Jordan International Bank: mortgages and savings for international clients

Jordan International Bank is a UK bank based in London that lends to international clients, particularly from the Middle East, and takes deposits. Its public product range is narrow by high street standards: residential mortgages arranged through a private banking team, and deposit accounts. It does not publish a current account, credit card or insurance range on the pages covered here¹.

The bank describes itself as focused on serving international clients, especially from the Middle East, with Arabic-speaking relationship managers and more than 30 years of experience in the UK property market¹. Its private banking relationship managers are all qualified mortgage advisers, and the bank states that they follow the code of business for mortgages laid down by the Financial Conduct Authority¹.

This page covers what the bank offers, who it tends to suit, how its mortgage rates are set, how to apply, and how money held with it is protected. It does not quote rates or fees, because the bank publishes those itself and they change.

What Jordan International Bank offers

The bank's public product range is narrow by high street standards. On the lending side it offers residential mortgages, arranged through its private banking team rather than through branches or an app¹. On the deposit side it accepts deposits, which is one of its registered permissions². It does not publish a current account, credit card or insurance range on the pages covered here.

That shape matters for a reader. A bank with a small product set and a private banking model works differently from a high street bank: you deal with a named relationship manager rather than a call centre queue, and the bank chooses which cases it takes on. The bank states that its private banking relationship managers are all qualified mortgage advisers¹.

If you are comparing what is available elsewhere in the market, the site's guides to mortgages and savings set out the full range of products and how they work. For a wider view of who lends and takes deposits in the UK, the banks directory lists providers.

Mortgages for international clients

The bank's residential mortgage service is aimed at international clients, and its own wording is that it is focused on serving international clients, especially from the Middle East, with Arabic-speaking relationship managers and over 30 years of experience in the UK property market¹.

That places it in a small part of the market. Most UK high street banks tend to provide mortgages only for purchases in countries where they have offices, which is why overseas buyers often find their own bank cannot help⁵. Some UK lenders go further and will not lend at all unless you are resident in the UK and can show your ability to repay from sterling income and assets⁶. The bank's positioning is the opposite of that: it is built around clients who are not necessarily UK resident.

Other lenders serve parts of this market too, so it is worth knowing the shape of it. Skipton International publishes a guide to applying for UK buy-to-let mortgages when resident overseas⁷. Gatehouse Bank offers international resident buy-to-let purchase plans, including Shariah-compliant alternatives to a repayment or interest-only mortgage, with portfolios welcome and no limit on the number of properties⁸. Bridging finance is offered by lenders including LendInvest, MT Finance, Precise Mortgages, Together Mortgages and United Trust Bank⁹.

Who Jordan International Bank is for

The bank suits a particular kind of borrower: someone with an international profile, often with links to the Middle East, who wants to borrow against UK property and would rather deal with a private banking relationship manager than a call centre. The Arabic-speaking service is part of that offer¹.

It is not a general-purpose bank for everyday UK money. There is no published current account range here, and the deposit side is a straightforward savings relationship rather than a full banking service. If what you need is a current account, the site's guide to current accounts explains how they work and what to look for.

Two practical points apply to any overseas borrower. First, the amount you can borrow depends on how the lender assesses your income, and lenders that will not lend unless you are UK resident assess repayment only on sterling income and assets⁶. Second, the paperwork is heavier: proof of identity, proof of address and source of funds are standard, and the process takes longer than a domestic application.

How interest rates on its mortgages are set

The bank says its standard variable rate will generally mirror changes in the Bank of England base rate, but that the rate is at the discretion of the bank¹. That wording matters. It means the link to the base rate is a practice, not a promise.

That is normal across the market. Standard variable rates can be influenced by changes in the Bank of England's base rate, but they do not have to follow it¹⁰. The base rate itself is the interest rate set by the Bank of England¹¹.

Most mortgages start with a fixed rate for a set period and then move to the lender's standard variable rate¹¹. If you are on a fixed rate, your payment does not change during the fixed period, whatever the base rate does. If you are on a variable rate, your payment can move when the bank changes its rate, and the bank decides when and by how much. The bank publishes its current rates and any fees itself, and those figures change, so ask it for today's numbers rather than relying on any quoted elsewhere.

Private banking and Arabic-speaking relationship managers

The bank's model is private banking rather than branch banking. It states that its private banking relationship managers are all qualified mortgage advisers¹, and that it serves international clients with Arabic-speaking relationship managers¹. In practice that means one named contact who handles the mortgage conversation from first enquiry through to completion, rather than a sales line and a separate processing team.

For a borrower based abroad, that continuity is the main practical benefit: time zones, documents and identity checks are easier to manage with one person who knows the file. It also means the bank is choosing its clients. A private banking service is not obliged to take every application, and the relationship manager is the person who will tell you whether your case fits.

If you want to understand how advice is regulated before you speak to anyone, the site's guide to regulation and policy explains who makes the rules and how they affect consumers.

Mortgage advice and the standards it follows

The bank states that its private banking relationship managers, all of which are qualified mortgage advisers, follow the code of business for mortgages laid down by the Financial Conduct Authority¹.

That code has a specific rule for advised sales. MCOB 4.7A sets out standards to be observed by firms when advising a particular customer on regulated mortgage contracts¹². In plain terms, when a firm advises you personally on a mortgage, it has to meet those standards, which cover the suitability of what it recommends and how it explains it.

Separately, banks and building societies must provide services with reasonable care and skill, when they say they will, and at the price agreed¹³. The Mortgage Charter sets standards that lenders adopt when helping their regulated residential mortgage borrowers who are worried about higher rates¹³. The Lending Standards Board, which was commissioned by UK Finance, its members and the UK Finance Consumer Advisory Group, works on standards including those for vulnerable customers¹⁴.

If you want advice that covers the whole market rather than one lender's products, an independent financial adviser is the usual route, and that normally costs a fee¹⁵.

How to apply for a mortgage with Jordan International Bank

Applications for a mortgage can be made direct through a lender or through a mortgage broker, and often the better deals are only available through brokers¹⁶. For an agreement in principle, you will either need to approach a mortgage lender directly or go via a mortgage broker¹⁷. With this bank, the direct route runs through its private banking team¹.

An agreement in principle is an early indication of how much a lender might offer, based on what you tell it, and it is not a guarantee¹⁷. It is useful because it tells you whether your circumstances fit before you commit to a full application.

1. Contact the bank's private banking team through its website and describe what you want to borrow against and where you are based¹.
2. Ask for an agreement in principle so you know the likely borrowing range before you go further¹⁷.
3. Gather your identity, address and source of funds documents, and expect the process to take longer if you are based overseas.
4. If you would rather compare the whole market, a broker can access lenders you cannot approach directly¹⁶.

Savings and deposits with Jordan International Bank

The bank accepts deposits, which is one of its registered permissions². It does not publish a savings range on the pages covered here, so the account types, minimum deposits, notice periods and rates are things to confirm with the bank directly.

Two features of savings accounts are worth knowing before you open one anywhere. Fixed rate accounts usually run for a set term, and when the term ends the money is often rolled over into an easy-access account, which typically pays less; Which? found that JN Bank, Al Rayan Bank, Charter Savings Bank and Gatehouse Bank all roll the money over into one of their easy-access accounts¹⁸. And the rate you see advertised is not always the rate you keep: some savers choose a lower rate to reduce a tax bill¹⁹.

If you are comparing savings accounts generally, the site's guide to savings covers how they work, and the guide to ISAs explains the tax-free versions.

How your money is protected

Deposits with UK-authorised banks are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which protects eligible deposits up to £120,000 per person per firm³. The limit applies across all accounts you hold with the same authorised firm, so if you hold more than that with one bank, the excess is not covered. The scheme exists to pay compensation when a firm fails and cannot pay claims against it²⁰.

Mortgages are not covered by the compensation scheme. If something goes wrong with a mortgage, the route is a complaint to the firm first and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Where the ombudsman awards compensation, it can add interest on top, and the rate it uses is set out in its own policy statement and reviewed from time to time²¹.

If you hold savings in more than one brand that shares the same banking licence, the balances count together towards one limit²⁰.

Fraud protection is largely in your hands. Check your bank statements regularly for transactions you do not recognise²³. And remember that just because someone knows your personal information does not mean they are genuine²⁴. Investment scams are a particular risk for people with money to place, and checking whether a company is authorised is a standard first step²⁵.

If you are considering releasing equity from a property, advisers who specialise in that area can be found through the Equity Release Council²⁶.

How to contact Jordan International Bank and complain

The bank's website is www.jordanbank.co.uk, which is the address listed on its Financial Services Register entry². Contact details for the private banking team are on that site.

If something goes wrong, complain to the bank first. Banks and building societies must provide services with reasonable care and skill, when they say they will, and at the price agreed¹³. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to consumers. Where it awards compensation, it can add interest at a rate set out in its own policy statement²¹.

Before sending money or documents anywhere, check the firm on the Financial Services Register using its reference number, 183722². That is the standard way to confirm a firm is authorised²⁵.