Quick answer
For a business bridging loan, lenders need three groups of documents: identity and business details, security details for the property, and evidence of the exit. Exit evidence depends on the type: a sale contract or appraisal for a sale, an approval letter for a refinance, a registration and tax agent estimate for an R&D refund, a claim number and assessor reports for insurance, or a signed agreement for a grant.
Key points
- Identity, business and security documents are needed for every bridge
- Exit evidence is specific to the type of exit
- Written evidence beats verbal assurances every time
- A complete pack up front is the biggest single time saver
- Always needed
- ID, ABN/ACN, property and loan details
- Exit evidence
- Varies by exit type
- Biggest time saver
- Complete pack from day one
- Self-check
- Exit strength check tool
A bridging loan moves at the speed of its paperwork. Valuations get booked, lawyers draft documents, and the lender works through its checks. What slows everything down is almost always the same thing: waiting for a document the borrower didn’t know they’d need.
This checklist fixes that. Gather what applies to you before you apply and you’ll save days, sometimes weeks.
What does every bridging application need?
Regardless of the exit, expect to provide:
About you and the business
- Photo ID for each director, owner and guarantor.
- ABN and, for companies, ACN and company details. If your details have changed, the ABR says you must update your ABN details within 28 days of becoming aware of the change; out-of-date records can slow checks.
- A short description of the business and how long it’s been trading.
- Details of any ATO debt or payment plan.
About the security
- Address and owners of each property offered.
- Recent statements for any existing loans on it.
- Rates notice and, if leased, the lease.
- Any recent valuation or appraisal.
About the purpose
- What the money is for, with supporting documents: a purchase contract, a tax statement, an invoice, a supplier quote.
What exit evidence do you need, by exit type?
Sale of property
- Agent’s appraisal and comparable sales.
- Listing agreement and campaign plan, or the sale contract if exchanged.
- Status of contract conditions (finance, due diligence).
- Settlement date, and confirmation that your ATO clearance certificate has been applied for. The ATO says certificates can take up to 28 days; see its clearance certificate guidance.
Read more: exit by sale.
Sale of a business
- Signed sale agreement, conditions and settlement date.
- Evidence of the buyer’s funding, if available.
- Landlord consent to lease assignment, licence transfer status.
- Accountant’s estimate of net proceeds.
Refinance
- Name of the proposed lender and loan amount.
- Application status; conditional or formal approval if issued.
- Valuation (or the booked date).
- Current financial statements and tax lodgements.
Read more: exit by refinance.
R&D Tax Incentive refund
- DISR registration number for the year, or evidence registration is under way. The ATO sets out the steps for claiming the R&D tax offset.
- Your R&D adviser’s or tax agent’s estimate of the refund.
- Status of the company tax return.
- History of previous claims, if any.
- Confirmation of any ATO debts that could be offset.
ATO BAS refund
- Lodged BAS showing the refund.
- Any ATO correspondence about verification.
- Supporting invoices for the transactions that produced the refund.
Insurance claim
- Policy schedule and wording.
- Claim number and lodgement date.
- Assessor or loss adjuster reports, accepted quotes, any partial payments.
Grant
- Signed grant agreement with payment schedule.
- Milestone reports submitted and their status. For example, Austrade explains that EMDG milestone payments follow assessment of reports.
- Project budget and co-contribution plan.
Contract or progress payment
- The contract and the approved invoice or progress claim.
- Payment terms and any retention.
- Correspondence confirming the payment date.
For more on these, see money you’re owed.
Got most of this together already? Start your enquiry and a specialist will tell you what, if anything, is missing.
What if you’re missing something?
That’s normal. The aim is to know what’s missing early and fix it quickly. In order of impact:
- Get the exit in writing. An appraisal, an approval in principle, an email from the payer confirming timing.
- Get property details straight. Loan statements and owner details slow things down more than anything.
- Bring tax lodgements up to date. Overdue returns or BAS can stall both the bridge and a later refinance.
How do you know if your evidence is strong enough?
Run through the exit strength check. It scores your exit the way a lender would and highlights the gaps. For the bigger picture on what lenders want, read our bridging loan exit strategy page.
How should you organise the documents?
Presentation matters more than people expect. A lender working through a well-organised pack reaches a decision faster. A simple structure:
- One-page summary: what you need, why, the security, the exit and the dates.
- Folder 1, identity and business: ID, company details, ABN, a short business profile.
- Folder 2, security: property details, loan statements, valuations or appraisals.
- Folder 3, purpose: the contract, invoice or statement the money will pay.
- Folder 4, exit: every document that supports the exit, newest first.
Name files clearly (for example, “Exit - sale contract - signed.pdf”) and keep a list of what’s still to come. It’s a small effort that makes a noticeable difference to how quickly things move.
Bring the paperwork you have; we’ll help with the rest
You don’t need a perfect document pack to start the conversation, just an honest picture of where you are. The enquiry takes about 60 seconds, there’s no credit check when you first enquire, and your details aren’t passed along to other lenders. A real person reviews it and calls you, and tells you exactly what’s needed next.
Please answer the questions on the form accurately, especially the exit and the property details. It’s the fastest route to the right structure.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need for a business bridging loan?
Generally: identification for directors and owners, ABN or ACN details, property details and statements for existing loans, a summary of what the funds are for, and evidence of the exit. Unsecured bridges also need recent business bank statements.
What counts as exit evidence?
Written documents showing the exit is real and roughly when it will happen, such as a sale contract, refinance approval, R&D registration, insurance claim correspondence or a signed grant agreement.
Do I need financial statements?
Sometimes. Bridges are assessed mainly on security and exit, but lenders may ask for recent financials or BAS, particularly for unsecured bridges or where the exit is a refinance that will depend on them.
Do I need everything before I enquire?
No. The enquiry takes about 60 seconds and doesn't need documents. But having them ready means the process moves quickly once you decide to go ahead.
What if my exit evidence is only verbal so far?
Then the priority is to get something in writing: an appraisal, an email confirming a timeline, an approval in principle. Verbal assurances carry little weight on their own.