PM Apna Ghar Scheme 2026: Housing Loan Apply Online, 5% Markup & Eligibility

The federal government’s Apna Ghar housing finance programme — marketed as the “Wazir-e-Azam Apna Ghar Program” — offers subsidised housing loans to first-time homeowners at a fixed 5 per cent markup for the first ten years. It is frequently confused with Punjab’s separate Apni Chhat Apna Ghar scheme, and that confusion costs applicants time. This guide sets out what the programme actually offers, who can apply, the documents banks ask for, the application route, and the realistic monthly instalment on different loan sizes.

Last verified: 19 October 2026. Loan terms, markup treatment and eligibility criteria are set bank by bank within the programme framework, and they change. Confirm the current terms at your chosen bank before you commit to anything.

First, Clear Up the Name

Three similarly named schemes circulate online, and mixing them up is the most common source of wasted applications:

1. Federal Apna Ghar housing finance programme — the subsidised housing finance programme delivered through banks and housing finance institutions, offering loans at a fixed 5 per cent markup for the first ten years.
2. Punjab’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar — a provincial scheme with its own rules and its own application process, separate from the federal programme.
3. Bank-branded housing finance products — individual banks market the programme under their own product names, which is why the same scheme appears under several different titles.

If you are applying under the federal programme, apply through a bank or an approved housing finance institution. Do not apply for a Punjab scheme and expect federal terms.

What the Programme Offers

The two headline numbers worth remembering are 5 per cent for ten years and up to 90 per cent financing. Together they are what makes the scheme different from a commercial housing loan.

Why the 5 Per Cent Markup Matters

Commercial housing finance in Pakistan is priced off the prevailing market — historically in the 16 to 22 per cent range, linked to KIBOR, and it moves whenever the policy rate moves. A fixed 5 per cent rate for the first decade is not a small discount; it is a different order of cost.

Run the arithmetic and the difference is stark. On a Rs 1 crore loan over 25 years, a fixed 5 per cent markup produces an instalment of roughly Rs 58,500 a month. At a 20 per cent commercial rate, the same loan would demand far more than double that every month. That gap is the entire point of the subsidy — and it is why the eligibility conditions are strict.

One honest caveat: the 5 per cent is fixed for the first ten years. What happens after year ten depends on the policy in force at the time. Plan your affordability on the assumption that the rate may be revisited, and leave headroom in your budget.

Who Can Apply

Eligibility is assessed by the bank, but the programme framework generally requires:

• Pakistani citizenship with a valid CNIC. Some markets extend access to non-resident Pakistanis under specific bank products.
• First-time homeowner status — no residential property already owned in your own name or your spouse’s name.
• Verifiable income — salaried or self-employed, with documentary evidence.
• Age within the bank’s criteria. Age rules differ between products: a common range is 21 to 65 at the time of sanction, while some products require the borrower to be between 25 and 60 at maturity. Confirm with your bank.
• Debt burden ratio (DBR) compliance — your total monthly instalments must fit within the bank’s limit relative to income.
• A minimum income threshold set by the individual bank.

That last point catches people out. Two applicants with identical documents can receive different decisions because the income floors and DBR rules differ between banks. If one bank declines you, do not conclude the programme is closed to you — apply to another participating bank, or to a housing finance institution.

Required Documents

Prepare these before you approach a bank. Missing one document is the usual reason an application stalls for weeks:

1. CNIC — original plus two copies
2. Salary slips for the last six months (salaried applicants)
3. Bank statements covering the last 6 to 12 months
4. Property documents — allotment letter, registry and NOC as applicable
5. Property tax receipts
6. NTN and income tax returns for the last two years
7. Utility bills at the property address
8. Existing loan statements, if you have any other financing running
9. Passport-size photographs

For self-employed applicants, the income documentation substitutes business records, tax filings and bank statements for salary slips. Build a file that supports your declared income consistently across all three.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Decide on a bank. Participating institutions include major commercial banks, Islamic banks, microfinance banks and the House Building Finance Corporation. Islamic banks offer Shariah-compliant variants of the same programme.
2. Apply through the official portal or at a branch. Applications are accepted online through the programme portal and at bank branches, so you can start whichever way suits you.
3. Submit a pre-approval application with your income documentation and the property details.
4. The bank runs legal and valuation checks on the property. This is the slowest stage — expect it to take time.
5. Receive the approval and confirm the financing amount, tenure and instalment schedule in writing.
6. Pay your own contribution. Under the scheme you finance up to 90 per cent, so the remainder is yours.
7. Disbursement and instalments begin. For under-construction property, banks typically disburse in stages against construction milestones.

Indicative Monthly Instalments

The figures below are calculated at exactly 5 per cent markup on a diminishing balance, to show the effect of loan size and tenure:

Read these as a floor, not a final number. Once the bank adds mandatory insurance and processing charges, your actual instalment will be slightly higher — which is why some online calculators show a marginally larger figure for the same loan. Confirm the exact instalment in your sanction letter.

Mistakes That Cost Applicants Months

• Applying for the wrong scheme. Federal Apna Ghar and Punjab’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar are separate programmes.
• Paying a “property dealer” a commission. The bank processes the financing directly. There is no legitimate dealer commission in this process.
• Paying an advance on a property before pre-approval. Never commit money to a seller before you have an approval in hand.
• Assuming one rejection is final. Income floors and DBR rules vary by bank.
• Declaring income you cannot document. Verification is thorough, and a mismatch ends the application.
• Ignoring the post-year-ten question. Budget for the possibility that the rate changes after the fixed period.
• Ignoring the DBR limit. Add your existing instalments to the new one before assuming you qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum loan under the Apna Ghar programme? Financing is available up to Rs 10 million (Rs 1 crore), subject to the bank’s assessment of income, DBR and the property’s value.

What is the markup rate? 5 per cent, fixed for the first ten years. Commercial housing finance in Pakistan has historically run far higher, which is the main advantage of the programme.

Is this the same as Punjab’s Apni Chhat Apna Ghar scheme? No. They are separate programmes with separate rules and application processes. The Apna Ghar programme described here is a federal housing finance programme delivered through banks.

How much of the property can be financed? Up to 90 per cent of the property value under the programme framework, so you contribute the remainder yourself.

Do I have to be a first-time buyer? The programme is designed around first-time homeowners — applicants without existing residential property in their own or their spouse’s name. Banks assess borderline cases individually.

Can a husband and wife apply jointly? Yes. Joint applications are commonly accepted, with both incomes counted toward eligibility. This is often the practical way to clear the income threshold.

Can I use it for a property under construction? Banks finance both ready and under-construction properties, with disbursement tied to completion milestones for construction cases.

Can overseas Pakistanis apply? Some banks offer specific housing finance products for non-resident Pakistanis, and programme materials in certain markets list them as eligible. The mainstream route, however, is aimed at resident Pakistanis — ask your bank directly.

What do I do if the bank mishandles my application? Escalate it in writing to the bank’s complaint desk and, if unresolved, take it to the State Bank of Pakistan’s banking complaint system.

Final Thoughts

The Apna Ghar programme is one of the few places where a first-time buyer can access long-tenure housing finance at a rate that makes the instalment bearable, but it is not a form-filling exercise. The three things that decide the outcome are documentary income, a first-time-buyer profile, and a property that clears the bank’s legal and valuation checks. Fix those, apply to more than one participating bank if needed, and never pay anyone who promises approval for a fee.

Sources

• Standard Chartered Pakistan — Wazir-e-Azam Apna Ghar Program (programme terms, 5% for ten years, up to 90% financing)
• HBL — Roshan Apna Ghar housing finance product
• Sindh Bank — Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar eligibility criteria
• SARTE International — Punjab Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Scheme 2026
• SARTE International — PM Apna Ghar Scheme 2026 (original version)
• Related on SARTE: CM Punjab Asaan Karobar Card Phase 2