Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Cameroon Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our Cameroon Property Pack
Getting a mortgage in Cameroon as a foreigner is possible, but it requires careful preparation and the right banking relationship.
This guide covers everything you need to know about eligibility, interest rates, down payments, and which banks are most likely to approve foreign applicants in Cameroon.
We constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest conditions in the Cameroonian mortgage market.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Cameroon.
Can foreigners get a mortgage in Cameroon right now?
Can a foreigner get a residential mortgage in Cameroon right now?
Yes, foreigners can get a residential mortgage in Cameroon, but it requires more documentation and a stronger financial profile than what local residents typically need.
Foreigners who have the easiest access to mortgages in Cameroon are those with resident status, a local bank account, and income that can be verified and domiciled locally.
The most common restriction banks in Cameroon impose on foreign applicants is requiring a clean land title (called "titre foncier") and proof that your deposit funds came from traceable sources rather than cash.
By the way, we have a whole document dedicated to mortgages for foreigners in our property pack about Cameroon.
Can I get a mortgage in Cameroon without residency?
Non-residents can obtain a mortgage in Cameroon, but banks will require significantly more security such as a larger down payment, additional collateral, or an existing relationship with the bank.
In Cameroon, banks typically sort borrowers into three categories: resident foreigners with local income (best odds), non-residents with strong local anchors like assets or deposits (possible but harder), and pure non-residents with no local banking footprint (very difficult).
When you don't have permanent residency in Cameroon, banks most commonly require you to either build a local banking relationship first or provide a deposit of 30% to 50% of the property value.
By the way, we've written a blog article detailing residency and citizenship options that exist when you buy property in Cameroon.
Do banks require a local work contract in Cameroon right now?
Banks in Cameroon strongly prefer borrowers with a local work contract because it allows them to domicile your salary directly into your account at the lending bank.
If you don't have a local work contract, banks in Cameroon may accept alternatives like documented local rental income, a large cash deposit held as security, or verified income from a reputable foreign employer paid into a traceable account.
When a local work contract is present, banks in Cameroon typically want to see at least 6 to 12 months of employment history, though longer tenure improves your approval chances.
Can self-employed foreigners qualify for a mortgage in Cameroon?
Self-employed foreigners can qualify for a mortgage in Cameroon, but they face the strictest review process and will need to provide extensive documentation proving stable, verifiable income.
Banks in Cameroon typically require self-employed applicants to show 2 to 3 years of business financials, preferably audited, along with consistent bank statements and tax filings.
Is foreign income accepted for mortgages in Cameroon right now?
Banks in Cameroon sometimes accept foreign income, but they typically "discount" it because they prefer income that can be domiciled locally where they can control the cash flow.
When you earn income abroad, banks in Cameroon will require formal employment contracts, payslips from a reputable employer, bank statements showing regular deposits, and often translated and legalized documents.
Can I buy a primary home (and an investment property?) with a mortgage in Cameroon as a foreigner?
Foreigners can obtain a mortgage for a primary home in Cameroon if they have resident status or strong local anchors and if the property has a clean land title.
Mortgages for investment properties are also possible in Cameroon, but banks may treat them as higher risk unless you can demonstrate strong rental cash flow and choose a property in a liquid neighborhood like Bastos in Yaoundé or Bonapriso in Douala.
If you're buying for investment, you might want to check our blog article about buying and renting out in Cameroon.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Cameroon versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
What are the eligibility rules banks actually use in Cameroon?
What minimum monthly income do I need in Cameroon as of 2026?
As of early 2026, there is no single official minimum income for mortgages in Cameroon, but for a small loan of 10 to 15 million XAF (about 15,000 to 23,000 USD or 14,000 to 21,000 EUR), banks typically want to see net income of at least 500,000 to 900,000 XAF per month (roughly 750 to 1,400 USD or 700 to 1,300 EUR).
Most approved borrowers in Cameroon fall into a higher income range, with those financing 20 to 30 million XAF properties (30,000 to 46,000 USD or 28,000 to 43,000 EUR) needing net income of around 1.2 to 2 million XAF per month (1,800 to 3,000 USD or 1,700 to 2,800 EUR).
The minimum income requirement in Cameroon scales directly with your loan amount because banks want your monthly payment to stay below roughly one-third of your net income, and with short loan terms of 5 to 7 years, monthly payments are high.
Banks in Cameroon do allow combining household incomes from multiple applicants, which can help couples or families meet the minimum threshold more easily.
What debt-to-income limit do banks use in Cameroon right now?
Banks in Cameroon typically allow a maximum debt-to-income ratio of 30% to 40% of your documented net monthly income, with some stretching to 45% for very strong profiles with high deposits and domiciled salaries.
When calculating your debt-to-income ratio, banks in Cameroon include all existing monthly obligations such as car loans, personal loans, credit card minimum payments, and any other outstanding mortgages you may have.
Do I need a local credit score in Cameroon right now?
Banks in Cameroon rely more on document-based underwriting than on credit scores, so your local banking history showing account turnover, salary deposits, and savings patterns matters more than a formal score.
Foreign credit reports can help as supporting evidence in Cameroon, but they rarely replace the need for local KYC verification and a demonstrated banking relationship of at least 3 to 6 months.
Do banks require a local guarantor in Cameroon right now?
Banks in Cameroon do not always require a local guarantor, but they may request one for non-residents, self-employed applicants, or when the property has valuation or title complexities.
Banks in Cameroon are most likely to request a guarantor when your income documentation is weak, your deposit is below 30%, or you have no established local banking relationship.
If a guarantor is required, they must typically be a Cameroonian resident with stable, verifiable income and the financial capacity to cover your loan payments if you default.
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How much cash do I need upfront in Cameroon as of 2026?
What's the minimum down payment in Cameroon right now?
For foreign buyers in Cameroon, the minimum down payment typically starts at 20% to 30% if you are a resident with strong local income, but non-residents should expect to put down 30% to 50%.
Across different banks and buyer profiles in Cameroon, down payment requirements realistically range from 20% for the strongest resident applicants to 50% for non-residents with limited local banking history.
A foreign buyer might secure a lower down payment in Cameroon by having salary domiciled at the lending bank, maintaining a long-standing banking relationship, or providing additional collateral like blocked deposits.
What loan terms can I realistically get in Cameroon as of 2026?
What mortgage interest rates are typical in Cameroon as of 2026?
As of early 2026, mortgage interest rates in Cameroon for foreigners typically range from about 12% to 16% nominal, with the best rates near 12% reserved for top profiles with high income visibility, large deposits, and properties with clean titles in prime neighborhoods.
The factors that most significantly influence your interest rate in Cameroon are the size of your down payment, whether your salary is domiciled at the lending bank, the quality of the property's land title, and the property's location and resale liquidity.
Foreigners in Cameroon generally receive similar rates to locals if they have equivalent profiles, but the extra documentation requirements and higher risk perception often push foreign borrowers toward the higher end of the rate range.
The interest rate is one of the factors we look at when assessing whether now is a good time to buy a property in Cameroon.
Are fixed-rate mortgages available in Cameroon right now?
Fully fixed-rate mortgages for 15 to 25 years are uncommon in Cameroon, and most loans either reference a bank base rate (TBB) plus a margin or have a rate that is fixed for a short initial period and then reviewed.
When fixed-rate periods are available in Cameroon, they are typically short, often 1 to 3 years, after which the rate may be adjusted based on the bank's base rate at that time.
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Cameroon. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
How do I maximize approval chances in Cameroon right now?
What financial profile gets "yes" fastest in Cameroon right now?
The ideal financial profile that gets mortgage approval fastest in Cameroon is a resident foreigner with salary domiciled at the lending bank, a clean property title, a deposit of at least 30%, and a simple property in a liquid neighborhood like Bastos in Yaoundé or Bonapriso in Douala.
Banks in Cameroon consider ideal applicants to have net income of at least 1.5 to 2 million XAF per month (2,300 to 3,000 USD or 2,100 to 2,800 EUR) with a debt-to-income ratio under 35%.
The employment type most favored by banks in Cameroon is permanent salaried employment with at least 12 months of tenure, though longer employment history with the same employer significantly strengthens your application.
A down payment of 30% or more in Cameroon signals a strong applicant profile, and reaching 40% to 50% can help overcome other weaknesses like limited local credit history.
We give more detailed tips in our pack covering the property buying process in Cameroon.
What mistakes make foreigners get rejected in Cameroon right now?
The most common mistake that leads to mortgage rejection for foreigners in Cameroon is choosing a property without a clean "titre foncier" or starting the mortgage application before conducting a thorough title check, which causes costly surprises late in the process.
The financial red flag that most often disqualifies foreign applicants in Cameroon is having deposit funds from unclear or cash-heavy sources, because banks must comply with strict anti-money laundering rules and will reject applications where the money trail is not fully documented.
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Which banks say yes to foreigners in Cameroon right now?
Which banks are most foreigner-friendly in Cameroon as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the banks considered most foreigner-friendly for mortgages in Cameroon include Société Générale Cameroun, Afriland First Bank, and SCB Cameroun (part of the Attijariwafa bank group).
What makes these banks more accessible to foreign applicants in Cameroon is their established retail banking infrastructure, clear product documentation, experience with expat customers, and willingness to work with borrowers who can domicile salary and build a local banking relationship.
Which banks accept non-resident borrowers in Cameroon right now?
Non-resident acceptance in Cameroon is handled on a case-by-case basis rather than by bank brand, but Société Générale Cameroun, Afriland First Bank, and SCB Cameroun have been known to work with qualified non-residents.
These banks typically require non-resident applicants in Cameroon to provide a higher down payment of 30% to 50%, strong additional collateral or blocked deposits, an existing banking relationship with the same group, and a prime property with a bulletproof land title.
Do international banks lend more easily in Cameroon right now?
International banks do not necessarily lend more easily than local banks in Cameroon, but they may be more comfortable with foreign documentation if it is properly legalized and translated, thanks to their standardized onboarding processes.
International banks with a presence offering mortgages to foreigners in Cameroon include Société Générale (French banking group), SCB Cameroun (Attijariwafa from Morocco), and pan-African networks like Ecobank and UBA.
The main advantage of using an international bank for a mortgage in Cameroon is documentation continuity if you already have a relationship with the same banking group in another country, which can simplify KYC verification and speed up approval.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Cameroon compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Cameroon, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can ... and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it's authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| BEAC Policy Rate Decision (Dec 2025) | Official decision from the regional central bank setting benchmark rates. | We used it to anchor where market rates start in early 2026. We translated this into realistic mortgage rate ranges banks quote in Cameroon. |
| BEAC COBAC Regulations Portal | Official entry point to prudential rules all Cameroonian banks must follow. | We used it to explain what banks are required to do regarding compliance and documentation. We referenced it to show why underwriting is document-heavy for foreigners. |
| Cameroon CNEF TEG Communiqué | Official national publication of observed market lending rates and usury thresholds. | We used it as a reality check on mortgage pricing in Cameroon. We triangulated our rate range estimate against these disclosed figures. |
| Afriland First Bank Conditions | Published tariff document from a major Cameroonian bank. | We used it to ground loan tenors and rate ceilings in the market. We referenced it to explain why mortgages in Cameroon are often shorter than in Europe or the US. |
| Société Générale Cameroun | Direct product statement from a major regulated bank operating locally. | We used it to confirm common requirements like having a local account and domiciling income. We shaped the realistic approval pathway for foreigners based on their criteria. |
| MINDCAF Procedures Manual | Official government document describing land registration and mortgage procedures. | We used it to describe the real conveyancing steps Cameroon expects. We built the practical process and duration sections foreigners care about. |
| MINDCAF FAQ | Official ministry answers on land and title administration. | We used it to support key cautions about title validity issues. We motivated the advice to do title checks early as a mortgage survival tactic. |
| CAHF Cameroon Profile | Well-known pan-African housing finance research organization. | We used it to contextualize why mortgages are less common and shorter-tenor in Cameroon. We kept expectations realistic for foreign borrowers based on their data. |
| World Bank Doing Business Cameroon | Standardized global dataset on property registration and credit access. | We used it to triangulate how long administrative steps can take. We kept process and timing claims conservative and evidence-based. |
| SCB Cameroun | Major Cameroonian bank with regional banking group footprint. | We used it to expand the list of foreigner-friendly banks. We referenced their credit products when discussing non-resident options. |
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