Organisation : Housing & Development Board Singapore
Facility Name : HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter
Country : Singapore
Website : https://www.hdb.gov.sg/residential/buying-a-flat/understanding-your-eligibility-and-housing-loan-options/application-for-an-hdb-flat-eligibility-hfe-letter
How to Apply for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter?
Here is an overview of the HFE letter application process.
To better understand the steps on how to apply for an HFE letter, you may view our step-by-step guide or watch the videos below.
Step 1: Preliminary HFE Check
Step 2: Apply for an HFE Letter
Buying a new or resale HDB flat? Apply for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter to commence your home buying journey.
The HFE letter informs you of your eligibility for flat purchase, CPF housing grants and an HDB housing loan. It’s a 3-in-1 application done upfront, to help you proceed smoothly with your home buying journey.
It takes about 21 working days, or about 1 month, to process an HFE letter application after HDB receives all the required documents. Processing time is longer during peak periods, such as on or around sales launch dates.
There are just 2 steps to apply for an HFE Letter:
Step 1: Preliminary HFE Check. Based on the information you provide, you will receive a quick overview of your eligibility to buy an HDB flat, receive CPF housing grants, and take up an HDB housing loan. This is a preliminary assessment to guide your financial planning. If you have decided to buy a flat, proceed to the next step to apply for an HFE Letter.
Step 2: Apply for an HFE Letter. Note that you will need to apply for an HFE Letter within 30 calendar days of starting the Preliminary HFE Check. If not, you will need to start the Preliminary HFE Check afresh. You can use your HFE Letter to work out your flat budget before beginning your home search.
If you can, apply for the HFE Letter within the same calendar month that you started the Preliminary HFE Check. Otherwise, you will need to update the employment details for all persons listed in your application.
You will be guided along both Step 1 and Step 2 by the HDB Flat Portal. Remember to have the required information (e.g. Singpass login info and details of all applicants and/ or occupiers) ready for a smoother process.
Read on to understand what you need to note for each step in the HFE process.
Step 1: Preliminary HFE Check
** Provide your household particulars and income details
** Submit declarations
** State housing loan intent
** Review details and receive preliminary HFE assessment
Step 2: Apply for an HFE Letter
** Choose loan options
** Provide additional details
** Review details
** Upload documents
** Submit application
Submit application :
After you have uploaded the required documents and submitted your application, you will see an acknowledgment page. HDB will contact you if any additional information is required for your application. To check the status of your application, you can log in to the HDB Flat Portal at any time.
Typically, HDB will send you the HFE Letter within 21 working days of receiving your complete application though the processing time may be longer during peak periods, such as in the months of and before a sales launch.
If you applied for an IPA from the participating FIs, they will liaise with you directly on the outcome of your IPA application. You will be able to confirm the FI’s loan offer through the HDB Flat Portal after securing a flat.
Receive HFE Letter :
When your HFE Letter is ready, you will be notified via SMS to log in to the HDB Flat Portal.
Documents :
When you apply for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter, you will be guided to retrieve your information from Myinfo to minimise form-filling and submission of documents. Nevertheless, in some cases, supporting documents may still be required and you will be informed accordingly.
For example, if you are holding more than 1 job, you need to provide the supporting documents for each of your employment/ trade. We may also request additional documents for HDB’s verification and assessment.
For a smoother application process, do ensure that all the following before uploading your documents:
All files are in PDF, JPG or PNG format, and are not encrypted
Each file is up to 5 MB and the total size of all files is up to 40 MB
The file names have only alphabets, numbers, spaces, dashes (‘_’), hyphens (‘-‘) or full stops (‘.’)
FAQ on HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter
Do I need to pay to apply for an HFE letter?
No. It is free of charge.
What is the processing time of the HFE letter application?
The processing time is within 21 working days upon HDB’s receipt of the completed application and all required information. It is expected to be longer during peak periods, such as in the month(s) of an HDB sales launch, and just before and after that. Flat buyers are advised to apply for an HFE letter early, taking into account the processing time required by HDB after receipt of your HFE letter application and all the required information.
How would I know when the HFE letter is issued to me?
HDB will notify you via SMS when your HFE letter is available for viewing on the HDB Flat Portal. Log in to the HDB Flat Portal to check the status of your HFE letter application and view your HFE letter (when ready) by selecting My Flat Dashboard > I am a new/resale flat buyer.
What is the validity period of an HFE letter?
An HFE letter is valid for 6 months from the date of issue.
Can I request to extend the validity period of the HFE letter?
As the information provided to HDB in the earlier HFE letter application may be dated, HDB is unable to extend the validity of an HFE letter. Please submit a fresh application for an HFE letter.