Getting a mortgage as an NCHD
Prepare your employment history, salary certificates and repayment records before applying. Lenders assess rotating contracts and on-call income differently, so check what each will accept.
Lending against a rotating contract
Lenders may consider a six-month contract alongside your employment history and salary scale. What is assessed is the pattern, meaning unbroken service across rotations, salary certificates from Medical HR, and evidence of repayment capacity. Variable income such as on-call and overtime is typically counted at 50% to 100% and averaged over one to two years, so a single quiet roster does not undermine an application.
Timing around July and January
How much you can borrow
| Rule | First-time buyer | Second/subsequent |
|---|---|---|
| Loan-to-income cap | 4x gross income | 3.5x gross income |
| Minimum deposit | 10% | 10% |
A worked example: a registrar on €80,157 borrowing alone reaches about €320,600, or roughly €356,000 of purchase price with the 10% deposit. A joint application with a partner earning €55,000 raises the ceiling to about €540,600. Your increment point directly sets the borrowing ceiling, which is a further reason to verify it on every payslip.
State supports for first-time buyers
Help to Buy
Help to Buy refunds income tax and DIRT paid over the previous four years, up to the lesser of €30,000 or 10% of the price, on new builds and self-builds under €500,000, and runs to the end of 2029. The mortgage must be at least 70% of the property value, and you must occupy the property for five years. Four years of NCHD PAYE generally exceeds €30,000 of income tax, so most doctors qualify for the full refund. Note that refunds already claimed from Revenue reduce the available pot, which is worth considering alongside the tax reliefs page.
First Home Scheme
The State and participating lenders take an equity stake of up to 30% of a new build’s price, capped at 20% where combined with Help to Buy, within local-authority price ceilings. No charge applies for the first five years, a service charge applies from year six, and the stake can be bought back over time. Both schemes apply to new builds only.
Preparing during training
- Maintain one clean current account: salary in, bills out, no missed direct debits, no unplanned overdrafts
- Set a standing order into savings for the day after payday, for the same amount each cycle; regular saving plus rent paid is the standard evidence of repayment capacity
- Download payslips before every rotation, as portal access ends with the old employment and lenders request three to six recent payslips plus the Employment Detail Summary
- Clear or visibly reduce short-term debt; car finance and revolving credit-card balances reduce borrowing capacity directly
- Identify your Medical HR contact for the salary certificate, which is typically the slowest document to obtain
- Compare several lenders, or use a broker who discloses their fees; rates and exception policies differ between institutions
A working version of this list is in checklists.
Sources
More money guides
This is general information for the 2026 tax year, last reviewed 4 August 2026. It is not financial, tax, or investment advice. For decisions about your own circumstances, consult the official sources linked on each page or a qualified professional. MedPath is not affiliated with the HSE or Revenue.