Which documents does the bank need for a mortgage in Germany?

The bank needs three groups of documents. First, personal documents such as ID and a self-disclosure form. Second, evidence of income, equity and existing commitments, for employees for example the latest payslips and the income tax assessment. Third, documents on the property, such as the listing, an extract from the land register, the cadastral map and the floor area calculation, and for flats also the declaration of division and the minutes of the owners' meetings. Which documents are needed in detail depends on your job and your project.

Which documents may the bank ask for?

For a mortgage, the bank must assess your creditworthiness thoroughly under § 505b of the German Civil Code, on the basis of necessary, sufficient and proportionate information on income, expenses and other financial circumstances. It must verify this information appropriately, where necessary by inspecting verifiable documents. Anything beyond this purpose does not belong in the assessment. Data protection rules expressly remain unaffected.

Which documents do self-employed people need for a mortgage?

Self-employed borrowers do not prove their income with payslips but with the accounts of recent years. Usual are balance sheets or cash-basis accounts, the income tax assessments for the same years and a current management report. Many banks want to see two to three years. Anyone who has only recently become self-employed should clarify early which bank works with a shorter history.

How recent do the documents have to be?

The bank wants to see your current situation, so payslips, bank statements for the equity and the land register extract should be recent. How old a document may be at most is set by each bank itself; no law sets a deadline for this. If you collect documents early, update them before you submit.

Which documents do I need for refinancing?

That depends on whether you stay with your bank. If you extend there without increasing the amount, § 18a of the German Banking Act does not require a new creditworthiness assessment, and the bank usually needs only a few documents. If you switch banks, the new bank assesses you in full, with proof of income, property documents and the current balance of the existing loan, plus the documents for transferring the land charge.

Guide · Buying & costs

Mortgage documents

Mortgage documents in Germany: the list depends on your case.

Three groups of evidence, five typical cases and one legal basis that defines what the bank must check.

As at 1 October 2026 · approx. 8 min read · Enrico Li Fonti

Neatly sorted folders with documents, an ID card and a calculator on a desk, symbolic image for mortgage documents

Symbolic image created with AI. It does not depict real people, properties or events.

Most checklists are written for an employee buying an existing flat. The bank, however, asks about your case.

For a mortgage in Germany the bank needs three groups of documents: personal documents such as ID and a self-disclosure form, evidence of income, equity and existing commitments, and documents on the property, such as the listing, an extract from the land register, the cadastral map and the floor area calculation. The basis for this is set out in law. Under § 505b of the German Civil Code, the bank must assess creditworthiness thoroughly for a property loan and, where necessary, verify the information by inspecting verifiable documents. Which documents that means in practice depends on two questions: how you earn your income and what you are financing. Self-employed borrowers need different evidence from employees, a flat needs different documents from a new build, and refinancing may require considerably less.

Why the bank asks for documents

The bank does not ask for payslips and bank statements out of curiosity. For a property loan it is legally obliged to assess your creditworthiness. Under § 505b (2) of the German Civil Code it must do so thoroughly, on the basis of necessary, sufficient and proportionate information on income, expenses and other financial and economic circumstances.

Subsection 3 sets out how: the bank must verify the information appropriately, where necessary by inspecting independently verifiable documents. Under § 18a of the German Banking Act it may only conclude a property loan if it is likely that you will meet your obligations as agreed. Except for building or renovation, the assessment must not rely mainly on the value of the property. A good property alone is therefore not enough; the bank wants to see your figures.

Personal documents and self-disclosure

Personal documents are much the same for almost every mortgage. They show who is borrowing, what the household looks like and which commitments already exist.

ID. Identity card or passport, and for non-EU nationals also the residence permit.
Self-disclosure. Marital status, children, occupation, income, expenses, existing loans, maintenance. Most banks have their own form for this.
Proof of equity. Current bank statements, securities statements or building society contracts showing the equity you contribute.
Existing loans. Contracts and current balances of existing loans, leasing or instalment agreements.
Consent to a credit report. The bank requests information from a credit agency such as SCHUFA. § 505b of the German Civil Code expressly names such reports as a possible basis.

Couples financing together need to provide the documents of both persons. Payments arising from a divorce or maintenance obligations also belong in the self-disclosure, because they change the monthly burden.

Proof of income differs by occupation

Income is where checklists differ most. The bank wants to know how high it is and how secure it will remain. How you prove that depends on how you earn your money.

Employees. The latest payslips, usually three, often also the December payslip of the previous year, plus the latest income tax assessment. With a new job or during probation, also the employment contract.
Civil servants. The latest salary statements and, for civil servants on probation, evidence of status.
Self-employed and freelancers. Balance sheets or cash-basis accounts for recent years, the income tax assessments for the same years and a current management report. Many banks want to see two to three years.
Pensioners. The current pension notice or statement of retirement benefits.
Rental income. Tenancy agreements and the rental income schedule of the tax return, if existing letting is to be included.

Self-employed borrowers need not only more documents but also the right bank. How fluctuating profits or a short history are weighted differs considerably between lenders. ME Finance assesses this as part of financing for the self-employed before the first application.

Property documents decide the loan commitment

The bank needs the property documents to value the property itself. This valuation produces the lending value, which determines how much the bank finances and on what terms. If something is missing here, the commitment is delayed, even if your income has long been checked.

Existing property

Listing with photos, a current land register extract, cadastral map, floor area calculation, building description or details of year of construction and fittings, the energy performance certificate and, once available, the draft purchase contract.

Flat

In addition, the declaration of division with the division plan, the minutes of recent owners' meetings, the current budget with the service charge and evidence of the maintenance reserve. In the minutes the bank looks for approved renovations the owners will have to pay for.

New build

Building permit or application, construction drawings, building specification, a cost breakdown of all trades and the land purchase contract. When buying from a developer, the developer contract with its payment schedule replaces the individual costs.

Modernisation

Cost estimates or quotes from tradespeople and the current land register extract. Whether the bank requires a land charge for this is explained in the guide to the modernisation loan.

Refinancing often needs less

When the fixed-rate period of an existing loan ends, the question of documents arises again. The answer depends on whether you stay with your bank or switch. Under § 18a (2a) of the German Banking Act, a follow-up loan between the same parties requires a new creditworthiness assessment only if the amount is increased significantly.

If you stay with your current bank and do not increase the loan, the effort is therefore usually small. If you switch to another bank, it assesses you as for a first mortgage: with proof of income, property documents and the current balance of the existing loan, plus the documents for transferring the land charge. Planning the switch early, for example with a forward loan, lets you collect these documents without time pressure. More under refinancing.

Collecting documents in the right order

Not all documents are needed at once. Collecting them in three steps lets you act early and lose no time later.

Before the first viewing. Personal documents, proof of income and proof of equity. This allows a financing confirmation showing which purchase price is affordable.
Once the property is fixed. The property documents. Seller or agent provide most of them; the land register extract and cadastral map can also be requested yourself.
Before the notary appointment. The draft purchase contract goes to the bank so that the commitment matches the contract.

Where these steps fit into the whole purchase is shown in the guide to buying a house in Germany. One advantage of using a broker lies in the law itself: under § 505b (3) of the German Civil Code the bank also takes into account the information you have given to a credit intermediary. At ME Finance you therefore submit your documents once, and we present them to the banks that suit your case.

What the bank may ask for and what not

Many buyers wonder how far the bank's curiosity may go. The yardstick is in § 505b of the German Civil Code: information that is necessary, sufficient and proportionate for the assessment. Everything relating to income, expenses, assets and commitments is included. Questions unrelated to repayment are not.

Subsection 5 also makes clear that the rules on the protection of personal data remain unaffected. Conversely, anyone unwilling to provide evidence cannot expect a commitment, because without an assessed creditworthiness the bank may not conclude the contract under § 18a of the German Banking Act. If a mortgage was declined despite complete documents, the guide mortgage declined helps with the next steps.

Printable checklist as PDF

All points from this guide are available as a tick-off checklist, sorted by personal documents, proof of income by occupation, property documents by type, refinancing and order. Two pages, for printing or filling in on screen.

Download checklist (PDF)

PDF, 2 pages, as at 1 October 2026. Which documents your bank requires in an individual case is decided by the bank itself.

What to take away from this guide

The bank needs three groups of documents: personal, proof of income and assets, property documents.
Exactly which documents depends on your case. The self-employed, flats and new builds have their own lists.
The assessment is the bank's legal duty under § 505b of the German Civil Code and § 18a of the German Banking Act.
Refinancing without switching banks and without an increase usually needs considerably less.
Personal and income documents belong before the first viewing; property documents follow.

ME Finance is not a lender and sells no product of its own. We tell you in advance which documents your case needs and submit them to the banks that fit. Describe your project in a non-binding enquiry.

Frequently asked questions about mortgage documents

Which documents does the bank need for a mortgage in Germany?: The bank needs three groups of documents. First, personal documents such as ID and a self-disclosure form. Second, evidence of income, equity and existing commitments, for employees for example the latest payslips and the income tax assessment. Third, documents on the property, such as the listing, an extract from the land register, the cadastral map and the floor area calculation, and for flats also the declaration of division and the minutes of the owners' meetings. Which documents are needed in detail depends on your job and your project.
Which documents may the bank ask for?: For a mortgage, the bank must assess your creditworthiness thoroughly under § 505b of the German Civil Code, on the basis of necessary, sufficient and proportionate information on income, expenses and other financial circumstances. It must verify this information appropriately, where necessary by inspecting verifiable documents. Anything beyond this purpose does not belong in the assessment. Data protection rules expressly remain unaffected.
Which documents do self-employed people need for a mortgage?: Self-employed borrowers do not prove their income with payslips but with the accounts of recent years. Usual are balance sheets or cash-basis accounts, the income tax assessments for the same years and a current management report. Many banks want to see two to three years. Anyone who has only recently become self-employed should clarify early which bank works with a shorter history.
How recent do the documents have to be?: The bank wants to see your current situation, so payslips, bank statements for the equity and the land register extract should be recent. How old a document may be at most is set by each bank itself; no law sets a deadline for this. If you collect documents early, update them before you submit.
Which documents do I need for refinancing?: That depends on whether you stay with your bank. If you extend there without increasing the amount, § 18a of the German Banking Act does not require a new creditworthiness assessment, and the bank usually needs only a few documents. If you switch banks, the new bank assesses you in full, with proof of income, property documents and the current balance of the existing loan, plus the documents for transferring the land charge.

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