by Carla1“Mexicanos en el exterior” programs (mostly designed around US/Canada)
Yes—some lenders in Mexico will look at foreign (EU) income, but it’s not the default at the big retail banks, and it often depends on (a) your residency/status in Mexico, (b) whether you can document income in a way they’ll accept, and (c) whether they can pull credit history they trust.
Also, one important framing point: you generally can’t “start paying a mortgage now” unless you close on a property now (because mortgage payments only start after the loan is originated). What you can do now is either (1) buy now and start paying, or (2) use a presale/payment plan so you’re “paying toward” the home before you move, and then mortgage (if needed) at delivery.
Paths that actually work for your situation (EU income, move in 2–3 years)
1) Cross-border mortgage that accepts non-Mexican resident + foreign income (best match for EU jobs)
A concrete option here is Yave’s “Cross-Border Mortgages”. They state the underwriting is designed for Americans, but they can and have funded loans for Canada, UK, France, Germany, China, etc., with potentially longer processing and extra documentation.
They also emphasize requirements like verifiable stable income and good credit history in your home country.
Fit for you: If you’re in the EU and want financing before moving, this is the cleanest “yes, we’ll look at your EU income” route in principle.
2) “Mexicanos en el exterior” programs (mostly designed around US/Canada)
There are programs aimed at Mexicans abroad. For example, BBVA’s “Tu Opción México” is explicitly built for Mexicans living abroad and lists requirements like credit history in the US or Mexico and residing (at least 6 months) in the US or Mexico, plus documentation that’s very US-centric (W-2 / Tax Transcript).
Separately, consular material on “Tu Vivienda en México” describes a government-collaboration program for Mexicans abroad where the process is done from the US and payments are made from abroad.
Fit for you: If you’re not in the US/Canada system, these can be harder to use as-is. They’re still worth asking about if your husband has Mexican credit history (Buró) and/or previous US credit, but they’re not “EU-first.”
3) Mainstream Mexican bank mortgage using foreign income (possible, but case-by-case)
In Mexico, lenders typically want a heavy documentation pack and will scrutinize income, credit, residency, and the property’s legal status. They may consider dual incomes for couples, and they often require apostilled/translated civil documents if issued abroad.
But: many big banks are much more comfortable when you have Mexican residency/ties + Mexican credit file, even if income is remote/foreign.
Fit for you: This can work especially well if the mortgage is in your husband’s name (Mexican citizen) and you can show strong documentation + transfers, but expect “depends on the branch / underwriter.”
4) Don’t finance in Mexico yet—finance in the EU (often cheapest), then buy cash in Mexico
Mexico mortgage rates are usually much higher than EU mortgage rates, and you’ll also have FX risk if your income is in EUR and the loan is in MXN.
So a common strategy is: EU loan (or home equity / personal loan) → buy in Mexico with cash → avoid Mexican mortgage underwriting altogether.
Fit for you: Often the best economics, if you can borrow cheaply in the EU and are comfortable moving that capital.
What you should do next (practical checklist)
- Decide whether you’re buying now or later.
If you want to “start paying now,” you’re either:- buying now (and maybe renting it out), or
- entering a presale with staged payments (then mortgage at delivery). (Note: Yave says they only fund once the property is ready for delivery, so presale down-payments need other funding.)
- Get a quick pre-qualification from a cross-border lender (start with Yave) using EU documentation.
- In parallel, ask 2–3 Mexican banks a very specific question (this matters):
“¿Aceptan ingresos comprobables del extranjero (UE) para crédito hipotecario si el acreditado es mexicano? ¿Qué piden: estados de cuenta, declaraciones, contrato laboral, traducción/apostilla?”
Expect them to ask for tax returns, bank statements, proof of address, IDs, etc. - Start building a Mexican credit footprint now (helps a lot if you end up with a bank): Mexican bank account + credit card + consistent on-time payments. (Banks check bureaus; BBVA explicitly mentions credit history in US or Mexico for its expat product.)
- Plan for closing costs and constraints.
BBVA notes notary costs can be ~5%–9% of property value depending on location.
And lenders will want clean property legal status (title, no liens, not agrarian/ejido issues).
If you tell me which EU country you’re earning in, roughly what price range (MXN), and where in Mexico you want to buy (coast/border vs inland), I can point you to the most realistic financing route and what documents you’ll need for that exact path.
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