Getting a mortgage after an IVA: what to expect
Quick answer: Most lenders draw a hard line between an IVA that's still running and one that's finished. While it's active, a mortgage is rarely realistic and usually needs your insolvency practitioner's consent. Once it's completed, the picture opens up gradually — commonly with a larger deposit at first, easing as more time passes since completion. Confusingly, your credit file counts the six years from when the IVA started, but many lenders judge you on how long it's been since it completed — two different clocks that don't line up, and it catches people out. This guide covers what's realistic at each stage, without naming specific lenders or products, since acceptance criteria genuinely vary and change over time.
Active vs completed: the line lenders draw
An IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) is a formal, legally binding deal with the people you owe. The biggest factor in how a lender treats one isn't its size or how many creditors are involved. It's whether it's still running. An active IVA means you're still making payments under a formal arrangement overseen by an insolvency practitioner (the licensed professional who runs it). A completed IVA means those payments have finished and the arrangement has been formally closed.
Most lenders see these as completely different situations. An active IVA means a fixed monthly payment that reduces what you can afford to borrow; a completed one shows a difficult period that's been dealt with. Most of this guide applies once the IVA has completed, because that's when a realistic mortgage conversation starts for most people.
The completion certificate — and why it matters
When an IVA finishes, your insolvency practitioner issues a certificate of completion (sometimes called a certificate of satisfaction). It's the most useful document you'll have for a mortgage application, so ask for it as soon as the arrangement ends rather than waiting until you need it.
Once you have it:
- Check it against your credit file. Contact the credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion; lenders may check any one) and make sure the IVA shows as completed/satisfied, not still active. Files aren't always updated automatically, and an IVA that still looks active is a much worse starting point than one that clearly shows as finished.
- Keep it somewhere you can find it. Lenders will generally want to see it as part of the application.
Two clocks, not one — the part people find frustrating
This trips a lot of people up: your credit file and a lender's own rules don't always measure time the same way.
Your credit file counts an IVA for six years from its start date, not from when it finished. If your IVA ran for five years, it might drop off your file within a year of you finishing it. That sounds like good news, and in one way it is.
But many lenders look at how long it's been since completion, not since the start date on your file. So your file can be clear, or nearly clear, while a lender's own policy still wants another year or two of clean record, counted from completion, before it will take you seriously. The two clocks don't run together, and nobody warns people about this in advance. It isn't a trick, just two systems measuring two different things. But it's frustrating, after several hard years, to learn that finishing the IVA doesn't instantly end the wait. Knowing this, you can plan around the clock that matters.
Typical deposit patterns
The deposit you need tends to fall in a fairly consistent way as time passes since completion, though exact figures vary from lender to lender and change over time:
- In the early period after completion, a larger deposit is typically expected, often in the 15–25% range, because it cushions the lender's risk while your history is still recent.
- As more time passes with a clean record since completion, the deposit needed to open up more options tends to fall.
- Once an IVA is both completed and off your credit file, deposits closer to standard levels become realistic with some lenders, though this still depends a lot on your wider circumstances.
None of these are fixed rules. A bigger deposit generally widens your choice at every stage.
How the picture usually changes at 1, 2 and 3 years after completion
Treat this as a general shape, not a promise, since each lender's rules differ and change:
Around 1 year after completion, options are usually most limited. A small number of specialist lenders may consider an application, generally wanting a larger deposit and an explanation of what's changed.
Around 2 years after completion, more lenders tend to open up, and the deposit needed often starts to come down.
Around 3 years after completion, the picture usually looks noticeably different again: more lenders, and often better terms. For many people, this is when a mortgage stops feeling like a stretch. If your credit file has also cleared by then, some high-street lenders that decide using credit scores may consider you on your score alone.
Check your own situation rather than assuming a flat "no" or "it'll be fine".
If your IVA is still active: insolvency practitioner consent
Most IVAs require your insolvency practitioner's written consent before you take on significant new borrowing, and a mortgage is the largest borrowing most people ever take on. Even where consent is possible, very few lenders will consider an application during an active IVA. Your monthly IVA payment will also typically be treated as a fixed outgoing that reduces how much you could borrow.
For almost everyone, the practical answer is to let the IVA complete first, then plan a mortgage application around the timeline above. (We advise on the mortgage, not on the arrangement itself. For questions about your IVA, your insolvency practitioner or a free debt charity such as Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline is the right place to ask.)
Checking your own credit file first
Before you get close to applying, check your own credit file with one or more of the main UK credit reference agencies. It's free, it confirms the IVA is correctly marked as completed, and it turns up anything else you may have forgotten, such as an old default or a missed payment from years ago. Doing this early, before you've found a home you want to buy, gives you time to fix anything simple and plan around anything that can't be fixed.
Practical steps
- Ask your insolvency practitioner for your certificate of completion as soon as the IVA finishes.
- Check all three credit reference agencies show the IVA as completed, not active.
- Work out how long it's been since completion, not just since the start date. This is the clock most lenders care about.
- Build the biggest deposit you realistically can. It's the factor most within your control.
- Have a free, no-credit-check conversation with us before applying anywhere. We can talk through your dates and circumstances and give you a realistic sense of where you stand, without it touching your credit file.
FAQ
Can I get a mortgage while I'm still in an IVA?
It's very difficult, and rarely the sensible route. Most IVAs require your insolvency practitioner's written consent for borrowing this large, very few lenders will consider an active IVA even with consent, and your IVA payment counts against you when lenders work out what you can afford. Almost everyone is better off waiting until the IVA has finished.
How long after my IVA can I realistically apply?
There's no single answer, but things usually get noticeably easier at around 1, 2 and 3 years after completion, not the start date. Many people find both the choice of lenders and the deposit they need improve a lot by two to three years after completion, though this varies and isn't certain.
Does my IVA have to be fully finished before I apply?
In almost all cases, yes. A handful of lenders may in theory consider an active IVA with your insolvency practitioner's consent, but this is rare and usually needs a large deposit. For the vast majority, the realistic path is to wait until it's finished and get your certificate.
Once my IVA drops off my credit file, do I still need to declare it?
Often, yes. Even when an IVA no longer shows on a standard credit search, many application forms ask directly whether you've ever had an insolvency arrangement, and you should answer honestly. Some lenders ignore old, completed IVAs once enough time has passed; others are stricter however old it is. That's one reason the same history can get different answers from different lenders.
Can we apply jointly if my partner has an IVA and I don't?
Yes, this is possible, though a lender will generally assess both of you, including your partner's IVA and where it sits on the timeline above. A clean history on your side can help, but it doesn't automatically outweigh theirs. Each lender treats joint applications differently, so it's worth talking through with us before applying anywhere.
General patterns around credit issues and mortgage assessment reflect standard UK consumer credit law and mortgage industry practice, checked August 2026 — no figures or thresholds here are specific to any single lender, and actual acceptance criteria vary and change over time. If you're struggling with debt, free and confidential guidance is available from organisations such as Citizens Advice or StepChange. This guide is general information, not a personal recommendation.
