Apply for pre-approval for a First Home Grant
How to apply for pre-approval for a First Home Grant before you find a property to buy.
1. Check you are eligible
If you haven't already, make sure you meet the eligibility criteria.
Check you are eligible for a First Home Grant
2. Gather your documents
You will need electronic copies (for example, PDFs) of all of these documents to attach to your online application.
You need to provide a summary of earnings for the last 12 months from Inland Revenue for everyone who is applying for the grant.
How to get it:
For salary/wage, beneficiaries or people not working in the last 12 months
To get the income details, follow the steps below:
- Go to www.ird.govt.nz(external link)
- Login using your IRD Online Services user name and password
- Go to KiwiSaver Member
- Under KiwiSaver provider name, click on 'More'
- Go to My details
- Select Proof of income and KiwiSaver and download
- Right mouse click and select Print and save as a PDF file
This will create a PDF document that can be emailed.
If any voluntary contributions have been made, applicants will need to contact their KiwiSaver scheme provider for a detailed contribution statement.
For co-purchasers income details
- Go to www.ird.govt.nz(external link)
- Login using your IRD Online Services user name and password
- Go to Income Tax
- Click on More
- Go to My income
- Select Print Income details
- Change the 'From' date to today's date but change the year to one year earlier (i.e. 01-Nov-2021 becomes 01-Nov-2020)
- Change the 'To' date to today's date
- Select Print income details
- Right mouse click and select Print and save as a PDF file
This will create a PDF document which can be emailed.
Watch the videos below for instructions on how to produce your last 12 month income statement:
- English(external link)
- Māori(external link)
- Samoan(external link)
- Tongan(external link)
- Chinese(external link)
If you are or have been self-employed
To get the income and KiwiSaver details, follow the steps below:
- Go to www.ird.govt.nz(external link)
- Login using your IRD Online Services user name and password
- Go to KiwiSaver Member
- Under KiwiSaver provider name, click on More
- Go to My details
- Select Proof of income and KiwiSaver and download
- Right mouse click and select Print and save as a PDF file
This will create a PDF document that can be emailed.
Self-employed applicants need to provide copies of:
- your most recent personal IR 3 Notice of Assessment showing your individual taxable income
- Notice of Assessments, Return Acknowledgements and/or Submission Confirmation from IRD for each tax year you have been self employed, showing individual taxable income.
- Alternatively, we can also accept independently prepared accounts (from an accountant or authorised tax agent). These accounts must show the individuals total taxable income for the year.
- voluntary contributions that have been made, applicants will need to contact their KiwiSaver scheme provider for a detailed contribution statement.
A photocopy of your passport, birth certificate or driver’s licence in the name you are applying with
3. Apply online
Apply online now(external link)
Make sure you have scanned copies of all the documents you need so you can upload them with your application. The online application must be completed within 59 minutes – after this it will time out and you will have to start again.
Once you're pre-approved and have found a house
You will need to provide the following documents in addition to the ones above.
Signed and dated copy of the sale and purchase agreement at least 2 weeks before settlement date.
Evidence that you have a deposit of at least 5% of the purchase price.
If you are building a new home, you'll also need to supply:
- a building contract and/or a quote from a quantity surveyor
- a copy of your right to occupy Māori land, if applicable.
If you have questions before you apply, you can:
- phone us on 0508 935 266
- email us at firsthome.enquiries@kaingaora.govt.nz.
Page updated: 8 September 2022