How to apply for a mortgage.

Applying for your first mortgage doesn’t need to be intimidating. Find out what’s involved in the mortgage application process, including the documents you’ll need to provide. When you’re ready, our mortgage specialists can guide you through the process step-by-step.

Collect your documents.

You can prepare for your mortgage application appointment by gathering the documents you’ll need to submit ahead of time.

Income and employment validation

You’ll need to provide information about your income and employment. To find out which documents to bring based on your circumstances, read our home-lending document checklist (pdf).

Be prepared to provide documentation that shows you have worked full-time in Canada for a minimum of three months. If you are in the country on a work visa, you must provide valid documentation or verification of your landed immigrant status.

Down payment confirmation

Bring all of the following that apply to you:

• At least three months of statements from the bank account that contains your down payment funds
• Firm sales agreement, if the source is from sale of a property
• Indigenous Services Canada grants
• Gift letter (a form provided by your mortage specialist that you can fill out), if part of your down payment is from immediate family with no repayment required

Applying for pre-approval?

You only need the above to start. You won't need the documents in the steps below until after you've found your new home.

Documents associated with your property

Bring all of the following that apply to your sale:

• Purchase and Sale Agreement (including any addendums)
• Property disclosure statement
• Current listing on MLS (provided by your realtor); this is distinct from a public listing on Realtor.ca or other third-party websites
• Assignment of Purchase and Sales Agreement (including the original Purchase and Sales Agreement)
• Most recent mortgage statement (for refinance and transfer-in)
• Certificate of Possession

Home insurance coverage

To make sure you’re adequately protected, we’ll ask you for information on any home insurance coverage for fire, theft and liability that you currently have in place.

Want to print this checklist? Download the pdf.