Requirements for a bank personal loan in the Philippines

The usual requirements for a personal loan from a bank in the Philippines are one valid government-issued ID, one proof of income (a payslip, your ITR or BIR Form 2316, or a Certificate of Employment) and a signed application form, from an applicant at least 21 years old at every bank that publishes an age. What decides whether you qualify is what sits behind those papers: among the six banks below that publish one, the minimum gross monthly income for an employee runs from ₱12,000 to ₱25,000, and some banks also want a landline, a credit card or a credit history.

This guide covers personal loans; housing and car loans have their own requirements. Every figure here comes from the bank's own published page, read on 24 October 2026 unless the table says otherwise. Banks change these pages without notice, so check the bank's page again on the day you apply. liftfin isn't a bank and isn't affiliated with any bank named in this guide.

What documents do you need for a bank personal loan?

For an employed applicant, the seven banks' lists come down to two things:

• One valid government-issued ID with your photo. BPI also wants it to carry your signature ^[1]. Accepted IDs differ by bank: BPI lists the PhilSys ID and the printed ePhilID among them ^[1], and so does CIMB ^[10].
• One proof of income, usually any one of these:
  • recent payslips: BPI asks for the last 3 months ^[1], Security Bank's SB Finance and RCBC for the latest month ^[5][6], and CIMB for 1 month issued within the last 3 months ^[10]
  • your latest Income Tax Return or BIR Form 2316 ^{[1][6][7][10]}
  • a Certificate of Employment that states your pay. SB Finance wants it issued within the last 6 months ^[5] and CIMB within the last 3 ^[10]

You also sign the bank's application form ^[2][6][7]. Metrobank is the exception on income papers: its page says "No income documents required. Apply with just 1 valid ID." ^[3] Its eligibility rules are stricter instead: ₱250,000 a year in income, regular status with at least 1 year at your current employer, and an existing credit card ^[3].

What are the eligibility requirements for a bank loan?

Documents get your application read. Eligibility is whether it can pass. These are the rules each bank publishes for an employed applicant.

"At maturity" means the age you'll be when the last payment is due, so the oldest you can be when you apply depends on the loan's length.

BPI's pages say a regular personal loan can be up to three times your gross monthly income ^[2], but neither of the two BPI pages cited here gives a minimum income or age. Its FAQ answers a question about not meeting "your minimum requirement" by saying every application is subject to credit evaluation ^[2].

Which requirements do people miss?

The ID and the payslip are on every list. These are the conditions that sit lower on the banks' pages:

• A landline. EastWest wants at least one fixed landline at home or at work, and says a mobile number "will not be accepted as a stand-alone contact number" ^[7]. SB Finance asks for an office or home landline ^[5]. BDO accepts either a landline or a mobile number, postpaid or prepaid ^[4].
• A credit card. Metrobank lists "Have an existing credit card" as an eligibility rule ^[3]. EastWest accepts a credit card reference or statement as one of its proofs of income ^[7], and BDO asks for your last two months of statements if you have a card from another bank that's at least a year old ^[4].
• A credit history. RCBC's income floor for employees is ₱25,000 a month without one, against ₱15,000 with one ^[6].
• Where you live. BDO requires your home or office address to be in an area where it has a branch ^[4].
• An account with that bank. BPI and Metrobank both collect payments by automatic debit from an account with them. If you don't have one, BPI asks you to open it once your application is queued for approval, and Metrobank once the loan is approved ^[2][3]. EastWest lists post-dated checks among its documents at loan release ^[7].

Why do EastWest's two pages list different minimum incomes?

Neither page says. On 24 October 2026, EastWest's personal loan page set the minimum at ₱25,000 a month or ₱300,000 a year ^[7], while the FAQ on its EasyWay app application page said ₱15,000 a month or ₱180,000 a year ^[8]. Both are EastWest's own pages. If the figures you find don't match, ask the bank which one applies before you apply.

Is a Security Bank personal loan from Security Bank?

No. The personal loan on Security Bank's website is offered by SB Finance Company, Inc. The page says these loans "are not insured by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation and are not guaranteed by Security Bank Corporation." ^[5] Read the name on the application form and the disclosure statement: that is the company you'd owe.

What are the requirements if you're self-employed?

Expect more paperwork and a longer track record. Most banks want your business to have run for at least 2 years: Metrobank ^[3], BDO ^[4], RCBC ^[6] and SB Finance ^[5]. CIMB asks for at least 1 year ^[9].

The documents usually include:

• your business registration from the DTI (sole proprietorship) or the SEC (partnership or corporation) ^[1][4][5]
• your latest ITR or BIR Form 1701, often with audited financial statements. BDO marks its ITR and two years of audited statements as mandatory ^[4]
• bank statements: BPI accepts the last 2 consecutive months ^[1], and SB Finance asks for the last 3 ^[5]

Some income floors are higher too. BDO sets ₱35,000 a month for the self-employed and professionals ^[4]. SB Finance sets ₱100,000 a month and requires you to own at least 40% of the business, with at least 1 trade reference ^[5].

What if you don't meet a bank's requirements?

None of the seven banks' pages offers a way around its eligibility rules, and a missing landline or a short tenure can stop an application before the bank's credit evaluation starts.

Banks aren't the only lenders. Banks answer to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, as BPI's own page states ^[1]. A lending company needs an authority to operate from the SEC instead, under Section 4 of the Lending Company Regulation Act of 2007 ^[11]. Before you send any of them your ID, check whether the company is registered with the SEC. If you compare offers on liftfin, the lender you pick makes the credit decision, and no loan is approved until that lender says so.

Can I get a bank loan without a payslip?

Often, yes. BPI, RCBC and CIMB accept an ITR or BIR Form 2316, or a Certificate of Employment, in place of payslips ^[1][6][10]. Metrobank asks for no income documents at all ^[3].

How long does a bank take to approve a personal loan?

About a week, at the banks that publish a time. BPI says 5 to 7 working days after it has your complete documents ^[2], EastWest 5 to 7 banking days ^[7], and Metrobank "as fast as 7 banking days" ^[3].

Does the bank check my credit history?

Expect it to. Metrobank says the amount it approves depends on its evaluation of "the borrower's financial circumstances and history" ^[3]. RCBC's lower income floor applies only to applicants with a credit history, and it expects self-employed applicants to hold a credit card or have a credit history ^[6].

This guide summarises what banks publish about their personal loans. It isn't financial advice, and the bank decides every application.