The number of Africans applying for, or planning to apply for a UK mortgage, is falling as foreign nationals continue to struggle to navigate the UK home loan system, according to research by Afin Bank.

The specialist lender surveyed 500 Africans living and working in the UK on a valid visa and compared its findings with similar research the bank carried out in 2025. Afin found:

The same challenges exist for people from overseas looking to get a UK mortgage in 2026 as they did last year. When respondents were asked what the barriers were to applying for a mortgage now or in the past, Afin found:

It’s no wonder then that more than half (56%) of the African nationals living and working in this country told Afin they felt excluded from UK financial services.

However, what is more worrying is how this made people feel about their long-term prospects of staying in the UK, given that so many of the 1.5 million* African nationals living and working in the UK are employed in vital sectors such as healthcare and professional services.

Tippie Malgwi, Head of Diaspora Banking for Afin Bank, said that many people from overseas on valid work visas faces the same issues: “These are people working in the UK, usually in important sectors such as healthcare or in well-paying professionals roles, but are effectively being excluded from getting a mortgage because they don’t fit the rigid criteria that many mainstream lenders apply.

“For example, some lenders demand that applicants have a longer period of time left on their visas, or they reject applicants because they don’t have several years of UK credit history. That is why Afin Bank was created as we know the demand is there from foreign nationals. It is our mission to help them get a mortgage to show them that they are valued and welcome in the UK.”

Afin Bank was set up last year to support underserved borrowers who struggle to get a mortgage because of their circumstances, such as foreign nationals, the self-employed or people with multiple jobs, qualified professionals and high-net-worth borrowers.

Afin individually underwrites each mortgage so it can understand the borrower’s financial situation. Afin will consider someone from overseas when they have been working in the UK for at least six months, even if they have a limited credit footprint. The bank will also consider overseas funds and gifted funds for a deposit, as well as offering qualified professionals mortgages of up to 6.5 times their income.

For more information about Afin Bank visit www.afinbank.com follow it on LinkedIn and @AfinBankUK on X and Instagram.

ENDS


Contact Paul Beadle: email Paul.Beadle@afinbank.com or mobile 07801 105001


Notes to editors

* Almost 1.5 million* African nationals live in the UK

Afin Bank was created to help some of the UK’s most underserved customers, such as people from overseas living and working in the UK on a valid work visa and borrowers like the self-employed, qualified professionals and high-net-worth customers.

It offers a range of residential and buy-to-let mortgages for properties in England and Wales, as well as FSCS protected savings accounts.

Afin Bank is backed by parent company WAICA Reinsurance Corporation Plc (WAICA Re), one of the largest reinsurance companies in Africa.

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