Mortgage without savings: how much you need, and where to find the rest
A bank won't lend you the full price of a property. The ceiling is set by the Czech National Bank (CNB). The missing part can still be financed, though. We'll show you four routes, and for each one say what it costs you.
Is there such a thing as a 100% mortgage?
Not from a bank. It will lend you at most 80% of the property's value. If you're under 36 and buying a home for yourself, 90%.
The rest has to come from other sources. It doesn't have to be your own savings, though, and that's exactly what the rest of this page is about.
That ratio is called LTV. It's the share of the loan against the value of the property you give the bank as security. The limit is set by the Czech National Bank, and banks have to stick to it.
On a flat worth 4 million, that means finding 800 thousand yourself. Under 36, it's 400 thousand.
If you come across an advert for a "100% mortgage", it's offering one of the routes below. Nobody is breaking the limit.
One exception does exist. The CNB lets each bank exceed the limit for a quota equal to at most 5% of the mortgages it granted in the previous quarter. That's why some banks advertise a higher share. It's an exception for a small group of applicants, though, not an entitlement, so don't plan your budget around it.
How much of your income can the payment be?
You may have read that payments can't exceed roughly half of net income. For a mortgage on your own home, that isn't actually a rule.
Two indicators used to measure this. DSTI is the monthly payment against net monthly income, DTI is total debt divided by net annual income. The CNB has both switched off and confirmed this again in June 2025.
What's left is each bank's own internal rule, and these differ. That's why the same application gets rejected by one bank and approved by another, and why it pays to know which one to apply to.
It's different for an investment property. There, the CNB has recommended since April 2026: LTV of 70% and debt of at most seven times net annual income. If you're buying to let, different figures apply to you than on this page.
Where do you find the missing 800 thousand?
1. Give a second property as security
The most common solution. The bank calculates the limit from the value of what it holds as security, not from the price of the flat you're buying.
In numbers: a flat costs 4 million, and on its own the bank would lend you 3.2 million against it. You add your parents' property worth 3 million as security. The total security is suddenly 7 million, and the 4 million you need makes up 57% of it. The limit is met, and you haven't put in a single crown.
What it costs: two properties are now given as security, and if you stop paying, the bank can act against either one. It's a conversation that's better had with your parents in advance, and out loud.
The second property can be released from security later, in the example above once you owe less than 3.2 million. It isn't automatic, and the conditions vary between banks, so ask about them when you arrange the loan.
2. A loan from building savings
You finance the missing part with a bridging loan from a building society. You don't need to have saved anything in advance, they'll open an account and provide the bridging loan straight away.
The payment tends to be lower than on a consumer loan, because the term is longer.
3. Another loan
This works, but the bank will see the new payment and count it against you. Anyone who takes out a consumer loan for a deposit a month before applying for a mortgage usually closes off the mortgage by doing so.
A deposit is the part of the price you pay yourself. If you're going this route, tell your adviser in advance. It can be arranged in the right order.
4. Money from family
The cheapest route, but it depends on the form. A gift doesn't count towards your liabilities, and a bank will usually want a deed of gift for it.
A loan from family is a liability like any other. If you hide it and the bank finds out, you're dealing with a bigger problem than a missing deposit.
A last option is an American mortgage on a property you already own. It carries a higher rate and shorter term than a housing mortgage, so it makes more sense to top up the amount than to finance the whole thing.
What does financing the full price cost you?
Going into a loan without your own money has three consequences. None of them means it isn't worth doing, but it's worth working them out before you sign a reservation agreement.
You pay interest on a larger amount. The difference between 80 and 100% of the price of a flat worth four million is 800 thousand in principal. Interest is charged on that for the whole term.
The bank charges you for the higher risk. The higher the share of the property's value, the worse the rate you usually get. The difference between a band up to 70 and above 80% shows up in the payment every month.
You have no cushion. If property prices fall and you need to sell, the sale price might not cover the rest of the loan. With a 20% deposit of your own, you have that margin. Without it, you don't.
Can you get a mortgage without proof of income?
You always have to prove income. It doesn't have to be a letter from your employer, though. The bank has a legal duty to assess whether you can manage the payments. Only the form it accepts differs.
Instead of a letter from an employer, banks today commonly accept a bank statement covering several months. For the self-employed, a tax return, and for some banks turnover on the account is enough instead of profit. We cover what each situation means, and why giving a property as security doesn't replace proof of income, on our page Mortgage without proof of income.
Rental income is proved with a tenancy agreement and a tax return.
It helps most for the self-employed, owners of companies who pay themselves a low salary, people with income from several sources, and those working part-time for more than one employer.
If the obstacle is more a record in a credit registry than proof of income, we've covered that on our page on the American mortgage, including how long records stay in the registries.
Frequently asked questions
Does the property given as security have to be mine?
No. You can give your parents' property or that of another close person as security, if the owner agrees and signs the security agreement. That doesn't make the owner a borrower and they don't make the repayments, but their property backs the loan. If you stop paying, the bank can act against it.
Does the bank mind if I take out another loan for the deposit?
It doesn't mind, but it will count that loan's payment against your expenses and lend you less because of it. The order matters. If you take the loan just before applying for the mortgage, you usually close off the mortgage by doing so. Tell your adviser before you sign anything.
Does a gift from parents count as my own funds?
Yes. A gift doesn't count towards your liabilities, and a bank treats it as your own funds. It will usually want a deed of gift and proof that the money actually arrived. A loan from family, by contrast, is a liability like any other and factors into the assessment.
How much do I need saved if I'm under 36?
A tenth of the property's price, so 400 thousand on a flat worth 4 million. The more favourable 90% LTV limit only applies to a home for yourself, not to a property to let. It's currently the only advantage being under 36 brings to a mortgage.
What happens if a bank rejects me?
A rejected application stays in the bank credit registry for a year. Anyone who tries five banks and gets turned down by all of them reaches the sixth bank in a worse position than they started in. That's why it pays to find out in advance which bank will accept your situation, and apply to it directly.
How do we help with this?
You can work out the repayment right here, without leaving any contact details. If you want to go further, our adviser will go through your situation and submit the application where it has a chance of going through.
You pay nothing. Our adviser is paid by the bank. We'll tell you how much on request.