Loan Application Checklist: which documents your bank requires (2026)

Q: What is a Selbstauskunft?

An overview of the borrower's private assets and income. The bank uses it to assess your personal risk.

Q: From which amount do I have to disclose annual financial statements?

Legally required from 1.5 million euros of total exposure at one bank (Section 18 of the German Banking Act, KWG, since 31 March 2026, previously 750,000 euros). In practice, banks require annual financial statements well before that through internal thresholds.

Your document check

Your bank or lender

Loan amount

Company age

What is the loan for?

Legal form

Guidance for your preparation, no recommendation and no binding commitment. Lenders whose publicly stated criteria do not match your details are shown with restraint; the data is based on public research and can be incomplete or change. The final decision rests with the bank. As of July 2026.

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The financial plan, the centrepiece of almost every document list, takes about 15 minutes with Planvik and comes out as a bank-ready Excel file. All required sheets, linked formulas, ready to submit.

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Frequently asked questions

Does every bank require the same documents?

At the core yes, but the scope depends mainly on the loan amount, the company age, the purpose and the legal form. A small investment loan up to €70,000 runs paperless at some banks, while larger amounts require the full package.

Which document matters most?

The financial plan. The loan decision hinges on it because it shows profitability and debt service capacity. More in the guide Calculate the DSCR.

What happens if my company is younger than three years?

Then the start-up track applies: business plan, profitability forecast and liquidity plan replace the missing annual financial statements. Some direct banks lend nothing at all under two to three years; in that case the route runs through your house bank and KfW.

How current does the BWA have to be?

As a rule no older than one to three months. An outdated BWA (the monthly management report from your accountant) looks as if you were hiding something.

What is a Selbstauskunft?

An overview of the borrower's private assets and income, called Selbstauskunft in Germany. The bank uses it to assess your personal risk.

From which amount do I have to disclose annual financial statements?

Legally required from €1.5 million of total exposure at one bank (Section 18 of the German Banking Act, KWG, since 31 March 2026, previously €750,000). In practice, banks require annual financial statements well before that through internal thresholds.