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Mortgage documents

Thinking of buying a property? The Comparis checklist helps you gather all the documents you need to take out a mortgage.

Elena Wetli Foto
Elena Wetli

22.04.2022

Two men study the documents they need for their mortgage.

iStock / Kekez

1.Applying for a mortgage: what documents do I need?
2.Mortgage documents checklist
3.Official fees for mortgage documents

1. Applying for a mortgage: what documents do I need?

With your mortgage application lenders need documentation on your financial situation and the property. The first step is to assess the market value of the property. A credit and affordability check will then take place.

Start compiling the documents as soon as possible. Then everything will go smoothly with your mortgage.

Check affordability

Our mortgage calculator provides an initial idea of whether or not you can finance the property.

2. Mortgage documents checklist

Depending on the purpose of the mortgage, the application must also include other documents. If you are remodelling a house with your mortgage, you will need different documents than you would to buy a house. Furthermore, the documents you need when buying a property depend on the property type (e.g. house or condominium).

Tip: compare various mortgage offers before deciding on a lender. It may save you money.

Calculate your personal interest rates

Documents concerning the property

Required documentation Supplied by
Sales documentation Seller
Up-to-date land register extract (site or cadastral plan), no older than 6 months Seller, land registry
Building insurance certificate indicating the volume of the property in cubic metres and the year of construction Seller, cantonal buildings insurance authority, insurance company
Photos of the property, external and internal Smartphone or camera, seller, photographer, personal documents
Construction plans, calculation of cubic metres per SIA Seller, architect, building contractor
Site plan, copy of cadastral plan or plan of residential unit with net living space and ancillary rooms Management of the condominium owners' association, possibly seller or land registry
List of renovations and alteration work Seller, architect, building contractor
Provisional purchase contract, if available Notary's office, seller
For condominium ownership: usage and management regulations and deed establishing the condominium Seller, management of the condominium owners' association
For multi-family properties: information on net rental income (current signed rent roll) Seller, management
For investment properties: rental agreement Seller, management

Personal documents

Required documentation Supplied by
For Swiss citizens: copy of ID card or passport
For foreign nationals: copy of official ID and copy of residence permit
Residents’ registration office, passport office
For employees: monthly salary statements, official annual salary statements or copies of tax returns for the last three 3 months or 3 years in the case of bonus payments, AHV pension certificate Employer, tax office
List of available funds (bank statements, life insurance policies, pension benefits statement from pension fund, etc.) Banks (balance overview from e-banking, with date), insurance companies, pension funds
List of debts (loans, lease agreements etc.) Lending institutions
Up-to-date debt collection register information (no older than 3 months) Debt collection office
For self-employed persons: balance sheets/profit and loss statements from the past three years Accountant
Current pension fund statement and regulations (in case of early withdrawal or pledge of pillar 2 assets). Occupational pension fund
Proof of assets in pillar 3 scheme (in case of early withdrawal or pledge of pillar 3 assets). Pension foundation, bank, insurance company
Gift undertaking or certificate of advance on inheritance, if available Handwritten letter, with date, amount and signature of the person making the gift
If available: divorce decree or separation agreement Court
If a mortgage is being extended: copy of mortgage agreement with product agreement Mortgage lender

Additional mortgage documents for a newbuild or renovation

Required documentation Supplied by
Building description Architect, building contractor
Cost estimate Architect, building contractor
poss. general contractor contract Building company

3. Official fees for mortgage documents

The authorities charge fees for:

  • The extract from the debt collection register

  • The extract from the land register.

The costs for this are manageable: in the canton of Zurich, for example, an extract from the debt collection register costs 17 francs plus postage. Depending on the canton, an extract from the land register is available from 20 francs.

Additional costs will be incurred if you do actually buy the property you want. Learn more in the article on ancillary purchase costs.

This article was first published on 03.04.2017

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