EastWest Bank Housing Loan Requirements 2026: Full Eligibility & Document Checklist

To be eligible for an EastWest Bank housing loan, applicants must be Filipino citizens or qualified foreign nationals, at least 21 years old at the time of application, and not older than 65 years old at loan maturity. You must have a stable and verifiable source of income and meet the bank's minimum monthly income threshold. EastWest Bank accepts borrowers from a wide range of employment backgrounds, making it one of the more accessible lenders in the Philippine market. Both principal borrowers and co-borrowers (such as a spouse) may be included to strengthen the application.

EastWest Bank requires a minimum monthly income of 40,000 pesos for housing loan applicants. This applies across most employment types, including salaried employees, self-employed individuals, and overseas Filipino workers. Your gross monthly income is used to compute your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, which determines how much you can borrow. If your individual income falls short of the threshold, you may include a co-borrower — typically a spouse or immediate family member — to combine household income and qualify for a higher loan amount.

EastWest Bank accepts a broad range of employment types, which is one of its key advantages over some other lenders. Accepted categories include:

• Private sector employees — Regular employees of private companies with at least 2 years of continuous employment
• Government employees — Permanent government workers or those with appointment letters
• BPO workers — Employees in the business process outsourcing industry
• OFWs and Seafarers — Overseas Filipino workers with valid employment contracts
• Self-employed individuals — Business owners or entrepreneurs with at least 2 years of profitable operations, supported by audited financial statements
• Professionals — Licensed professionals such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and accountants operating their own practice

Each category has specific documentary requirements, so it's helpful to prepare your documents accordingly before applying.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old at the time of application. The loan must also be fully paid before the borrower reaches 65 years old, which is the maximum age at loan maturity. This means the loan term you can access depends partly on your current age. For example, a 45-year-old applicant can apply for a loan term of up to 20 years, while a 50-year-old would be limited to a maximum 15-year term. Planning your loan term within these age brackets is important to avoid application complications.

EastWest Bank's housing loan program covers a comprehensive range of property and financing purposes, including:

• Ready for Occupancy (RFO) — Purchase of move-in-ready homes from developers or sellers
• Pre-selling units — Purchase of condominium or house-and-lot units still under construction
• Reselling — Purchase of second-hand or resale residential properties
• New construction — Building a new home on a lot you already own
• Renovation — Improving or expanding an existing residential property
• Refinancing — Transferring an existing home loan from another bank to EastWest Bank to take advantage of lower rates
• Home equity / Salary loan — Borrowing against the equity of your existing property for other financial needs
• Foreclosed properties — Acquiring bank-acquired or government-foreclosed assets

This wide coverage makes EastWest Bank a versatile option for many different homeownership and financing scenarios.

As of 2026, EastWest Bank offers the following fixed-rate options for housing loans:

• 1-Year Fixed: 5.99% p.a.
• 3-Year Fixed: 6.25% p.a.
• 5-Year Fixed: 7.00% p.a.
• Home Equity Loan: 6.25% p.a.

The 1-year fixed rate of 5.99% p.a. is currently one of the most competitive housing loan rates available in the Philippine market. Most Filipino homeowners are paying between 7% and 10% on their existing loans, so refinancing to EastWest Bank through Nook can result in significant monthly savings. For example, on a 3,000,000-peso loan over 20 years, dropping from 8.5% to 5.99% could reduce your monthly amortisation by over 4,000 pesos. Please note that interest rates are subject to change — verify the latest rates directly with Nook or EastWest Bank before submitting your application.

The required documents vary slightly depending on your employment type. Below is a general checklist:

All applicants:

• Duly accomplished loan application form
• Two valid government-issued IDs (front and back)
• Latest 3 months' bank statements
• Marriage certificate (if applicable) or birth certificate of dependents

For salaried employees (private, government, BPO):

• Certificate of Employment (COE) with compensation details, issued within the last 30 days
• Latest 3 months' payslips
• Latest ITR (BIR Form 2316) stamped by employer

For OFWs and seafarers:

• Valid employment contract or POEA-authenticated contract
• Latest 3 months' remittance records or payslips
• Special Power of Attorney (SPA) if the borrower is abroad during processing

For self-employed individuals and professionals:

• DTI or SEC registration
• Latest 2 years' audited financial statements
• Latest 2 years' ITR with BIR stamp
• Business permits

For property/collateral:

• Photocopy of Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) or Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT)
• Tax Declaration for land and improvements
• Location map and vicinity map
• Contract to Sell or Deed of Absolute Sale (for purchase transactions)

When you apply through Nook, our team will guide you through exactly which documents to prepare based on your specific situation, reducing errors and delays.

EastWest Bank's typical housing loan approval timeline is approximately 19 business days from the date of complete document submission. This is one of the faster turnaround times among Philippine banks. However, the actual timeline can vary depending on the completeness of your documents, the type of property involved, and whether additional verification is needed. Incomplete submissions are the most common cause of delays. When you apply through Nook, we review your documents for completeness before submitting to the bank, which helps avoid unnecessary back-and-forth and keeps your application on track.

EastWest Bank's maximum allowable debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is 40%. This means your total monthly loan obligations — including your new housing loan amortisation plus any existing credit card minimums, car loans, or other debts — must not exceed 40% of your gross monthly income. For example, if your gross monthly income is 80,000 pesos, your total monthly debt payments (including the new home loan) must not exceed 32,000 pesos. If your current DTI is close to or above this threshold, you may consider adding a co-borrower to increase the qualifying income base, or reducing other debts before applying. A Nook mortgage advisor can help you assess your DTI and structure your application accordingly.

Applying through Nook is simple, fast, and completely free for borrowers. Here's how the process works:

1. Submit your details online — Fill out Nook's short application form at nook.com.ph with your basic financial and property information.
2. Get a free assessment — A Nook mortgage advisor will review your profile, estimate your eligibility, and show you the best available rates from EastWest Bank and other partner lenders.
3. Prepare your documents — Nook will give you a personalised checklist based on your employment type and loan purpose.
4. Submit to EastWest Bank — Nook handles the submission on your behalf, ensuring documents are complete and correctly formatted.
5. Track your application — We keep you updated throughout the approval process, with a typical timeline of around 19 business days.

Nook's broker service is 100% free to the borrower — we are compensated by the bank, not by you. Whether you're purchasing a new home or refinancing an existing loan to save on interest, Nook makes the process straightforward and transparent. If you want to compare EastWest Bank against other lenders before deciding, our EastWest Bank vs UCPB refinancing rates comparison is a good place to start.