Jump to the main content block
Laws and Regulations Database of the Central Bank of the Republic of China-Article Content

Title:Regulations Governing the Extension of Mortgage Loans by Financial Institutions Open new window for Chinese

Announced Date:June 24, 2010

Date:Amended on September 23, 2021;effective from September 24, 2021.

[Print]

〈Basis〉
1. The Regulations are promulgated pursuant to Articles 28, 29 and 31 of The 
  Central Bank  of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Act, and Paragraph 2 of 
  Article 37, and Article 40 of The Banking Act of the Republic of China.

〈Definitions〉
2. The terms used in the Regulations shall be defined as follows:
  (1)“Financial institutions” shall include domestic banks, branches of foreign 
    banks in Taiwan, credit cooperatives, Agricultural Bank of Taiwan, credit 
    departments of farmers’associations, credit departments of fishermen’s 
    associations, Chunghwa Post Co., Ltd., and insurance companies.
  (2)“Mortgage loans” shall include housing loans, land loans, unsold housing 
    unit loans and idle industrial land mortgage loans.
  (3)“Housing loans” shall include high-value housing loans and home loans.
  (4)“High-value housing loans”shall mean mortgage loans extended by financial
    institutions to borrowers for purchasing houses (including the allotted 
    land) of any of the following types where the building ownership certificates 
    thereof contains the word zhu (住,“residential”):
   a. Located in Taipei City with an appraised value or purchase price of 
    NT$70 million or more;
   b. Located in New Taipei City with an appraised value or purchase price of 
    NT$60 million or more; or
   c. Located in a domestic area other than Taipei City and New Taipei City 
      with an appraised value or purchase price of NT$40 million or more.
  (5)“Home loans” shall mean mortgage loans extended by financial institutions 
    to borrowers for purchasing non-high-value houses (including the allotted 
    land) where the building ownership certificates thereof contain word zhu 
    (住, “residential”).
  (6)“Land loans” shall mean mortgage loans extended by financial institutions to 
    borrowers for purchasing land lots in a residential or commercial district 
    demarcated in urban plans.
  (7)“Unsold housing unit loans” shall mean mortgage loans extended by financial
     institutions to developers and secured by newly built unsold housing units 
    (land allotments included). 
  (8)“Idle industrial land mortgage loans” shall mean mortgage loans extended by 
    financial institutions to borrowers and secured by idle land in industrial 
    districts.
  (9)“Developers” shall mean entities engaging in real estate development activities,
    namely the investment and construction of real estate including land, buildings, 
    and other structures, for sale purposes; or entities engaging in the 
    construction of residential buildings in the building construction industry. 
  (10)“Newly built unsold housing units (including the allotted land)” shall mean 
     houses (including the allotted land) built less than five years ago and 
     maintaining the first registration of building ownership. 
  (11) “Idle industrial land” shall mean land listed on the Announced Inventory 
     of Idle Land in Industrial Parks under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of 
     Economic Affairs as inquired by financial institutions of the Joint Credit 
     Information Center (“JCIC”). 
  (12) “Specific areas” shall include Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City,
     Taichung City, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, Hsinchu County, and Hsinchu City. 
  (13)“Borrowers” shall mean natural persons or corporations.

〈Restrictions on housing loans extended to corporations〉
3.Housing loans extended by a financial institution to a corporation shall be subject
 to the following restrictions:
 (1) No grace period.
 (2) The maximum loan amount may not exceed 40 percent of the appraised value or 
   purchase price of the house (including the allotted land), whichever is lower.   
 (3) The loan amount in the preceding Subparagraph may not be increased by reason of 
   home renovation, working funds, or other purposes.

〈Restrictions on housing loans extended to natural persons〉
4.When a financial institution processes the application of a natural person for   
 a housing loan, it shall inquire of the  JCIC about the applicant’s current status 
 of housing loan history to determine whether the applicant has any   outstanding 
 secured loan backed by a house (including the allotted land) as collateral and of 
 which the purpose is classified as “1” (for real estate purchases), and the new 
 housing loan shall be subject to the following restrictions:
 (1) High-value housing loans: 
   a. No grace period.
   b. For a natural person who has no housing loan or already has two or fewer 
     housing loans, the maximum loan amount may not exceed 55 percent of the 
     appraised value or purchase price of the house (including the allotted land), 
     whichever is lower; for a natural person who already has three or more housing 
     loans, the maximum loan amount may not exceed 40 percent of the appraised 
     value or purchase price of the house (including the allotted land), whichever 
     is lower.
   c. The loan amount in the preceding Item may not be increased by reason of home
     renovation, working funds, or other purposes. 
 (2) Home loans: 
   a. For a natural person who already has one housing loan:Item a of the preceding 
     Subparagraph shall apply to a home loan for purchaing a house located 
     in a specific area.   
   b. For a natural person who already has two housing loans: Items a and c of the 
     preceding Subparagraph shall apply, and the maximum loan amount may not exceed 
     55 percent of the appraised value or purchase price of the house (including 
     the allotted land), whichever is lower. 
   c. For a natural person who already has three or more housing loans: Items a
     and c of the preceding Subparagraph shall apply, and the maximum loan amount 
     may not exceed 50 percent of the appraised value or purchase price of the 
     house (including the allotted land), whichever is lower.

〈Restrictions on land loans〉
5. Land loans extended by a financial institution shall be subject to the following 
  restrictions:
 (1) The borrower shall submit a substantive development plan for the land 
   purchased.
 (2) The maximum loan amount may not exceed 60 percent of the acquisition cost 
   or appraised value of the land, whichever is lower. 10 percent of the loan 
   may not be disbursed until construction begins.
 (3) The loan amount in the preceding Subparagraph may not be increased by reason 
   of working funds or other purposes.

〈Restriction on unsold housing unit loans〉
6.The maximum amount of unsold housing unit loans extended by financial 
 institutions may not exceed 50 percent of the appraised value of the housing unit.
 The loan amount in the preceding Paragraph may not be increased by reason of 
 working funds or other purposes.

〈Restrictions on idle industrial land mortgage loans〉
7.For idle industrial land mortgage loans extended by financial institutions, 
 the maximum loan amount may not exceed 50 percent of the appraised value of the 
 land . 
 The loan amount in the preceding Paragraph may not be increased by reason of working
 funds or other purposes.
 The provisions of the two preceding Paragraphs do not apply if an idle industrial 
 land mortgage  loan has any of the following conditions:
 (1)The construction and/or development of the mortgaged land has begun. 
 (2)The borrower has submitted a substantive plan for construction and/or development 
   for the mortgaged land and has undertaken that construction and/or development
   will begin within one year.

〈Exceptions〉
8. These Regulations do not apply to mortgage loans extended by financial 
  institutionsfor reconstruction projects developed pursuant to the Urban 
  Renewal Act, the Statute for Expediting Reconstruction of Urban Unsafe 
  and Old Buildings, or in accordance with government policies.

〈Appraisal〉
9. A financial institution shall conduct the appraisal for mortgage loans in 
  accordance with its internal lending rules and provisions set forth by the 
  competent authority.
  When a financial institution processes an application for the transfer or term
  extension of a loan stated in the preceding Paragraph, the loan amount may not
  be increased through reappraisal.

〈Reporting and risk management〉
10. A financial institution shall file reports on its mortgage loans periodically 
  in the format set up by the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
  A financial institution shall set up internal risk controls, operating 
  procedures, and other necessary internal rules for conducting mortgage loan 
  businesses. If the lending criteria under the financial institution’s 
  internal rules are stricter than the Regulations, the internal rules shall
   prevail.

〈Loan cases approved prior to implementation〉
11.For mortgage loans that have been processed but not yet disbursed before the 
  amendment to these Regulations takes effect on September 24, 2021, the 
  provisions prevailing at the time the loan application is processed shall apply.
:::