HFE Pre-Check / Can I Buy This Flat? (2026)

HFE = HDB Flat Eligibility. It is a single online assessment on the HDB Flat Portal that confirms three things in one place: which HDB flats you are eligible to buy, which housing grants you qualify for, and how much HDB concessionary loan you can take. The HFE letter is valid for 6 months and is now required before paying any option-to-purchase fee on a BTO or HDB resale flat. This calculator gives you a fast pre-check so you know what to expect before starting the official HFE application.

For HDB BTO 4-room and larger, the household income ceiling is S$14,000 per month for families and S$7,000 for eligible singles (multi-gen households up to S$21,000). For Executive Condominiums (ECs) the ceiling is S$16,000 family. HDB resale and private property have no income ceiling on the purchase itself — only on grant eligibility. The HFE pre-check above runs the relevant ceiling for each flat type you select.

TDSR (Total Debt Servicing Ratio, capped at 55%) is set by MAS and applies to ALL property purchases — total monthly debt obligations cannot exceed 55% of gross monthly income. MSR (Mortgage Servicing Ratio, 30%) is HDB-specific and applies only to HDB flats and ECs — the mortgage payment alone cannot exceed 30% of gross monthly income. For private property only TDSR applies. The pre-check enforces both where relevant.

For an HDB concessionary loan you can fund the entire 25% downpayment from CPF OA — minimum cash is S$0 — but you still need cash for stamp duty (BSD), legal fees, agent commission and renovation. For a bank loan, the minimum cash is 5% of the price, plus the same costs above. The pre-check shows the minimum cash + CPF OA mix and flags any shortfall for your specific profile.

It applies the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG, up to S$120,000 family or S$60,000 single, by income tier), the CPF Housing Grant (Family Grant or Singles Grant — RESALE only, up to S$80,000 family / S$40,000 single), and the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG — RESALE only, S$20,000–30,000 family or S$10,000–15,000 single). Grants are paid into your CPF OA on key collection. ECs and private property do not get HDB grants.

Yes — under the Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme. One Singapore Citizen (age 21+) plus a foreign spouse on Long-Term Visit Pass / dependant pass can buy a 2-room Flexi BTO in non-mature estates, or any HDB resale flat. ECs are not available under this scheme. The SC partner is the registered owner; the foreign spouse occupies but does not own. If your foreign spouse later becomes an SPR, the household qualifies for the SC + SPR mixed-citizenship scheme with a $10,000 SPR premium (refundable later).

The HFE letter is valid for 6 months and confirms three things in writing: (1) eligibility for specific flat types, (2) eligible grant amounts, and (3) maximum HDB concessionary loan. With the letter you can pay an option-to-purchase fee on a BTO/EC ballot or place an offer on a resale flat. Without it, HDB will not process your application. Most buyers run this pre-check, decide on flat type and budget, then apply for HFE at homes.hdb.gov.sg.