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Applying for a mortgage

Getting a mortgage when self-employed

NatWest mortgages are available to over 18s. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Find out more about our mortgages for self-employed borrowers

Being self-employed comes with many responsibilities. The last thing you need is to worry about whether you can get a mortgage. To help, we’ve created a handy guide with tips on how to secure a mortgage when self-employed and what you can do to give yourself the best chance of being accepted.

When am I considered self-employed?

  • You’re considered self-employed if you currently own a 20% share or more in a business that contributes the majority of your income.
  • To meet mortgage requirements, lenders need a clear picture of your earnings. You’ll need to provide proof of your income over the past two years.

In this guide, we’ll take you through several tasks you can do to boost your chances of being accepted for your mortgage.

How to get a mortgage when self-employed

When applying with NatWest, there are three simple steps to follow to help you understand how much you could borrow and to help you secure a mortgage: 

  1. Check you have your supporting information ready to help us assess your eligibility
  2. Get an Agreement in Principle. It gives you a personalised indication of how much you could borrow and takes less than 10 minutes
  3. Select a mortgage and apply. You can either apply online or via appointment with one of our qualified mortgage professionals. Find out more about how to apply for a mortgage

Self-employed mortgage criteria

You can improve your chances of first time approval by following these self-employed mortgage tips below.

Provide two years income evidence

When applying with us, you'll need to provide evidence of your income from your self-employed business.

You'll need to provide at least two years' certified accounts, your SA302 form and tax year overview to help support your mortgage application.

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Save a generous deposit

The bigger your deposit, the more options you'll have.

With a lower Loan To Value (LTV) mortgage you will get a better mortgage rate, pay less interest each month and potentially pay off your mortgage quicker.

 

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Maintain a good credit score

Having a good credit score is very important when applying for a mortgage.

A high credit score means lenders will view you as a responsible borrower and they’ll be more likely to accept your application for a mortgage.

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Why not start an Agreement in Principle?

It takes less than 10 minutes, plus you can save and continue from where you left off.

More accurate than our mortgage calculator, because it's personalised to you.

Useful to show your estate agent that you're a serious buyer and gives you more confidence in the price of properties you can afford.

Does not impact your credit score

You're not committing to get a mortgage with us but, if you do want one, then you'll need an Agreement in Principle first.

Start an Agreement in Principle Open in new window

Help with common self-employed mortgage questions

Need some help?

Call us

We're on hand to arrange a phone or video call with one of our qualified mortgage professionals. We can also help with any general queries about the process. 

Call us on ${dn-0800 096 9527} 

Relay UK: 18001 0800 096 9527

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-4pm, Sun Closed. Excluding public holidays.

Buy to Let? We only provide Buy to Let mortgages online for small portfolio landlords.

  • Please use our tools and guidance designed to help you complete your mortgage application online.
  • We do not provide advice on Buy to Let mortgages but if you need technical help with your online application, get in touch so we can provide support.
  • If you are not a small portfolio landlord, or you wish to apply with a mortgage professional, NatWest Buy to Let mortgages are available via mortgage brokers.