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Most remortgage applications ask for a fairly standard set of documents: proof of who you are and where you live, evidence of your income, recent bank statements, and details of your existing mortgage. If you’re self-employed or have something on your credit file, a little extra paperwork can help things move more smoothly.
What documents do you need to remortgage?
The exact list varies by lender, but the following covers what most applications ask for. Having these ready before you apply, rather than gathering them once asked, tends to speed the process up.
Proof of identity and address
Lenders need to confirm who you are, typically with a passport or driving licence, and confirm where you live, usually with a recent utility bill, council tax bill, or bank statement showing your address. Being on the electoral register at your current address also helps lenders verify your identity during this stage.
Proof of income
If you’re employed, this usually means recent payslips, often the last 3 months, and sometimes a P60 or an employer’s reference. If you’re self-employed, the requirements are different, and our self-employed bad credit remortgage page covers this in detail.
| Employment type | Typically needed |
|---|---|
| Employed | Recent payslips, P60, sometimes an employer reference |
| Self-employed (sole trader/partnership) | 2 years’ accounts or SA302s with tax year overviews (some lenders accept 1 year) |
| Company director | Salary and dividend evidence; some lenders also consider retained profits |
| Contractor | Evidence of day rate and contract history |
Bank statements and outgoings
Most lenders ask for 3 to 6 months of bank statements, to check income matches what you’ve declared and to review your regular outgoings as part of affordability assessment. This is also where a lender may notice existing credit commitments, so it’s worth reviewing your own statements first if you’re not sure what they’ll show.
Your existing mortgage details
You’ll need your current mortgage account number and lender details, since your solicitor uses this to request a redemption statement, the figure needed to pay off your old mortgage on completion day. A recent mortgage statement usually has everything needed.
Documents if you’re self-employed
Alongside 2 years’ accounts or SA302 tax calculations with tax year overviews (some lenders will consider 1 year), self-employed applicants may also be asked for business bank statements, an accountant’s reference, or evidence of upcoming contracts if income varies. Preparing these in advance is one of the most useful things a self-employed applicant with adverse credit can do, since it gives a lender a fuller picture than the credit file alone.
How long does it take to gather these documents?
Most of the documents above are things you can usually get hold of within a few days: recent payslips or bank statements from online banking, a mortgage statement from your lender’s app or portal, and ID you likely already have. Accounts or SA302s can take longer if you need to request them from an accountant or HMRC, so it’s worth starting this earlier if you’re self-employed. Having everything ready before you formally apply, rather than gathering it piece by piece once asked, is one of the simplest ways to keep a remortgage application moving.
What if you can’t provide a specific document?
Sometimes a document simply isn’t available, for example if you’ve changed jobs recently and don’t have 3 months of payslips yet, or you’ve misplaced an old mortgage statement. This doesn’t automatically stop an application, but it’s worth flagging early rather than late: a lender or adviser can often suggest an alternative, such as a different form of income evidence or requesting a duplicate statement directly from your existing lender.
What extra documents help if you have bad credit?
Nothing extra is strictly required, but a few things can help a lender or adviser assess your situation more accurately:
- Evidence a CCJ or default is satisfied, such as a certificate of satisfaction or a letter from the creditor confirming settlement.
- A short written explanation of what happened and when, particularly if the adverse credit relates to a specific, resolved event rather than an ongoing pattern.
- Your own statutory credit report, pulled in advance from Experian, Equifax or TransUnion, so there are no surprises during underwriting.
- IVA or bankruptcy paperwork, such as confirmation from your supervisor if you’re still in an IVA, or your discharge date if you’ve been through bankruptcy.
What this means if you’re remortgaging with adverse credit
Preparing documents thoroughly matters more when your credit file isn’t clean, because it gives an underwriter context they wouldn’t get from the credit file alone. Pulling your own report first means you can explain anything unexpected before a lender flags it, rather than after. If you’re also dealing with existing debts, gathering accurate figures on what’s owed helps a specialist adviser compare remortgaging against alternatives properly, and free guidance from MoneyHelper can help you get a clear picture of your finances first.
If you’re not sure whether a particular piece of paperwork is worth including, it rarely hurts to bring it to your first conversation with a specialist adviser and let them tell you what’s actually needed for your circumstances, rather than leaving it out and hoping it doesn’t come up.
For the full application sequence these documents fit into, see how to remortgage with bad credit, step by step.
Frequently asked questions
What proof of income do I need to remortgage?
Employed applicants typically provide recent payslips and a P60. Self-employed applicants commonly need 2 years’ accounts or SA302 tax calculations with tax year overviews, though some lenders consider 1 year. Bank statements and proof of any other income, such as bonuses, may also be requested.
Do I need my old mortgage statements to remortgage?
Yes, lenders and your solicitor usually need your current mortgage statement or account number to arrange redemption of the old loan on completion, showing what’s currently owed. If you can’t find a recent one, your existing lender can usually provide a duplicate on request.
What documents help if I have a CCJ or default?
It’s useful to have evidence of the current status, such as a certificate of satisfaction for a paid CCJ, or a letter confirming a default was settled. This isn’t always required, but it can help explain your file if a lender asks.
Do I need proof of a deposit to remortgage?
No, remortgaging doesn’t use a cash deposit. There’s no deposit document to provide; what lenders assess instead is your loan to value, based on a valuation of your property and your existing mortgage balance. This is one of the main differences between remortgaging and buying a home for the first time.