Documents for the bank when buying a home: your complete checklist

What the bank asks for depends on the bank and on you. An employee on a fixed salary can often document their finances more simply than someone who is self-employed, paid on commission or already owns several homes.

So use the list here as preparation. The bank's specific request is the final checklist.

In brief

• The bank must carry out an individual and specific creditworthiness assessment (kreditværdighedsvurdering) before it can grant a home loan.^[1]
• The assessment is based on, among other things, information about income, expenses, debt and other financial circumstances.
• You must provide correct and complete information. If the information is insufficient, the bank cannot complete the assessment and grant the loan.^[1]
• Typical documents are payslips (lønsedler), the annual tax statement (årsopgørelse), a budget, a debt overview and documentation of savings.
• The number of payslips and the period the bank wants to see can vary.
• Self-employed income, bonuses, letting, a change of job and foreign income often require more documentation.
• Send sensitive information through the bank's secure channel, not ordinary email, unless the bank has expressly told you to.

Why does the bank ask for documentation?

The bank must show it is likely that you can pay interest, repayments (afdrag) and fees without your finances coming under irresponsible pressure.

That takes more than an estimate of your pay. The Danish FSA (Finanstilsynet) states that a creditworthiness assessment must be based on adequate information about the consumer's income, expenses and debt.^[2]

The bank uses the information to calculate, among other things:

• Disposable income (rådighedsbeløb)
• Debt-to-income ratio (gældsfaktor)
• Net worth (formue)
• Financing need
• Down payment (udbetaling) and buffer
• Your finances after the purchase

So the documentation is not just an appendix at the end. It is part of the basis for the bank's overall assessment.

Your complete document list

The bank can typically ask for material in these areas:

The list is no guarantee that the bank will ask for all of it, nor that it will settle for this alone.

Documentation of income

For permanently employed staff, the bank will often start with recent payslips and tax information.

This can include:

• Most recent payslips
• Most recent annual tax statement
• Preliminary income assessment (forskudsopgørelse)
• Employment contract if you have a new job
• Documentation of fixed allowances
• Pension details, if the pension is part of your pay package

Some banks publish lists with the three most recent payslips as a starting point. That is the practice of the individual bank, not a universal legal requirement.^[3]

If you have changed job, are on probation or have varying working hours, the bank may ask for a longer history or further documentation.

Bonuses, commission and other variable income

Income can land in your account without necessarily being counted in full in the bank's calculation.

This applies, for example, to:

• Bonuses
• Commission
• Overtime
• Temporary positions
• Fees
• B-income (B-indkomst, income without tax deducted at source)
• Letting
• Income from securities

The bank may look at how stable the income has been, whether it can be documented and whether it is expected to continue.

Relevant material can be payslips over a longer period, contracts, annual tax statements and an explanation of how the income arises.

Documentation of expenses and spending

The bank also needs to understand the other side of your finances.

A budget can bring together:

• Current housing costs
• Electricity, water and heating
• Insurance
• Car and transport
• Childcare and after-school care (SFO)
• Phone, internet and subscriptions
• Repayments on debt
• Fixed costs for medicine or treatment
• Annual and quarterly bills spread across the months

Account transactions can be used to check whether the budget matches your actual finances. The Danish FSA's guidance highlights actual fixed expenses and the need for documentation when the information would otherwise rest solely on simple declarations.^[2]

Also read the guide on your budget before buying a home and disposable income.

Documentation of debt and credit

All debt is relevant, even when it is not held at the bank you are talking to.

This can be:

• Student loan debt
• Car loans
• Consumer loans
• Credit card debt
• Overdraft
• Instalment purchases
• Private or family loans
• Outstanding debt from a previous home
• Debt abroad

The bank may ask for the balance, interest rate, monthly payment (ydelse) and remaining term.

An unused credit limit can also be relevant. Ask the bank how it is treated in the calculation, rather than only stating the amount currently drawn.

The debt affects your debt-to-income ratio, your net worth and your disposable income alike.

Documentation of savings and net worth

Savings are not only the down payment. The bank also looks at what the money has to cover and what is left after the purchase.

Relevant material can be:

• Account statements
• Savings accounts
• Securities accounts
• Documentation of equity
• Net proceeds calculation (provenuberegning) if you are selling your current home
• Documentation of a gift or family loan
• Other assets the bank can value

If a large transfer has just come in, the bank may ask where the money comes from. It can therefore be worth keeping the deed of gift, loan document or sale documents.

Read more about the difference between net worth and a down payment on a home.

If you are self-employed

Self-employed income can vary more and can be split between salary, profit and the business's own finances.

The bank may therefore ask for:

• Annual accounts
• Current interim accounts
• The business's budget
• Tax information
• Details of ownership share and company type
• Documentation of salary or dividends
• Contracts or order book
• Details of the business's debt

How many years and which documents are relevant depends on the business and the bank's assessment.

The most important thing is to separate your personal finances clearly from the business's finances.

If you are buying together

When you buy a home together, the bank will normally ask for information from both buyers.

This also applies if:

• One of you earns significantly more
• Only one of you has existing debt
• The savings are in one account
• One of you is self-employed
• You split the expenses differently

The bank must be able to see who owns the assets, who is liable for the debt and which incomes can be used as a basis.

A shared folder can make the overview easier, but each document should still be traceable to the right person.

Information about the home

An early preliminary purchase approval (købsgodkendelse) can be based on a price range. When you find a specific home, the bank also needs to know the home's own figures.

This can be:

• Address and purchase price
• Sales listing
• Owner costs
• Property taxes
• Expected heating and utility use
• Owners' association or homeowners' association
• Maintenance needs
• Preferred handover day (overtagelsesdag)
• Purchase agreement (købsaftale), if one has been drawn up

Two homes at the same price can have different monthly costs. That is why the specific home can change the bank's calculation.

If you already own a home

The bank may also ask for:

• Outstanding debt and loan terms
• Most recent valuation or expected sale price
• Net proceeds calculation
• Estate agency agreement (formidlingsaftale)
• Purchase agreement if a sale is under way
• Costs for a period with two homes

Expected equity is not the same as available cash. Sale price, debt and selling costs must first be brought together in a specific net proceeds figure.

How to organise the material

A simple structure could be:

1. Income
2. Expenses and budget
3. Debt
4. Savings and net worth
5. Pension and insurance
6. Current home
7. New home
8. Special explanations

Use clear file names, for example `Payslip_Alexandra_August_2026.pdf` instead of `scan004.pdf`.

Also check:

• That the whole document is included
• That name and period can be read
• That balance and loan number have not been cut off
• That the material is up to date
• That images are not blurred

Share the documents securely

Payslips, bank statements and tax information contain sensitive personal and financial information.

Use the bank's online banking, mobile banking, document portal or another secure channel the bank has specified. Avoid sending a complete folder of your finances by ordinary email if the bank offers a secure solution.

Only share the material with the parties who have a specific need for it.

What happens if something is missing?

Insufficient information can mean the bank cannot complete the creditworthiness assessment.^[1]

That is not necessarily the same as a final rejection. The bank may ask for:

• A more recent document
• A longer period
• An explanation of an item
• Documentation from another lender
• An updated budget
• Material about the specific home

Feel free to ask the bank whether a request replaces an earlier version, or whether both documents should be kept on file.

Practical checklist for the bank meeting

Income

• Recent payslips or other documentation of income
• Most recent annual tax statement and, if relevant, preliminary income assessment
• Employment contract if you have a new job
• Documentation of bonuses, commission or B-income

Expenses

• Updated budget
• Annual and quarterly expenses spread across the months
• Relevant account transactions or fixed bills

Debt

• Overview of all loans and credit facilities
• Current outstanding debt
• Interest rate, monthly payment and term, if the bank asks for them
• Private loans and debt at other banks or in other countries

Savings and net worth

• Account statements
• Investment account or other investments
• Equity or net proceeds calculation
• Documentation of a gift or family loan

The purchase

• Price level or specific sales listing
• Expected down payment
• Purchase costs and buffer
• Information about your current home

Common misunderstandings

The bank always requires three payslips

Not necessarily. Three payslips is a common starting point at several banks, but the period can be shorter or longer.

The bank can see everything because I am already a customer

Not necessarily. Income, debt and assets can be held elsewhere, and the bank can still ask for documentation and confirmation.

Only the new mortgage debt needs to be disclosed

No. Existing loans, credit facilities and private debt are also part of the assessment.

An account overview is the same as a budget

No. The account shows the history. The budget brings together expected income and expenses after the purchase.

Complete documentation automatically means a yes

No. The material makes it possible for the bank to carry out the assessment. It does not decide the outcome in advance.

The bank must approve the case within a set time

No. The time depends on the bank, the case, the material and the specific home.

In summary

Documentation makes your finances visible to the bank.

Gather your income, expenses, debt and savings, but avoid locking yourself into one standard list. The bank may need more or less depending on your finances and the home you want to buy.

When the material matches your budget, it becomes easier to understand which figures the bank uses and what, if anything, is missing.

See your first overall purchase budget in the Purchase Budget calculator.

You can also use the checklist for preparing for the bank meeting.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. The bank carries out the final creditworthiness assessment.

Frequently asked questions