11/10/2026
Do you need two full years of income history before applying for a mortgage?
Not necessarily.
If you’re self-employed, you don’t always need to have been operating for two years to get approved. Depending on the lender and your circumstances, it may be possible to get approved with 12 months of financials or even less.
If your partner changes from an hourly wage to performance-based or variable pay, this also doesn’t automatically mean your two-year wait starts again.
Their new income could potentially be accepted after three months. If not, it may be six months, with 12 months being the longer-term scenario. This will depend on the lender, their employment history and the evidence available.
Your deposit can also make a difference. The more deposit you have, the lower the risk may be to the bank.
Different banks have different policies for self-employed and variable income, so it’s worth getting your situation assessed before assuming you need to wait another two years.
Get in touch with our team to calculate your position and compare your options.
📞 0800 629 629
🌐 maz.co.nz