Documents for Mortgage Application & Bank Rate Comparison | Homejourney

The fastest way to avoid delays or rejections on your Singapore home loan is to have every mortgage document required ready before you compare bank rates and apply through Homejourney.

This guide explains, in practical detail, the home loan application documents banks ask for, why they matter, and how to use Homejourney’s tools to compare rates from DBS, OCBC, UOB, HSBC, Standard Chartered and other major banks in one safe, trusted place.

This article is a focused cluster within Homejourney’s complete home loan education series and links back to our main pillar guide: Compare Home Loans Across Banks in Singapore: Homejourney’s Complete Guide .

Quick Answer: Mortgage Documents Required in Singapore

For most bank home loans in Singapore (DBS, OCBC, UOB, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Maybank, CIMB, RHB, Public Bank, Hong Leong Bank, Citibank), you will typically need:

Identity documents: NRIC (Singaporeans/PRs) or passport + pass (foreigners).[5][2]
Income documents: Latest 3 months’ computerised payslips, 12 months’ CPF contribution history, and latest Notice of Assessment (NOA) from IRAS (more if self-employed or commission-based).[5][2][7]
Property documents: Option to Purchase (OTP) or Sale & Purchase Agreement, and HDB flat & financial information for HDB purchases.[5][2][7]
Existing loan & credit documents: Statements of current housing loans, car loans, personal loans, and credit cards.[6][7][1]
Supporting documents (where applicable): Tenancy agreement, evidence of other income, CPF withdrawal statements for any existing property.[1][2][5]

Below, Homejourney breaks this into a clear loan application checklist, ties it to your bank rate choices, and shows how Singpass and our multi-bank system dramatically cut the paperwork you need to handle manually.

How Documents and Bank Rates Work Together

In Singapore, your income documents for mortgage directly affect how much you can borrow under MAS Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) rules and HDB’s Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR) for HDB and EC buyers.[5][7]

For example, a couple earning a combined S$11,000 and eyeing a S$1.4M resale condo near Tanjong Pagar MRT will see their maximum loan size vary across banks depending on:

Fixed vs SORA-pegged rate packages.
Lock-in periods and penalties.
How each bank calculates variable spreads and stress-test interest rates.

Homejourney’s bank rates comparison page Bank Rates pulls real-time rates from DBS, OCBC, UOB, HSBC, Standard Chartered and others, then matches them to your declared income and debts to show safer, realistic monthly instalments. You can cross-check affordability with the mortgage calculator at Mortgage Rates .

Core Loan Application Checklist: Documents You Must Prepare

Use this Singapore-specific checklist before you start any online or in-branch application. Preparing these upfront typically shaves days off processing time, especially when you apply via Homejourney with Singpass/MyInfo.

1. Identity & Residency Documents

Singaporeans / PRs:
- Clear copy of NRIC (front and back) for all borrowers and guarantors.[5][2]
Foreigners:
- Passport (all borrowers).[5][4]
- Valid Employment Pass / S Pass / EntrePass or Dependant’s Pass.[3][4]
- Proof of residential address (tenancy agreement or recent utility bill) if not on NRIC.[1][3]

Insider tip: If you are renting around CBD (e.g. Tanjong Pagar, Raffles Place) and your utility bill is in your landlord’s name, ask your landlord or agent early for a copy plus a simple authorisation note. Banks in Singapore frequently ask for clear address proof for foreign borrowers, and chasing this late can delay approval by a week.

2. Income Documents (Salaried Employees)

Most major banks (DBS, OCBC, UOB, etc.) ask for very similar home loan application documents for salaried workers:[2][5][7]

Latest 3 months’ computerised payslips.[2][7]
Latest 12 months’ CPF contribution history downloaded from CPF website (Singpass login).[5][7]
Latest IRAS Notice of Assessment (NOA) (1 year is usually sufficient for salaried, 2 years for variable/commission-heavy income).[5][7]
Employer letter (if newly employed within 3 months) stating salary, position, and start date (some banks request this for added comfort).[3][4]

DBS, for example, lists NRIC, NOA, 12 months’ CPF history and HDB information as standard documents for home loans.[5] UOB highlights signed application form, NRIC/passport, payslips or IR8A, NOA and CPF statements.[2]

Insider tip: If you work in CBD or one-north and often knock off late, use Homejourney’s Singpass integration during lunch or your MRT ride from Raffles Place to Bishan. With MyInfo, your NOA and CPF data can be pulled automatically, reducing the number of PDFs you have to hunt for.

3. Income Documents (Self-Employed, Business Owners, Commission-Based)

If you run your own business (e.g. F&B outlet in Tiong Bahru, freelance creative, agent, consultant) or draw mainly variable pay, banks require more history to stabilise your income profile:[2][5][7][8]

Latest 2 years’ IRAS NOA reflecting business or trade income.[2][7][8]
Latest 6–12 months’ commission or variable pay statements (if applicable).[2][8]
Business registration documents (ACRA BizFile, partnership agreement, etc.).[8]
Latest 6–12 months’ bank statements showing incoming revenue and transfers (for business owners).[3][4][8]

Some banks may apply a “haircut” (discount) to variable income when computing TDSR. Homejourney’s eligibility calculator at Mortgage Rates helps you see the realistic loan quantum after such adjustments.

4. Property-Related Documents

These bank loan documents relate to the specific property and are non-negotiable for approval:[2][5][7]

Option to Purchase (OTP) for private property purchases.[2][5][7]
Sales & Purchase Agreement (S&P) once issued by the developer or seller.[3][4]
HDB Flat Information & HDB Financial Information printouts for HDB buyers (download from MyHDBPage with Singpass).[5]
For refinancing:
- Existing Loan Statement from current bank (usually last 12 months).
- Latest CPF property withdrawal statements for all owners.[1][5][7]
- Existing property’s Title Deed details (your law firm or bank can provide).

Insider tip: If you’re upgrading from a 4-room HDB in Punggol to an EC in Sengkang, HDB’s site can be slow during peak evenings. Download your HDB Financial Information during off-peak hours (late morning/early afternoon) so you’re not stuck refreshing pages when your OTP deadline is near.