What Documents Do You Need to Refinance a Mortgage?
Missing paperwork is the main reason refinances drag. Here's the full list, why lenders want each item, and a few things that trip people up.
The core list
| Document | Why the lender wants it |
|---|---|
| Photo ID (passport or driver licence) | Identity checks required by anti-money-laundering law. |
| Proof of address | Same reason. A recent utility bill or bank statement usually does. |
| Latest payslips, usually two or three | Evidence of your current income. |
| Three months of bank statements for all accounts | To see income arriving, regular spending, and how you run your accounts. |
| Current home loan statements | Balance, rate, fixed-term end dates and repayment history. |
| Statements for other debts | Credit cards, car loans, student loan, buy-now-pay-later. |
| Rates notice and insurance certificate | Confirms the property details and that it's insured. |
Extras, depending on your situation
- Self-employed: two years of financial statements and tax returns, plus Inland Revenue summaries. See refinancing when self-employed.
- Rental properties: tenancy agreements or a property manager's statement, and a rental appraisal if the place is vacant.
- Recently changed jobs: your employment agreement.
- Trust-owned property: the trust deed and any variations.
- After a separation: the signed relationship property agreement.
- Borrowing more: something showing what it's for, such as a builder's quote.
Before you download anything
Three things in your statements matter more than people realise, and you can fix them ahead of time.
Unarranged overdrafts and dishonoured payments in the last three months make lenders nervous. If you can, wait until you have a clean run. Credit card limits count against you even at a zero balance, so cut limits you don't use. And buy-now-pay-later accounts show up as commitments, so clear and close them.
How you send them
We use a secure online upload, so you can photograph or download documents from your phone. Send complete statements, every page, with your name and account number visible. Cropped screenshots get rejected by lenders and cost days.
This article explains how New Zealand lenders generally assess these situations. It is general information, not personalised financial advice, and lender policy changes often — check your own position with a registered adviser. Official sources: Reserve Bank of New Zealand for lending policy and the OCR, and Sorted.org.nz for independent government-backed money guidance.
Refinance documents: common questions
Got your documents together?
Start with the basics: your lender, balance and fixed-rate end date. We'll tell you exactly which documents your situation needs and nothing more.
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