Specialist Mortgages
Choose a mortgage route around your income, employment, credit and residency circumstances.
Over 200 UK lenders
Applicant-focused advice
Support for complex circumstances
Amir Shojaee
Director and Founder of PBSBrokers
CeMAP Qualified Mortgage Adviser
Specialist Mortgages
Whether you are employed, self-employed, living abroad, applying with a visa, or managing previous credit issues, your circumstances can affect how lenders assess income, affordability, residency, and documentation. We help applicants understand which mortgage options may be suitable and what evidence lenders are likely to require.
Self-employed
A self-employed mortgage is assessed using business income, accounts, tax calculations, and trading history. We help company directors, sole traders, contractors, and partners find lenders suited to the way they earn.
Contractor
A contractor mortgage is designed for applicants whose income comes from contract work rather than standard permanent employment. We help you understand how lenders assess day rates, fixed-term contracts, Limited Company or umbrella income, contract history, gaps between assignments, and overall affordability.
Bad Credit
Previous defaults, missed payments, CCJs, or other credit issues do not always prevent mortgage approval. We help assess the type, age, severity, and current status of the credit problem and identify lenders whose criteria may suit your circumstances.
Expat
An expat mortgage may be suitable for UK nationals living and working abroad who want to buy or refinance property in the UK. We help with lender requirements relating to overseas income, currency, residency, and property use.
Foreign National
Foreign nationals living in the UK may be able to obtain a mortgage depending on their residency status, income, credit profile, deposit, and property type. We help compare lenders that accept non-UK citizens and understand the evidence they may require.
Visa Holders
Mortgage options may be available to applicants living in the UK on an eligible time-limited visa. We help you understand how visa type, remaining term, UK residency history, income, deposit, and lender-specific criteria can affect your options.
Find Your Applicant Route
You may fit one route or several at the same time. Use this map as a starting point, then assess the full application together.
Which parts of your profile need specialist assessment?
Start with the characteristic that most affects your evidence or lender choice. You can select more than one.
Self-Employed
Business owners, sole traders, partners, directors and contractors.
PAYEEmployed
Permanent, fixed-term, probationary or variable-income employment.
CRBad Credit
Missed payments, defaults, CCJs or complex credit history.
INTExpat
People living overseas and financing UK property.
UKForeign National
UK residents with settled or long-term status.
VISAVisa Holders
UK residents with time-limited permission.
Your route identifies how the application should be evidenced. It does not decide whether the property needs a Residential, Buy-to-Let or Commercial Mortgage.
What Does “Applicant Type” Mean for a Mortgage?
Applicant type is one layer of underwriting. It describes the income, residency and credit circumstances that shape affordability checks and evidence.
Different income sources can be calculated differently. Residency may require additional documents, while a complex credit history can affect deposit, pricing and lender choice.
Confirm whether the property route is Residential, Buy-to-Let or Commercial before considering applicant-specific criteria.
Salary, variable pay, business profits, dividends, contracts and foreign-currency income can be evidenced and calculated differently.
Current residence, long-term status, a time-limited visa or overseas residence may change lender availability and documentation.
Recent and historic credit events can affect the lender, deposit, rate and way the application should be presented.
Applicant Type and Mortgage Type Answer Different Questions
First choose what you are financing. Then identify how the applicants should be assessed. The same employed, self-employed, expat or visa-holder applicant may need a Residential, Buy-to-Let or Commercial Mortgage.
Residential Mortgage
A home occupied by the borrower. Applicant type changes the income, credit and residency assessment.
Buy-to-Let Mortgage
A residential investment property. Rent is central, but the applicant profile can still influence eligibility.
Commercial Mortgage
Business or mixed-use property. Business strength, rent and the applicant structure may all be considered.
Four Layers Shape Mortgage Eligibility
If you are asking how much deposit do I need for a mortgage, the short answer is: it depends on the product, but 5% is often the starting point for a low deposit option
Mortgage eligibility UK is rarely determined by one label. Lenders combine property purpose, income structure, residency and credit.
A calculator cannot interpret company-director income, visa criteria, overseas earnings or recent adverse credit. Those factors need to be reviewed together.
A clear application connects income, commitments, residency, credit and property from the beginning.
- Property purpose + income + residency + credit = the complete applicant profile. The lender then considers deposit, affordability and property acceptability.
Employed and Self-Employed Income Need Different Evidence
Mortgages for employed applicants may use basic salary, overtime, commission, bonus, allowances or second-job income. Probation, fixed-term contracts, agency work and zero-hours income can require extra history or evidence.
A self employed mortgage assessment may cover sole traders, partners, freelancers, contractors and limited-company directors. Depending on lender criteria, income might be based on profit, partnership share, salary and dividends or another accepted measure.
Bad Credit Is a Cross-Cutting Applicant Circumstance
Bad Credit is included as a route for practical navigation, but it can overlap with every employment and residency category. An applicant may be employed, self-employed, an expat, a foreign national or a visa holder and still have previous credit issues that need to be considered as part of the mortgage assessment.
Lenders do not usually assess bad credit as one single category. Missed payments, defaults, CCJs, arrears, debt arrangements, insolvency and limited credit history can all have a different effect depending on their value, age, frequency and whether they have been satisfied. The explanation behind the event and the applicant’s financial conduct since it happened may also influence the available options.
Current affordability remains important. Income stability, existing commitments, deposit size, recent bank statements and the ability to maintain future mortgage payments are reviewed alongside the credit history. A stronger deposit or a longer period of responsible conduct may improve lender choice, but this depends on the full application rather than one isolated factor.
The most suitable route is therefore based on both the applicant type and the nature of the credit issue. Reviewing the credit file before applying can help identify realistic lenders and reduce the risk of avoidable declines.
- CREDIT REVIEW
What usually matters
The type, value and age of the event; whether it has been satisfied; the explanation; and the applicant’s conduct since.
Recency
A recent event may have a different effect from an older, isolated issue.
Severity
A small late payment is not assessed in the same way as mortgage arrears, insolvency or repeated defaults.
Recovery
Deposit, current affordability and responsible conduct after the event can influence the available route.
Where Do You Currently Live?
Living outside the UK normally points towards the Expat route. Living in the UK as a non-UK citizen requires a closer look at immigration status.
What Permission or Status Applies?
Settled or long-term status generally fits the Foreign National content route. Time-limited immigration permission generally fits Visa Holders.
Expat, Foreign National or Visa Holder?
These routes are often confused. An expat mortgage UK route is for someone living overseas and financing UK property. A foreign national mortgage UK route is for a non-UK citizen living in Britain with settled or long-term status. A visa holder mortgage UK route is for a UK resident with time-limited permission.
Expat
Currently resident outside the UK. Overseas income, currency, country of residence and international documents may be relevant.
Foreign National
A non-UK citizen living in Britain with settled, pre-settled or another long-term status.
Visa Holder
A UK resident whose immigration permission is time-limited and must be checked against lender criteria.
These are PBS Brokers content routes rather than universal legal definitions. Individual lenders may classify the same applicant differently.
You Can Belong to More Than One Applicant Type
Overlapping profiles are normal. The application should be assessed as a whole rather than forced into a single category.
Business income and immigration criteria must both fit.
Salary, UK residence and status still need review.
Residence, currency and variable income affect lender choice.
Business income and the credit event are assessed together.
Different profiles must fit one lender.
Documents Change with the Applicant Profile
The exact mortgage application requirements UK lenders request depend on the lender, mortgage purpose and full circumstances. These examples help applicants prepare before an assessment.
Income and employment evidence
Employed: payslips, P60, bank statements and employment contract where relevant.
Self-Employed: accounts, Tax Calculations, Tax Year Overviews, accountant evidence and business bank statements.
Credit and explanation evidence
Credit reports, explanations for adverse events, evidence that debts have been satisfied and documents showing the applicant’s current position may be required.
Residency and overseas evidence
Passport, eVisa or share code, visa details, UK residence history, overseas address evidence, foreign-income documents and source-of-funds evidence may be relevant.
What Lenders Assess for Every Applicant
Every route still requires a review of income, expenditure, credit, deposit and property. Strength in one area does not automatically remove a weakness elsewhere.
Income and sustainability
Income must be evidenced and sustainable.
Expenditure and commitments
Debts, dependants and household costs affect affordability.
Credit and deposit
Credit, deposit source and LTV affect eligibility.
Property and future affordability
The property and future affordability must be acceptable.
Joint Mortgage Applications Can Combine Different Profiles
A second applicant can add income, but their debts, dependants, credit history, age and residency also enter the assessment. Different profiles must fit the same lender and mortgage route.
Employed + Self-Employed
Salary and business income need separate evidence and may be calculated using different periods.
UK National + Visa Holder
Income may work jointly, while immigration criteria and the remaining visa term can affect the available lenders.
Strong Income + Weaker Credit
Higher earnings do not erase credit events; both affordability and credit policy must fit.
Prepare the Application Before Choosing a Lender
Start with the property route, then list every relevant applicant characteristic. Check credit reports, gather current income and residency evidence, document the deposit source and review lender criteria before submitting applications.
01
Choose Residential, Buy-to-Let or Commercial, then list every applicant characteristic that affects the case.
02
Check credit reports, addresses and financial associations; correct errors before applying.
03
Prepare payslips, accounts, tax records, contracts, eVisa or overseas documents and deposit evidence.
04
Review affordability and lender criteria before submitting a targeted application.
Common Applicant-Type Mistakes
Common mistakes include assuming permanent employment guarantees approval, treating company turnover as personal income, relying only on the highest self-employed year, confusing an expat with a UK-resident foreign national, assuming every visa is acceptable and applying repeatedly after a decline.
The goal is one consistent application that explains income, credit, residency and property—not several disconnected labels.
How an Applicant-Focused Mortgage Broker Can Help
A broker can connect the applicant profile to the correct property route, identify evidence gaps and compare lenders whose criteria fit the complete case.
Interpret income
Compare lender treatment of salary, variable pay, contracts, company profit and dividends.
Review residency
Distinguish overseas residence, settled status and time-limited immigration permission.
Present credit circumstances
Explain the type, timing and resolution of adverse-credit events without unnecessary applications.
Coordinate the full case
Connect applicants, property, deposit, affordability, evidence and long-term plans.
Mortgage Advice Built Around the Whole Applicant Profile
PBS Brokers can assess employment, business income, credit, residency and property plans together, particularly where several characteristics overlap.
The aim is to identify a mortgage route whose evidence, affordability rules and property criteria fit the whole application.
CeMAP Qualified Mortgage Adviser
Amir Shojaee
Specialist Mortgages: Questions Answered
Applicant labels help organise the assessment, but mortgage eligibility still depends on the complete case. These answers clarify the most common areas of confusion.
It describes how income, employment, residency or credit circumstances may change lender assessment and evidence. Property purpose is still selected separately.
Yes. A person may be self-employed, hold a visa and have historic credit issues. They should be assessed together.
That depends on lender definitions, ownership share and income structure. Many lenders treat directors with a meaningful shareholding as self-employed.
Potentially. Employment history, income and lender policy matter.
Foreign National covers settled or long-term status; Visa Holder covers time-limited permission.
Some lenders may consider it, but currency, country, income source and exchange-rate treatment can affect affordability.
Yes. Both profiles must fit the same lender.
Prepare identity, address, deposit and bank evidence plus the documents relevant to employment, business income, credit or immigration status.
Use the profile builder below before discussing your mortgage options.
Build your complete applicant profile
Review all four areas and note every characteristic that applies.
What are you financing?
Home, rental investment, business premises or mixed-use property?
How is income earned?
PAYE, variable pay, contracts, sole trading or company income?
Where do you live?
UK, overseas, settled status or time-limited permission?
What does the credit file show?
Clear, limited, missed payments, defaults, CCJs or another event?
Connect the four answers before selecting a lender.
Let's Find the Right Mortgage for You
Amir Shojaee
Director and Founder of PBSBrokers
CeMAP Qualified Mortgage Adviser
At PBSbrokers, we offer a free initial consultation to review your income, deposit, affordability, credit profile, and mortgage objectives. Whether your case is straightforward or more complex, we'll help you understand the options that may be available and guide you through the next steps.
