These documents you need to apply for a German mortgage
Germans banks are very meticulous when it comes to paperwork. Here is a list of all the documents you need to apply for a mortgage.Updated on 14 December 2024
Tip: Make sure you have your documents prepared and organized. Ideally, you will have an advisor vet them for you; not only does this accelerate the process, but it can remove any potential hiccups you can run into, like with negative SCHUFA scores. Schedule an appointment when you are close to reserving a property.
German banks will require you to submit both personal documents and property documents. Here’s the list of documents you will need to have ready if you want to apply for a German mortgage.
Personal Documents
General documents for everybody
Copy of Passport
Temporary residence permit, e.g., Blue Card (“Aufenthaltstitel”) or permanent residence permit (“Niederlassungserlaubnis”).
Proof of residence (“Meldebescheinigung”): This document shows the German address you are currently registered at, which can be obtained from the “Bürgeramt”.
Provide proof of equity and a bank account statement showing the amount of money you will put down (not necessary for getting mortgage pre-approval).
Proof of German pension scheme (“Rentenbescheid/ Renteninformation”): you will receive this automatically after having worked in Germany for at least five years. Alternatively, this document can be obtained by directly calling Deutsche Rentenversicherung.
For employees only
Salary slips for the last three months, you get these slips from your current employer.
Salary slip for December of last year or salary statement from last year (“Lohnsteuerbescheinigung”). You should get this from your current or past employer. If you have not yet been employed last year, then this document is not necessary.
Optional: Most recent tax return (“Einkommenssteuerbescheid”). If you have filed your tax declaration, then you should have received a tax return from the German tax office. Employees are not legally required to file a tax declaration and, therefore, do not need to provide this document if they have not submitted their tax declaration.
For freelancers only
The two most recent tax declarations (“Einkommenssteuererklärung”) are the tax declarations you submitted to the German tax office.
For the two most recent tax returns (“Einkommenssteuerbescheid”), you should receive a tax return from the German tax office.
Complete the profit & loss account for the last year (“BWA: Betriebswirtschaftliche Auswertung”); this evaluation shows your current revenue and must be verified by your accountant.
Profit-and-loss calculations (“Einnahme-Überschuss-Rechnung”) for the last two years, you get these from your tax accountant.
For self-employed business owners only
The two most recent tax declarations (“Einkommenssteuererklärung”), this is the tax declaration you have submitted to the German tax office.
The Two most recent tax returns (“Einkommenssteuerbescheid”), you should receive a tax return from the German tax office.
Profit & loss account for the last year (“BWA: Betriebswirtschaftliche Auswertung”). This evaluation shows your current revenue and must be verified by your accountant.
Balance sheets, incl. the profit-and-loss calculation for the last two years (“Gewinn-Verlust-Rechnung”); you get from your tax accountant.
Property Documents
In addition to the personal documents, you will also need to provide specific documents about the property you are looking to buy. Once you have found the right property, you will need to gather the following property documents to qualify for a mortgage fully.
Existing property
The current extract of land registration (“Grundbuchauszug”); you can receive this document directly from the land office (“Grundbuchamt”), or a notary of your choosing will provide it for you.
Declaration of division (“Teilungserklärung”), the seller/ real estate agent should provide this.
Floor plan with measurements (“bemaßter Grundriss”): you will get this from the seller or the real estate agent.
Floor area calculation (“Wohnflächenberechnung”): You will get this from the seller or the real estate agent.
Draft of the purchase contract (“Kaufvertragsentwurf”): A notary of your choosing will draft the purchase contract.
Current photos of the property, these are usually in the “Expose”.
New-built property
Description of construction (“Baubeschreibung”): This document will be provided by the project developer.
Current extract of land registration (“Grundbuchauszug”), you can receive this document directly from any notary or directly from the land office (“Grundbuchamt”).
Declaration of division (“Teilungserklärung”), the seller/real estate agent should provide this.
Floor plan with measurements (“bemaßter Grundriss”): you will get this from the seller or the real estate agent.
Floor area calculation (“Wohnflächenberechnung”): You will get this from the seller or the real estate agent.
Draft of the purchase contract (“Kaufvertragsentwurf”): A notary of your choosing will draft the purchase contract.
In most cases, it makes sense to have your documents pre-screened by one of our advisors to ensure you are ready for pre-approval. In this article, we have summarized 5 reasons why it pays out to work with a professional mortgage advisor.
