Can I Get a Mortgage with a Signed Employment Contract?

It is absolutely possible to get a mortgage with a signed employment contract and many lenders will consider an employment contract for mortgage purposes instead of waiting for payslips.

Instead of focusing on just one missing document, lenders will look at the mortgage application as a whole, including your previous employment history, credit profile, deposit size, and how secure the new role appears.

In this article, we explore exactly when lenders will accept a signed employment contract as proof of income, which supporting documents are needed, and how to find the best lenders. Let’s begin.

When Can Employment Contracts Be Used for a Mortgage?

Applying for a mortgage with an employment contract will only usually happen when somebody has recently started a new job, secured a promotion, or signed a contract for a role that is dated to start in the future, but has not officially started yet.

The most important consideration to keep in mind is that lenders will want to be confident that the new income is genuine, stable, and likely to start imminently. A fully signed contract that confirms an exact salary, start date, and permanent employment type will help reassure lenders.

In addition, timing can also make a difference. Some lenders may only consider applicants whose start date falls within a certain time-frame. While this will depend on the lender’s criteria, many lenders will typically expect the new role to begin within the next three months.

If you’re planning on providing proof of income using an employment offer contract, then the contract needs to be signed and issued directly by your employer. Lenders will generally never provide a mortgage offer based on a provisional offer or an informal email confirmation.

Ultimately the contract itself will still only form one part of the decision. Lenders will want to look at the complete mortgage application before making a final judgement.

This will include an assessment of previous employment history, credit score, total deposit size, existing financial commitments, and how financially secure the new contract appears overall.

What Is the Criteria for Contract-Based Mortgage Applications?

Each lender will use their own criteria to assess a borrower’s risk by assessing their financial standing, current affordability, total deposit amount, and employment stability.

While some lenders may be comfortable assessing current and projected income from a signed employment contract, many other lenders will have a criteria that requires a minimum of three months’ payslips before considering a mortgage application.

In fact, Boon Brokers’ 2026 research into mortgage application stress, revealed that borrowers found mortgage lenders to be one of the main causes of stress, more than any other party involved in the mortgage application process.

One of the reasons for this is because the same mortgage application could receive completely different outcomes depending on the lenders involved, and highlights the importance of choosing the right lender for your situation.

In the context of the general lender requirements for contract-based mortgage applications, lenders will typically assess:

• The type of employment and whether the role is permanent or temporary
• The date in which the new role starts
• Any previous employment history and evidence of career stability
• Credit score and borrowing history
• Any existing financial commitments, including loans and credit cards
• Total deposit size and overall affordability
• Bank accounts, including overdraft use or missed payments
• Income patterns

As a result, applicants who are moving directly into another permanent role, without a gap in employment, will often be viewed more favourably than somebody moving into short-term or irregular contract work.

Finding a lender whose criteria aligns with your circumstances can make a significant difference to whether your mortgage will be approved or rejected. That’s why working with a whole-of-market broker can help you search the wider mortgage market for a lender that matches your unique circumstances.

What Documents Are Needed for a Mortgage Without Payslips?

Applying with a signed employment contract instead of payslips is considered by lenders as an uncommon mortgage application. As such, lenders will often request additional supporting documentation to help provide them with greater clarity around your financial situation and future income.

To help you understand the different types of documentation that may be requested during the application process, we’ve created a table below that outlines some of the most common documents lenders may ask for and why:

Making sure that you have the correct documents ready at hand early in the mortgage process can help avoid delays later on.

Ultimately, lenders are looking for consistency across the application. Providing clear and well-organised supporting documents makes it easier for lenders to assess your application without relying solely on your future income.

Can Using an Employment Contract Affect Your Mortgage?

Applying for a mortgage without using payslips as evidence of income will fall outside the standard criteria used by many lenders.

As a result, there is often a higher risk associated with the borrower which can increase the chances of rejection, especially if the application is submitted to a lender who is not comfortable assessing contract-based income.

Borrowers applying for a mortgage application with only an employment contract will often face:

• A smaller pool of lenders to choose from
• Stricter affordability and eligibility checks
• Requests for additional supporting documentation
• Longer application processing times

Lenders will also differentiate between different types of employment contracts. Where the employment is temporary, the start date is still several months away, or the income relies heavily on bonuses or commission, securing a mortgage is likely to become more challenging.

Which Lenders Accept Employment Contracts Instead of Payslips?

Applying for a mortgage using only a signed employment contract will naturally reduce the number of lenders available to you. With that said, there are still lenders that may consider these applications depending on the wider application and circumstances.

Below, we’ve listed some of the most popular lenders and banks that may consider employment contracts as proof of income:

The information included in this table is subject to change as lending criteria and affordability checks are updated.

Because lending criteria can regularly change, the best lender will often depend on your specific circumstances, including employment type, deposit size, credit history, and how soon the new role is due to begin.

This is one of the main reasons many people choose to work with a whole-of-market broker before submitting their mortgage applications.

Rather than approaching lenders individually, an established broker will be able to identify exactly which lenders are currently comfortable with contract-based applications and whether the circumstances are likely to meet their criteria.

Find the Right Mortgage for Your Circumstances

Applying for a mortgage with only a signed employment contract can be more complicated than a standard employed application, particularly as each lender will have their own unique criteria on how they treat future income and payslip requirements.

Understanding exactly which lenders you should be targeting and what additional documentation you can provide to help bolster your application is where a mortgage broker can make all the difference to the success of your mortgage.

At Boon Brokers, our dedicated experts regularly help borrowers secure mortgages with unusual or complex circumstances. As a fee-free, whole-of-market mortgage broker, we can compare lenders from across the market to help identify lenders whose criteria are best suited to your needs.

To learn more about the different documents lenders may request during a mortgage application, read our complete guide on what proof of income is needed for a mortgage? Here you can dive into the details of income evidence, supporting documentation, and the different income types that lenders will accept.