a secured loan, although the process may be a little different.
This mostly refers to how lenders assess your monthly income and affordability. For example, some lenders may deduct a certain percentage from your total monthly earnings to account for currency fluctuation. This can also give you more certainty when it comes to assessing your own affordability for the loan.
If you get in touch with one of our expert advisors, we can give you more clarity on how this could work in practice, so you can start to think about your next steps.
Being a self-employed offshore worker shouldn’t prevent you from being eligible for a secured loan.
How you declare your income will be central to the process, as lenders will need to know more about how you declare your taxes. Provided you can provide the relevant documents, the application should be able to proceed as normal.
Even if you have been based outside of the UK for a significant period, we work with some lenders that might still consider your application.
There may be one or two additional steps involved in the application, but once we know more about your circumstances, we can let you know exactly where you stand.
You are classed as a non-UK resident if you spend less than 16 days in the UK in a tax year. This increases to 46 days if you have not been recognised as a UK resident for the previous three years.
If you work abroad for at least 36 hours in an average week and have been in the UK for less than 91 days, with no more than 30 of these spent working in the UK, you will also be classed as a non-UK resident.
Falling into either of these categories means you will only be required to pay tax on your UK income and not on any foreign income you generate.
Getting a quote won’t affect your credit score
It is certainly possible to get a secured loan as a non-UK resident, although there will be some additional challenges to overcome.
Secured loan deals typically require you to use your home as security, which could allow you to borrow a larger amount and at lower interest rates compared to an unsecured loan.
It may be more of a challenge to buy a residential home as a non-UK resident (although still possible), but if you own a buy-to-let property this could work as an alternative.
Some specialist lenders are open to accepting a buy-to-let property as security, and they will also want to know more about how much time you spend in the UK each year.
In addition to the usual identity, employment and financial checks, you will likely be asked to provide more information about how the property is used. For example, this may include information about who lives there and if there are any periods of vacancy.
To get a better understanding of how it all works, you may find it helpful to speak with one of our expert secured loan advisors who can tell you more about applying as a non-UK resident.
We’re extremely proud to be rated ‘Excellent’ for our service standards. We’ve helped thousands of customers across the UK over the last 15 years to find the right finance for their needs – no matter how complicated the circumstances. And we look forward to helping you.
Being an offshore worker or non-UK resident shouldn’t prevent you from getting the financial help you need. And even if the application process requires a little bit more thought, there’s usually a way to find a solution that works for you.
Helping people find the right deal at the right time is what we’ve been doing for years at Willows. So, to get started and to find out more about how you can apply for a secured loan, get in touch with us today by calling 01656 766 158 and we’ll be more than happy to help.
If you have a question – we’d be happy to talk to you – simply call us…
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At Willows Finance Ltd, we appreciate that your privacy is extremely important to you. With this in mind, we have put in place a number of measures to ensure that any personal details we obtain from you as a result of visiting this website is processed and maintained in accordance with accepted principles of good information handling and also in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1988.
This statement provides you with details of the type of information we may hold about you, how we obtain and use information and how we protect your privacy.
Willows Finance Limited
Brocastle, Bridgend, CF35 5AS
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Firm Reference Number: 670052
Company Number: 6678545 (Registered in England and Wales)
This document outlines the services we provide. If you need clarification, please contact us at 01656 766158.
We offer first and second charge regulated mortgage contracts for business or personal use.
Other finance options may include:
Regulatory Status:
We offer an advised mortgage broking service and provide enough information for you to make an informed decision.
We are not independent financial advisers. Free debt advice is available from the Money Advice Service.
You can view our privacy policy at: https://willowsfinance.co.uk/privacy-cookie-policy/.
Lenders may also have their own privacy policies which will be provided to you.
We charge a broker fee upon loan completion. The average fee is approximately 5%, depending on your situation.
Fee details:
No refund is offered after completion. You may pay upfront or add the fee to your mortgage. Fees and commission will be detailed in your ESIS and Mortgage Agreement.
You will receive a Mortgage Agreement and an ESIS document detailing:
You may cancel your application anytime before completion without any charge. Mortgages cannot be cancelled after completion.
Missing payments can lead to charges, repossession, and negative impacts on your credit rating.
Consolidating debt may result in higher long-term interest. Securing debt against your home increases risk.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loan secured on it.
If you wish to complain, contact us at:
Willows Finance Limited
Brocastle, Bridgend, CF35 5AS
Tel: 01656 766158
You may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
We are covered by the FSCS. You may be eligible for compensation of up to £85,000 per person per firm for mortgage advice and arranging.
More info: www.fscs.org.uk
After processing your application, you’ll receive a Mortgage Agreement and have a 7-day reflection period.
Contact us during this period with any questions. To proceed, sign and return the agreement.
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