Mortgage documents
Thinking of buying a property? The Comparis checklist helps you gather all the documents you need to take out a mortgage.
22.04.2022
iStock / Kekez
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.
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
