What Documents Do You Need for a Mortgage in Canada?
A Canadian mortgage application needs 3 things proven: who you are, what you earn, and where your down payment came from. Everyone sends photo ID, 2 years of income records, 90 days of bank statements and the purchase contract, and the rest depends on how you're paid and what you're buying. Below are all 50 documents lenders can ask for, grouped by situation.
What documents does every mortgage application need?
Every lender asks for this core set, which confirms your identity, your income and the source of your down payment.
| Document | What it proves | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| 2 pieces of government photo ID | You are who the application says, under federal anti-money laundering rules | Your provincial ID office or Passport Canada |
| Social Insurance Number | Lets the lender run your credit check and match you with the Canada Revenue Agency | You need the number, not the card |
| Notice of Assessment, 2 years | The income you declared matches what you're claiming | Canada Revenue Agency My Account, under Tax Returns |
| 90 days of bank statements, every account | Where your down payment and closing costs came from | Online banking, as official PDF statements |
| Accepted purchase agreement | The price, deposit, conditions and completion date | Your realtor, after your offer is accepted |
| Home insurance binder | The home is insured from the day the lender funds | An insurance broker or insurer |
If you haven't filed your taxes, you can't get approved, and some lenders flag any balance still owing on your Notice of Assessment.
What income documents do salaried and hourly employees need?
Salaried and hourly borrowers send 2 years of T4 slips, 2 or 3 recent pay stubs and an employer letter, which together show 2 steady years and that you're still in the job.
| Document | What trips people up |
|---|---|
| T4 slips, 2 years | Send the copy your employer issued. The one printed from Canada Revenue Agency My Account leaves your name off, so lenders won't accept it, and it's the most common last-minute hold-up. |
| Pay stubs, 30 to 90 days | Some lenders want 30 days and others 90. Your name, employer and pay dates must show. |
| Employment letter | On letterhead, dated within 30 days, with a contact to verify it. It states your title, start date, pay and full-time or part-time status, and when any probation ends. |
If you changed jobs partway through the year, send every T4 from that year. If part of your pay is commission, lenders average it over 2 years from a payroll commission statement, and they treat the file differently once commission passes 25% of your pay.
What documents do self-employed borrowers need?
Self-employed borrowers send 2 full years of personal tax returns (the T1 General, with every schedule), both Notices of Assessment, and proof the business is registered and active. Lenders usually average your income over those 2 years, starting from line 15000.
- T1 General, 2 years: the full return, including all schedules. The summary page alone won't do.
- T2 corporate return, 2 years: if you're incorporated and pay yourself salary or dividends. Lenders read your personal and corporate returns together.
- Business financial statements: year to date plus 2 years, matching your T2. Some lenders want them from an accountant.
- Business licence or articles of incorporation: showing the business is registered and in good standing.
- Contracts or client letters: 2 or 3 letters showing value, length and a contact can strengthen a contractor's file.
Alternative lenders can be more flexible about what they'll accept. The self-employed mortgage guide covers how that choice works.
What do lenders need to see for your down payment?
Lenders need 90 days of official statements for every account your down payment comes from, and a paper trail for any deposit outside your normal pattern. Screenshots from a banking app aren't accepted, and every page of each statement has to be there, including the blank ones.
| Where the money comes from | What to send |
|---|---|
| Savings | 90 days of PDF statements showing your name, account number and every transaction |
| First Home Savings Account | The account statement. Contributions are $8,000 a year, up to $40,000 in total |
| RRSP through the Home Buyers' Plan | Your RRSP statement. You can withdraw up to $60,000 each, and the money has to sit in the RRSP for 90 days first |
| A gift from family | A gift letter signed by the giver saying no repayment is required, plus both bank statements showing the money leave their account and arrive in yours |
Tax refunds, bonuses and inheritances are common sources lenders accept once you show where each came from.
What property documents does the lender need?
For the home, the lender needs the listing sheet, the signed purchase agreement with every addendum, the property tax amount and insurance naming the lender. Property taxes go into the bank's affordability calculation, so they matter as much as the price.
- Strata documents (BC condos and townhomes): the Form B, bylaws, 2 years of minutes and the depreciation report. A low contingency fund can mean a special levy is coming.
- Home inspection: optional for the lender, though some won't fund if one finds major structural problems.
- Real property report (Alberta): a survey showing boundaries and buildings, usually with a municipal compliance stamp. In BC, title insurance usually takes its place.
- Well and septic inspections: for rural homes off city water or sewer.
Insurance must start before completion, name the lender as loss payee and cover the cost to rebuild.
Which government forms and exemptions apply in BC and Alberta?
In BC, your lawyer or notary files a property transfer tax return on every purchase. The tax is 1% on the first $200,000, 2% up to $2,000,000 and 3% above that. First-time buyers can be exempt on the first $500,000 when the home is worth $835,000 or less, with the exemption shrinking to zero at $860,000. Alberta has no land transfer tax, and your lawyer registers the transfer at Land Titles for a fee based on the price and the mortgage.
Withdrawing from a First Home Savings Account uses form RC725, and the money never has to be paid back. A Home Buyers' Plan withdrawal uses form T1036 and is repaid over 15 years, starting the 2nd year after you withdraw.
What ID and legal documents might you need?
The lender needs any legal document that changes what you owe or earn, such as a separation agreement or support order. Support you receive can count as income after 6 to 12 months of steady payments.
If you're not a Canadian citizen, add your permanent resident card or work permit. After a bankruptcy or consumer proposal, most major lenders want 2 years since discharge and rebuilt credit. Never email your SIN. Give it by phone or through a secure portal.
What documents do you need to renew, switch lenders or refinance?
To switch lenders or refinance, send your mortgage statement, this year's property tax bill, updated income documents and insurance naming the new lender. A refinance almost always adds an appraisal.
Your mortgage statement shows your maturity date, the day you can move without a penalty. Breaking early needs a payout statement, which can take 5 to 10 business days. Keep your insurance running with no gap and have the loss payee changed to the new lender. The mortgage renewal guide and the refinance and HELOC guide cover the decision itself.
How do you prove your income if you're new to Canada?
Some lenders have newcomer programs that accept a shorter Canadian work history than the usual 2 years. What they ask for varies by lender, but expect most of these:
- A job letter showing your position, salary, start date and whether you're past probation.
- Your most recent pay stubs from your Canadian employer.
- Your work permit or permanent resident card.
- Proof of your down payment, including statements showing money moved from an account outside Canada.
- A credit report from your home country or a reference letter from your bank there, if you have little Canadian credit yet.
Lenders differ a lot on newcomers, so we check which ones fit your status and job before anything is sent.
Frequently asked questions
How many years of income documents do I need for a mortgage?
- Most lenders want 2 years: T4 slips and Notices of Assessment if you're salaried, or 2 full T1 General returns and both Notices of Assessment if you're self-employed, because lenders usually average self-employed income over those 2 years.
Can I use the T4 I downloaded from Canada Revenue Agency My Account?
- Lenders usually won't accept it. The version printed from My Account leaves your name off the slip, and this is the most common reason a file gets held up at the last minute. Send the copy your employer issued through payroll.
What does a gift letter need to say?
- It states the amount, that the money is a gift and that no repayment is required, and the giver signs it. Gifts usually have to come from immediate family, and many lenders also want to see the money leave the giver's account and land in yours.
Do I have to show my income again when I renew?
- If you stay with your lender, usually not. If you switch or refinance, expect the same income documents as a purchase. A switch with the same balance and amortization no longer needs the stress test, though the new lender still checks you can carry the payments.