How to Apply for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter

To apply for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter, you must first complete a preliminary HFE check which gives you a preview of your eligibility for flats, grants, and HDB loans. Once you have decided to buy a flat, you will need to submit an HFE letter application which confirms your preliminary assessment. This must be done within 30 calendar days of starting the preliminary HFE check.

You must have a valid HFE letter before you can buy an HDB flat. It typically takes about one month for an HFE letter application to be approved, though the processing time may be longer during peak periods. If you are looking to buy a flat soon, you should apply for an HFE letter early.

What is an HFE letter?

The HFE letter lets you know if you are eligible to:

• Buy a new or resale HDB flat.

• Receive CPF housing grants, and the amount. Learn more about CPF housing grants.

• Take up an HDB housing loan, and the amount. Learn more about housing loan options for HDB flats.

You must have a valid HFE letter before you can:

• Apply for a flat from HDB during a sales launch, sale of balance flats or open booking of flats exercises.

• Obtain an OTP from a flat seller for a resale HDB flat, and submit a resale application to HDB.

How long does it take for an HFE letter application to be approved?

It typically takes about one month for an HFE letter application to be approved, after all required documents are submitted. However, the processing time may be longer during peak periods (e.g. the month before or during a sales launch), so you should apply for an HFE letter early.

How long is an HFE letter valid for?

Your HFE letter will be valid for 9 months from the date of issue.

 So, how do you apply for an HFE letter?

Step 1: Complete preliminary HFE check

To apply for an HFE letter, you will first need to complete the preliminary HFE check. Start by logging in to the HDB Flat Portal with your Singpass.

1. Provide household particulars: You can save time by using Myinfo to retrieve your particulars, and update them if there are any changes. You will also need to enter the particulars of the co-applicant and occupiers in the application.

2. Provide income details: Provide the employment details, monthly income and bonuses received for all persons listed in the application.

3. Submit declarations: Declare any interest in private properties for all persons listed in the application.

4. State housing loan intent: Indicate whether you intend to take up a housing loan for the flat purchase. If you do, you will also need to declare any monthly financial commitments, such as instalment plans, bills, insurance premiums, and other loan payments.

5. Review details: Review the information you have provided. Note that if you need to make any changes after this, you will need to start the preliminary HFE check afresh, so make sure the information is accurate. 

You can also check out our step-by-step video guide to the preliminary HFE check:

Once you complete the preliminary HFE check, you will receive a preliminary assessment of your eligibility to buy a new and resale flat, receive CPF housing grants, and take up an HDB housing loan. You can use this preliminary assessment to guide your financial planning. You can view your preliminary HFE assessment anytime within the next 30 days by logging back in to the HDB Flat Portal.

If there are any changes to the information provided (such as your employment, income, or ownership of private properties), you must start your preliminary HFE check afresh.

Step 2: Submit HFE letter application

You must submit your HFE letter application within 30 calendar days of starting the preliminary HFE check. If not, you will need to start the preliminary HFE check afresh.

To submit an HFE letter application, log in to the HDB Flat Portal with your Singpass.

1. Choose loan options: Confirm whether you intend to take up a housing loan to buy a flat. The option you previously indicated in your preliminary HFE check will be displayed. If you have changed your mind, you may select a different option. If you wish to take up a housing loan, you can:

   • View your eligibility for an HDB housing loan, and the different loan scenarios.

   • Learn more about the considerations in taking up a housing loan from financial institutions (FIs).

   • Compare housing loan packages from HDB and participating FIs, and request an In-Principle Approval (IPA) for a housing loan from the FIs.

2. Provide additional details: You can use Myinfo to retrieve particulars and contact details, employment contributions and/or self-employed contributions, and your latest Notice of Assessment from IRAS.

3. Review details: Review the information you have provided, to ensure it is complete and accurate. If there are any changes to the information that you declared during your preliminary HFE check, you must start your preliminary HFE check afresh. To submit the application, all applicants and occupiers (if any) must log in using Singpass to verify their details and declarations.

4. Scan and upload documents: You will be advised on any supporting documents required.

5. Submit application: You will see an acknowledgement page after you submit your application. To check the status of your application, you can login to the HDB Flat Portal. HDB will contact you if any additional information is required for your application.

You can also check out our step-by-step video guide to the HFE letter application:

Once your HFE letter is ready, you will be notified via SMS. With a valid HFE letter, you can calculate your housing budget, and search for flats within this budget. Learn more in our guide to buying an HDB flat.

If I applied for an IPA from a participating FI with my HFE letter, how will I receive the outcome of my IPA?

If you applied for an IPA from the participating FIs, the FIs will liaise directly with you 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.