What documents do you need for a mortgage pre-approval?
None with Preqly. Everywhere else, a stack of them. Here is the full list, so you know what you are avoiding or preparing for.
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Document load
Document load
What each route asks for
A Preqly pre-approval needs no documents. Income and assets are checked from a read-only connection to accounts you already use.
Traditional lenders ask for the list below. It is worth knowing either way, because documents come back later at the full application stage.
Document load, Preqly versus traditional
What each route asks you to gather
A Preqly pre-approval needs no documents. Traditional lenders ask for six to ten items.
The standard list
What lenders normally ask for
Most of these exist to prove two things: what you earn, and what you have saved.
| Document | What it proves | Usual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pay stubs | Current income | Most recent 30 days |
| W-2 forms | Annual earnings history | Last two years |
| Tax returns | Full income picture | Last two years, all schedules |
| Bank statements | Assets and where they came from | Two to three months, every page |
| Photo ID | Identity | Driver licence or passport |
| Gift letter | Down payment help is a gift | If applicable |
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
Special cases
When the list gets longer
Self-employed
Two years of returns with all schedules, often plus a year-to-date profit and loss. Lenders use net income after deductions, not revenue.
Commission or bonus income
Usually a two-year history before it can be counted at all.
Rental income
Lease agreements and the relevant tax schedule showing the income.
Recently divorced
The decree, plus proof of any support paid or received.
Retirement income
Award letters and recent statements from each source.
Large recent deposits
Written explanation and a paper trail for anything unusual.
Later on
When documents come back
The full application
Documents are collected here even though none were needed for your letter. A loan officer will send a list.
Condition items
The underwriter may want explanations or extra pages. Returning these the same day is the best thing you can do for your timeline.
A final look
Employment and credit are re-verified. Nothing new is usually needed unless something changed.
Worth doing anyway
Getting your paperwork in order early
Preqly needs no documents for a pre-approval, but documents return at full application after your offer is accepted. Gathering them before you shop turns a stressful week into an afternoon.
Keep every page of each bank statement, including pages that look blank. Underwriters reject partial statements routinely, and a missing page three restarts the request.
Save documents with clear filenames as you go, and keep a note explaining any deposit that is not payroll. Money arriving without an explanation has to be sourced later regardless, and reconstructing it from memory months afterwards is the hard way.
Questions
Common questions
What documents do I need for a mortgage pre-approval?
None with Preqly. Income and assets are verified through a read-only bank connection. Traditional lenders typically ask for pay stubs, W-2s, two years of tax returns and recent bank statements.
Do I need tax returns to get pre-approved?
Not with Preqly. Most traditional lenders want two years, with all schedules, particularly if you are self-employed.
How many bank statements do lenders want?
Usually two to three months, and every page even if a page is blank. They are checking your assets and where the money came from.
What is a gift letter?
A written statement confirming that money from a family member toward your down payment is a gift and not a loan. Most programs require one.
Will I need documents later even if I skip them now?
Yes. Documents are collected at the full application stage after an accepted offer.
Keep reading
Related guides
Mortgage pre-approval
The full guide to the letter and how to use it.
How long it takes
Where the days go at a traditional lender.
Self-employed borrowers
How net income after deductions works.
Independent sources
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the documents lenders request
See your real number
Verified income and assets, in about 90 seconds.
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