Metrobank Housing Loan Requirements 2026: Full Checklist for Employed & Self-Employed

To qualify for a Metrobank housing loan, you generally need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Age: At least 21 years old at the time of application, and not older than 65 years old upon loan maturity (i.e., the loan must be fully paid by the time you turn 65)
• Citizenship: Filipino citizens, or foreign nationals married to Filipino citizens (with additional documentation requirements)
• Employment/Income status: Locally employed, self-employed, or OFW with a verifiable and stable income source
• Minimum tenure: At least 2 years of employment (for locally employed) or 2 years in business (for self-employed)
• Credit standing: No history of unpaid loans, bounced checks, or adverse credit records with any bank or financial institution

Note: These eligibility criteria are based on publicly available information and are subject to change. Verify current requirements directly with Metrobank.

Regardless of your employment status, all Metrobank housing loan applicants typically need to submit the following:

• Duly accomplished Metrobank housing loan application form (signed by all borrowers and co-borrowers)
• Valid government-issued IDs — at least two, such as a passport, driver's license, SSS/GSIS ID, PRC ID, or PhilSys National ID
• Marriage certificate (if applicable) issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
• Birth certificate (PSA-issued) for the principal borrower
• Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
• Latest Income Tax Return (ITR) for the most recent year, BIR-stamped

These are the baseline documents. Additional requirements depend on your employment type — see the sections below for employed, self-employed, and OFW-specific checklists.

If you are employed locally (working for a company in the Philippines), you will generally need to provide the following on top of the basic documents:

• Certificate of Employment (COE) — issued within the last 3 months, stating your position, employment status, and monthly salary
• Latest payslips — typically the most recent 1 to 3 months
• Latest ITR (BIR Form 2316) for the past 1-2 years, signed by your employer
• Employment contract — especially useful if you are a contractual or probationary employee (note: regular/permanent employment status is strongly preferred)

If you have been with your current employer for less than 2 years, Metrobank may request documentation from your previous employer as well to establish employment continuity.

All requirements are based on publicly available information and subject to change. Confirm with Metrobank before applying.

Self-employed applicants typically face a longer document checklist because the bank needs to verify business income independently. Metrobank generally requires:

• DTI or SEC registration — proof your business is registered (DTI for sole proprietors, SEC for corporations and partnerships)
• Mayor's/Business permit — most recently renewed, indicating the business is active
• Audited Financial Statements (AFS) — for the past 2 years, stamped by BIR and signed by a licensed CPA
• ITR (BIR Form 1701 or 1702) — for the past 2 years, BIR-received
• Bank statements — personal and/or business accounts for the past 6 to 12 months
• List of trade references or major clients/suppliers — may be requested to confirm business activity

Your business must generally have been operating for at least 2 years. Newer businesses may find it harder to qualify unless there is a strong co-borrower or significant collateral.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) can apply for a Metrobank housing loan, but the process involves some additional steps and documentation:

• Proof of overseas employment — Employment contract, POEA-verified if applicable, or Certificate of Employment from your foreign employer
• OEC (Overseas Employment Certificate) or equivalent government travel document
• Latest remittance records — typically covering the past 6 to 12 months, showing regular remittances to the Philippines
• Passbook or bank statements of your Philippine bank account receiving remittances
• Special Power of Attorney (SPA) — a notarized and authenticated (apostilled) SPA authorizing a representative in the Philippines to act on your behalf during the loan process
• Seaman's Book — required if you are a seafarer, along with your last 3 contracts

Because OFWs cannot easily be present during the process, Metrobank typically requires all documents to be apostilled (for countries that are Hague Convention members) or consularized. Make sure your SPA representative is a trusted person — they will be signing documents on your behalf.

Metrobank does not publicly publish a hard minimum income figure, but as a general rule, your monthly amortization should not exceed 30% to 35% of your gross monthly income. This is the standard debt service ratio (DSR) applied by most Philippine banks.

To give you a rough idea based on typical loan scenarios:

• For a loan of 2,000,000 over 20 years at approximately 7-8% p.a., your monthly amortization would be roughly 15,000 to 17,000 per month. This implies a minimum gross monthly income of around 43,000 to 49,000.
• For a loan of 5,000,000 over 20 years, amortizations could be in the range of 38,000 to 43,000, requiring a gross monthly income of at least 109,000 to 123,000.

If your individual income falls short, you may add a co-borrower (spouse, parent, sibling, or child) to combine incomes and improve your chances of approval.

These figures are illustrative estimates only. Rates shown are approximate and based on typical market ranges — not verified Metrobank promotional rates. Always confirm exact figures with Metrobank directly.

Beyond your personal and income documents, Metrobank requires a set of documents related to the property you intend to purchase or use as collateral. These typically include:

• Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) or Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT) — certified true copy from the Registry of Deeds
• Lot plan with vicinity map — certified by a licensed geodetic engineer
• Tax Declaration — for both land and building, from the local assessor's office
• Real Property Tax (RPT) receipts — showing taxes are paid and up to date
• Contract to Sell or Deed of Absolute Sale — if you are purchasing from a developer or private seller
• Floor plan / Building plan — especially for house-and-lot purchases or construction loans
• Developer's license to sell and permit to sell — required for purchases from real estate developers

Metrobank will also conduct an independent property appraisal. They will appoint their own appraiser, and you will generally be required to pay the appraisal fee (typically in the range of 2,500 to 5,000 or more depending on property size and location).

Based on publicly available information and borrower feedback, Metrobank's housing loan approval process typically takes:

• 5 to 10 banking days for an initial credit evaluation (assuming complete documents are submitted)
• An additional 5 to 15 banking days for property appraisal and title verification
• Total processing time: Often 2 to 6 weeks from complete submission to loan offer letter

The timeline can be significantly extended if documents are incomplete, if the property title has encumbrances or issues, or if the bank has a high volume of applications. OFW applicants often experience longer timelines due to authentication requirements for overseas documents.

Tips to speed up the process:

• Submit all documents completely on your first submission — missing documents are the most common cause of delays
• Make sure your ITR is BIR-stamped and your COE is current (within 3 months)
• Ensure your property documents are certified true copies, not plain photocopies

Even with complete documents, applications can be declined. Based on general industry knowledge and common borrower experiences, the most frequent reasons include:

• Poor credit history — unpaid credit card balances, existing loan defaults, or adverse records in the Credit Information Corporation (CIC) system
• Insufficient income — monthly amortization exceeds 30-35% of gross monthly income, and no qualified co-borrower is included
• Unstable employment — probationary status, frequent job changes, or less than 2 years with current employer
• Business with less than 2 years of operation — self-employed applicants with newer businesses are higher-risk in the bank's view
• Overvalued or problematic property — if the bank's appraised value is significantly lower than the purchase price, the loan-to-value ratio may not work; title issues can also cause outright rejection
• Incomplete or inconsistent documents — discrepancies between your ITR, payslips, and bank statements raise red flags

If your Metrobank application is declined, don't assume all banks will say no. Different banks have different credit policies, and a mortgage broker like Nook can help you identify which lenders are most likely to approve your profile — at no cost to you.

Metrobank is a reputable lender with a long track record in home financing, but whether it's the best option depends on your specific situation — your loan amount, income type, property, and how competitive their current rate is relative to other banks.

Metrobank's housing loan rates typically fall in the range of 7% to 9% p.a. for fixed-rate periods, based on general market knowledge — but these figures are approximate and subject to change. For context, the lowest refinance rate currently available through Nook's partner banks is 5.99% p.a. That gap can translate into hundreds of thousands of pesos in interest saved over the life of a loan.

For example, on a loan of 4,000,000 over 20 years:

• At 8% p.a., your monthly repayment is approximately 33,458
• At 5.99% p.a., your monthly repayment drops to approximately 28,614
• That's a saving of roughly 4,844 per month, or over 1,162,500 across 20 years

If you're buying a new property, it's worth comparing Metrobank's offer with at least two or three other lenders before committing. If you already have a Metrobank home loan, it's also worth checking whether Metrobank's current interest rates still make sense for your situation — or whether refinancing through Nook could give you a better deal. Nook's service is completely free for borrowers.