Home Loan Philippines Requirements 2026: Everything You Need to Prepare

Whether you're applying for a new home loan or refinancing an existing one, knowing exactly what documents to prepare can save you weeks of back-and-forth with your bank. Philippine banks are notoriously thorough in their documentary requirements — missing a single page or submitting an expired document can delay your application by a month or more.

This guide consolidates the home loan requirements across all major Philippine banks — BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Security Bank, PNB, RCBC, UnionBank, Chinabank, PSBank, EastWest Bank, and Pag-IBIG — so you can walk into any bank ready to go.

The Three Categories of Home Loan Requirements

All Philippine bank home loan requirements fall into three broad buckets: personal identification, income documents, and property documents. The specific forms vary by bank and applicant type (employed, self-employed, or OFW), but the categories are consistent across the industry.

Category 1: Personal Identification Requirements

Every bank will require at least two valid government-issued IDs. Accepted IDs typically include:

Beyond IDs, you'll also need to prepare:

Category 2: Income Document Requirements

This is where requirements diverge significantly depending on your employment status. Get the right set of documents for your situation.

For Locally Employed Applicants

Banks like BDO and BPI typically require at least 2 years of continuous employment with the same employer, or 3 years combined if you've changed jobs. Security Bank tends to be slightly more flexible on tenure.

For Self-Employed Applicants

For self-employed applicants, Metrobank and RCBC are often cited as more accommodating lenders, especially for SME owners whose income may not be fully captured by their ITR.

For OFW Applicants

If you're an OFW with an existing Pag-IBIG loan and are considering switching to a private bank for a lower rate, this involves a refinancing process — you can read more about Pag-IBIG home loan refinancing to private banks and what additional documents that process requires.

Category 3: Property Document Requirements

Property documents are the most complex part of the application — and the most common source of delays. Requirements differ depending on whether the property is in a subdivision, a condominium, or a standalone lot.

For House and Lot in a Subdivision

For Condominiums

For Vacant Lots

Note that most banks will not finance a standalone vacant lot unless it is tied to a construction loan. If you're applying for a construction loan, you'll additionally need approved building plans and a Bill of Quantities from a licensed contractor.

Bank-Specific Notes and Variations

While the core checklist above covers most banks, here are notable variations to be aware of in 2026:

How Long Are These Documents Valid?

A common mistake applicants make is submitting outdated documents. Here are the typical validity windows banks enforce:

Tip: Do not request your Registry of Deeds certified copies until you are ready to submit. They expire faster than most people expect, and getting a new one takes 3-10 business days depending on the Registry.

If You're Refinancing: What's Different?

If you already own your home and are refinancing — meaning you're transferring your existing mortgage to a new bank for a better rate — the document requirements are largely the same, with a few additions:

One important note: if your credit history has some blemishes, it doesn't necessarily disqualify you. Read our guide on how to refinance your home loan with bad credit in the Philippines for options that may still be available to you.

Refinancing rates today can be significantly lower than what you may currently be paying. The best available rate through Nook is currently 5.99% per annum. On a 3,000,000 loan balance with 20 years remaining, moving from 8.5% to 5.99% would reduce your monthly payment by roughly 4,200 — and save you over 1,000,000 in total interest over the life of the loan.

How Nook Simplifies the Process

Gathering documents for a home loan application is genuinely time-consuming — but knowing what to prepare in advance puts you miles ahead of most applicants. Nook works with all major Philippine banks and helps you identify which bank is most likely to approve your application based on your income type, property details, and loan amount — before you submit a single document.

Our service is completely free for borrowers. We handle the comparison, the negotiation, and the coordination with the bank. You focus on preparing your documents; we handle everything else.