What Documents Do Banks Require for Home Loan Refinancing 2026?

Most Philippine banks group refinancing requirements into four categories. Here is a full breakdown:

Personal Documents

• Duly accomplished loan application form (bank-specific)
• Two valid government-issued photo IDs (primary and secondary)
• Marriage Certificate (if married) or Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) if single — issued by PSA
• Proof of billing address (utility bill or bank statement, not older than 3 months)

Income Documents

• For employed: latest 1-3 months payslips, Certificate of Employment with compensation, ITR (BIR Form 2316) for the last 1-2 years
• For self-employed: DTI or SEC registration, latest 2 years ITR with audited financial statements, 6 months bank statements

Property Documents

• Original or Certified True Copy of the Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) or Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT)
• Updated Tax Declaration for land and improvements
• Latest Real Property Tax (RPT) receipt and clearance
• Vicinity map and floor plan (some banks require this)

Existing Loan Documents

• Original loan statement or billing statement from your current bank
• Statement of Account (SOA) showing outstanding balance and remaining term
• Proof that loan is current and in good standing (no arrears)

Nook provides borrowers with a personalized document checklist specific to each bank you are applying to, so nothing gets missed.

Banks typically require at least two valid IDs — one primary and one secondary. Here are the most commonly accepted IDs:

Primary IDs (any one of the following)

• Philippine Passport
• SSS / GSIS Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID)
• PhilHealth ID
• Driver's License
• PRC Professional Regulation Card
• Voter's ID or Voter's Registration Form
• National ID (PhilSys ID)

Secondary IDs (commonly accepted)

• Company / Employee ID
• Postal ID
• Senior Citizen's ID
• PWD ID
• TIN Card

All IDs must be current and not expired. Banks will typically request photocopies of both front and back, and some branches may require you to present originals for verification. The Philippine National ID (PhilSys ID) is increasingly being accepted as a standalone primary ID across all major banks including BDO, BPI, Metrobank, and Security Bank.

If you are employed — whether in a private company or the government — banks require proof of stable, regular income. Here is what you will typically need to prepare:

• Certificate of Employment (COE): Must be on company letterhead, signed by HR or an authorized officer, and state your position, employment status (regular/permanent), length of service, and monthly compensation. Issued within the last 3 months.
• Latest 1-3 months payslips: Must show your name, employer name, payroll period, gross pay, deductions, and net pay. Digital payslips are usually accepted if they bear the company logo.
• BIR Form 2316 (Certificate of Compensation Payment/Tax Withheld): Banks usually ask for the most recent 1 to 2 years. This confirms your annual taxable income.
• Income Tax Return (ITR / BIR Form 1700): Some banks — particularly Metrobank and Security Bank — ask for this in addition to Form 2316, especially for higher loan amounts.
• 6 months bank statements: Showing your salary credited regularly. This is increasingly required even for employed borrowers applying for larger loan amounts.

If you have a co-borrower (such as a spouse), you will need to provide their income documents as well. Having a co-borrower with strong income can improve your chances of approval and may qualify you for a better rate.

Self-employed borrowers — including business owners, freelancers, and professionals in private practice — face a slightly more involved income documentation process. Here is what most banks require:

• DTI Certificate of Registration (for sole proprietors) or SEC Registration and Articles of Incorporation (for corporations and partnerships)
• Business permits and Mayor's permit — current year
• Latest 2 years audited financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement) signed by a licensed CPA
• Latest 2 years ITR (BIR Form 1701) with official BIR stamp or eFPS filing confirmation
• 6 months bank statements for both personal and business accounts, showing regular cash inflows
• List of trade references or major clients — optional but strengthens the application

Banks assess self-employed income differently from employed income. They typically look at your average monthly net income over the past two years rather than a single monthly figure. If your declared income on your ITR is lower than your actual cash flow, this can hurt your qualifying loan amount — something a mortgage broker like Nook can help you navigate by matching you to the most favorable bank for your income profile.

Your property is the collateral for the refinanced loan, so banks will scrutinize its title and valuation carefully. Prepare the following:

• Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) — for house and lot — or Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT) — for condo units. This must be a Certified True Copy (CTC) issued by the Registry of Deeds. Banks will order their own appraisal but need this to confirm ownership and check for encumbrances.
• Updated Tax Declaration for land and for the building/improvements — issued by the local Assessor's Office
• Latest Real Property Tax (RPT) Official Receipt — proof that property taxes are paid up to date
• Real Property Tax Clearance — some banks require this instead of or in addition to the receipt
• Vicinity map — a sketch or Google Maps print showing the property location relative to major landmarks or roads
• Floor plan or house plan — some banks, particularly for larger loan amounts, require an as-built plan
• Deed of Absolute Sale (DOAS) — if you are a recent buyer, the bank may ask for this to confirm acquisition value

If you are refinancing a condo unit in a specific development, additional requirements may apply. For example, the Homeowners' Association (HOA) or condominium corporation may need to issue a certificate confirming no outstanding dues. You can read more about property-specific requirements in our guide on how to refinance your condo loan in BGC.

Banks need to see the details of the loan you are refinancing — primarily to confirm the outstanding balance, the remaining term, and that the loan is in good standing. Prepare these:

• Statement of Account (SOA): Issued by your current lender, showing the outstanding principal balance, accrued interest, remaining loan term, and current interest rate. This is one of the most important documents — request it from your current bank as early as possible as some lenders take 5-10 business days to generate it.
• Latest monthly billing or amortization statement: Shows your current monthly payment and confirms the loan is active
• Proof of payment / payment history: Bank-certified payment records or a letter from the current lender confirming the loan is current with no arrears. Some banks accept 12 months of passbook entries or digital payment screenshots.
• Original Loan Agreement or Mortgage Contract: Not all banks require this, but some ask for it to verify the original loan terms
• Pag-IBIG loan documents: If you are refinancing a Pag-IBIG housing loan, you will also need your Pag-IBIG Member ID, MDF (Member Data Form), and a certified loan balance from your Pag-IBIG branch or the Pag-IBIG Fund portal. See our complete guide on refinancing from Pag-IBIG to private banks for the full process.

Having at least 12 months of clean payment history significantly increases your approval chances and gives you stronger negotiating power for a lower interest rate.

Yes. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have a slightly different set of income documents since standard COEs and local payslips do not apply. Here is what banks typically require for OFW borrowers:

• Valid Passport with relevant entry/exit stamps or visas
• POEA-approved Employment Contract or Offer of Employment — showing salary, contract duration, and employer details
• OFW ID / iDOLE Card — issued by OWWA
• OWWA Membership Certificate
• Latest 3-6 months remittance records — bank statements or remittance receipts showing regular money transfers to the Philippines
• 6 months Philippine bank statements of the account where remittances are received
• Certificate of Employment from the foreign employer (translated into English if in another language, with apostille if required by the bank)
• Special Power of Attorney (SPA): A notarized SPA authorizing a local representative (usually a spouse or parent) to sign documents and transact on behalf of the OFW. This is required by most banks when the OFW cannot be physically present.

The SPA must typically be executed at a Philippine Embassy or Consulate abroad and notarized accordingly. Some banks accept an SPA notarized locally before the OFW departs, as long as it is recent. Nook can advise on exactly what format each bank will accept.

Ideally, start gathering documents at least 4-6 weeks before you plan to formally submit your application. Here is why:

• Some documents take time to obtain. A Certified True Copy of your TCT from the Registry of Deeds can take 1-2 weeks in busy offices. Your Statement of Account from your current lender may take up to 10 business days. PSA documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate) ordered online typically take 3-7 business days for delivery.
• Some documents expire quickly. Your Certificate of Employment, billing statements, and bank-certified SOA are typically only valid for 30-90 days from the date of issue. Timing matters — gather these last, once your other documents are ready.
• Audited financial statements may need to be prepared. Self-employed borrowers who do not have updated AFS on hand may need to engage a CPA, which can take 2-4 weeks.
• Bank appraisal takes time. Once your documents are submitted, the bank will order a property appraisal. This typically takes 1-2 weeks on its own.

A realistic timeline from document preparation to loan release is 6-10 weeks for most refinancing transactions. Nook can help compress this by submitting to multiple banks simultaneously and flagging any document issues early — before they cause a rejection.

An incomplete application is one of the most common reasons for refinancing delays — and occasionally outright rejections. Here is what typically happens:

• The bank issues a deficiency notice. Most banks will not reject an application immediately for missing documents. Instead, they will issue a letter or email listing the missing items and give you a window (usually 7-15 business days) to submit them.
• The application clock pauses. Processing timelines generally do not run while you are gathering missing documents. This means a 30-day approval process can stretch to 60 days or more if there are multiple follow-up rounds.
• Critical documents can cause rejection. If you cannot produce a key document — such as a clean SOA proving your loan is current — some banks will decline the application rather than hold it indefinitely.
• Incomplete income documents can affect the loan amount approved. If your income cannot be fully verified, the bank may approve a lower loan amount than you applied for.

The best strategy is to submit a complete, organized application from day one. Nook reviews every document set before submission to catch gaps early — which is one of the key reasons borrowers who apply through Nook tend to get faster approvals than those who apply to banks directly.

Yes — while the core requirements are largely consistent across Philippine banks, each lender has its own specific forms, formats, and additional requirements. Here are some notable differences:

• BDO requires its own loan application form and typically asks for 3 months of payslips and bank statements. They are also particular about having the COE signed by a VP-level or above officer.
• BPI has one of the more streamlined digital submission processes and may accept scanned documents for initial evaluation before asking for originals.
• Metrobank often requires a separate property information form and sometimes requests a marriage settlement or pre-nuptial agreement if applicable.
• Security Bank is known for more flexible income assessment for self-employed borrowers but requires more supporting financial documents as a result.
• PNB and Landbank tend to have slightly more paperwork for government employees and may require additional certifications for plantilla positions.
• Pag-IBIG (HDMF) has its own standardized refinancing forms entirely separate from commercial banks, including the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan Application (HQP-HLF-068) and supporting schedules.

Rather than preparing a separate document set for each bank you want to approach, Nook prepares a single master document package and tailors it to each lender's specific requirements — saving you significant time and effort. This is especially useful if you want to compare offers from multiple banks before committing to a refinancing deal.