Documents required for a loan
Quick answer: Almost every loan needs three things — KYC (PAN, Aadhaar, photo, address proof), income proof, and six months of bank statements. What changes is the fourth part: a home loan adds the property file, a business or MSME loan adds GST returns, ITR and proof the business exists, and a gold loan usually adds nothing at all.
Lenders reject incomplete files more often than they reject applicants, and the delay is almost always the same story — one statement missing, one scan too large for the upload box, one photograph of a document that came out unreadable. This guide sets out what is normally asked for, by loan type, and links each section to a checklist that prepares the files for you.
🪪 Every loan: identity and KYC
- PAN card
- Aadhaar card
- Passport-size photograph
- Address proof — passport, driving licence or a utility bill
💰 If you are salaried
- Salary slips — usually the last three months
- Form 16 (most recent)
- Bank statements — usually six months, showing the salary credit
🧾 If you are self-employed, or borrowing for a business
Business lending leans on financials rather than salary slips, which is why the file looks quite different:
- ITR for the last two to three years
- GST returns, where the business is registered
- Proof the business exists — registration or licence
- Udyam / MSME certificate, if the business is registered as an MSME
- Balance sheet and P&L — commonly asked above a certain amount
🏠 Home loan and loan against property
- Sale agreement / builder documents
- Property title documents
- Approved building plan
- Existing loan statements, if you are transferring or already servicing one
Which sections apply to your loan?
| Loan | What is usually asked | Checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Home loan | KYC + income + statements + full property file | Home |
| Loan against property | KYC + income + statements + property papers | LAP |
| Personal loan | KYC + income + statements | Personal |
| Car loan | KYC + income; vehicle papers usually via the dealer | Car |
| Two-wheeler loan | KYC + basic income proof | Bike |
| Business / MSME loan | KYC + business proof + GST + ITR + statements | Business |
| Education loan | KYC + admission letter + co-applicant income | Education |
| Gold loan | Usually KYC only — the gold is the security | Gold |
One honest note: the exact list varies by lender, loan type and amount, and none of the above is a legal requirement list. Treat it as the common set and confirm your own lender’s checklist before you submit.
The two things that actually delay applications
Locked bank statements. Almost every bank e-statement arrives as a password-protected PDF, and a locked file cannot be merged into an application pack. The password is usually built from your date of birth, customer ID or account number — our bank statement password guide lists the format bank by bank.
Files that are too large. Lender portals cap upload sizes, and a phone photograph of a document is far bigger than the limit. Shrinking a PDF or an image to an exact size takes seconds and avoids a resubmission.
Work out the EMI first
Before assembling the file, it is worth knowing what the loan actually costs each month — and how much total interest a longer tenure adds.
EMI calculators: Home · Personal · Car · MSME · Business · Gold · Education · Property · all loans
Frequently asked questions
What documents are required for a business or MSME loan?
KYC, proof the business exists (registration or licence, plus the Udyam certificate if registered), GST returns where applicable, six months of bank statements, ITR for the last two to three years, and financial statements for larger amounts. Confirm the exact list with your lender.
What documents are needed for a home loan?
KYC, income proof, six months of bank statements, and the property file — sale agreement, title documents and the approved building plan.
Which loan needs the fewest documents?
A gold loan. The gold itself is the security, so lenders usually need only KYC and often do not ask for income proof at all.
My bank statement PDF is password protected. What do I do?
Open it with the password you already have — usually your date of birth, customer ID or account number — and save an unlocked copy before submitting it. See the password formats by bank.
Does an Udyam registration help?
Lenders commonly ask for it to confirm the business qualifies as an MSME, and some schemes are only open to registered enterprises. Ask your lender which of their products you are eligible for.
General information, not legal or financial advice — and ToolGalli is not affiliated with any bank or government department. Lending requirements differ by lender and change over time; always confirm with your own lender.