The HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter replaces the HDB Loan Eligibility (HLE) letter from May 9 2023 onwards, and is meant to provide a more holistic assessment of the eligibility of HDB Buyers for housing grants and HDB/Bank Loans.
Do note that buyers must have a valid HFE Letter in order to purchase a New HDB Flat or a Resale HDB Flat.
HDB will issue the approved HFE letter within 21 working days.
The HFE letter is valid for 9 months from the date of issue.
Read More : HDB to streamline home-buying process by consolidating eligibility assessments
Read More : HDB | Application for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter, HDB Website
Read More : Validity of HDB flat eligibility letters to be extended to 9 months
Read More : HDB Extends Validity Period of HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter from 6 to 9 Months
The HFE Check is the first step in the assessment process, and is meant to give the buyer a quick snapshot on their eligibility for grants and whether they can apply for an HDB Loan
After this step, the Buyers are required to proceed to apply for an HFE Letter.
Buyers must have a valid HFE Letter in order to purchase a New Flat or a Resale Flat
It provides a more formal assessment and confirmation of eligibility for grants and loans
During the process, buyers are provided with the options to also receive an IPA (In-Principle Assessment) from 6 banks on their bank loan eligibility and amount
Buyers can expect to receive the HFE Letter within 21 working days, and it is valid for 9 months from the date of issue.
If your HFE Letter is about to expire, you will receive an SMS notification to remind you to re-apply for the HFE.
SECTION 1
Access https://homes.hdb.gov.sg/home/landing
Select "HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter" and login with your Singpass information
You can choose to allow MyInfo to retrieve your personal information directly
Key in your employment details and income information.
The income information required would be for a 12-month period, 2 months preceding the month of application
In the above screenshot, the application was done in the month of June 2023, hence the income information needed was for May 2022, ending Apr 2023 (2 months prior to the month of application).
Indicate if you will be taking up a housing loan, and key in your current monthly loan commitments.
Understand more about your Flat Budget here
View a summary of the information you have submitted and check to ensure all fields are correct before proceeding.
Review the Preliminary Results of your HFE Assessment.
Scroll down the page and under the "Next Steps" section, click on the Apply button.
SECTION 2
Do ensure that you have completed Section 1 above before proceeding to this section.
If you had clicked on the "Apply" button in Step 8 of the previous section, you will be greeted with the following screen.
Alternatively, if you are completing the HFE Letter application in another login session, begin by accessing the page https://homes.hdb.gov.sg/home/landing
And click on the Login button at the top right hand corner.
Ensure that the correct Loan Option is selected, based on your needs
Review the loan guidelines and select a loan provider.
You can opt to apply for an IPA directly from the banks or mortgage advisor; it is not compulsory to go through the HFE Portal for an IPA.
Check the above checkbox if you do not wish to apply for IPA using the HFE portal.
At the next screen, you can choose to use your SingPass login to populate your details directly into the fields.
Submit the HFE Application
At the next Acknowledge screen, take note of the Reference Number:
If you have completed all the above steps, you will see that the Application Stage will be updated as Completed:
SECTION 3
If you have done the above steps correctly, you will be receiving the HFE Letter:
According to official guidelines, HDB will take up to 21 working days to process the HFE letter application.
When there is an update on your HFE letter, you should receive an SMS like the following:
Check back in on the HFE letter progress by accessing the page https://homes.hdb.gov.sg/home/landing
And click on the Login button at the top right hand corner, or the Proceed button.
If your application has been successful, you will see the final stage marked as "Approved"
Do take note of the following :
You can now start to make a purchase of a HDB Flat!
If you need any assistance on applying for the HFE or understanding the financing structure of purchasing a HDB, drop us a note, we'd be glad to assist.