Signing Your Mortgage at the Notary (Passeren)

The most important things at a glance

Signing off on your mortgage (passeren) generally coincides with the transfer of ownership of the property, which means signing the deed of transfer (akte van levering). At that moment you become the owner of the property or the apartment right (appartementsrecht), and your mortgage needs to be signed off at the same time in order to finance the purchase. Before you get to this stage, you can calculate how much mortgage you can get to know what amount you can finance.

1. Signing at the notary

The mortgage signing takes place at the notary. You are required to use a notary when purchasing a property. The notary is authorised to draw up the notarial deed and can assist you with both the mortgage deed and the deed of transfer. The notary is an independent party during the signing process. This means they play an informative role and will mediate in the event of any dispute.

2. Signing the deed of transfer

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3. Execution only

When you want to sign off on your mortgage, you generally first need to sign the deed of transfer, also known as the akte van levering. This is the moment when ownership of the property passes from the seller to the buyer. Once both you and the selling party have signed the deed of transfer, an ownership transfer has taken place. From that moment on, you are the owner of the property. You can then proceed to sign off on your mortgage in order to transfer the purchase amount for the property.

4. Signing the mortgage deed

Once all parties have signed the deed of transfer, it is time for the mortgage deed. You sign this deed to make use of a mortgage loan, with which you finance the property that will serve as collateral. Because you are buying a property with this loan, you need to sign the mortgage deed at the notary.

By signing the mortgage deed, you give the property to the mortgage provider as collateral and receive the financing in return. In most cases, the mortgage provider will grant a power of attorney to the notary, who can then sign the deed on their behalf. The notary will record the mortgage deed in the mortgage register of the Land Registry (Kadaster).

5. Costs of signing the mortgage

Keep in mind that notary costs are involved in signing off on your mortgage. The notary draws up the mortgage deed and deed of transfer and provides the opportunity for both to be signed. Notary fees for signing the mortgage are not regulated, so compare the rates of several notaries where possible. Make sure the notary is a member of the Royal Dutch Association of Civil-law Notaries (Koninklijke Notariele Beroepsorganisatie), so they are authorised to finalise the mortgage. You can deduct notary costs once from your taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What does signing off on a mortgage (passeren) mean?

Once the transfer of ownership has taken place, you can sign off on your mortgage in order to use the loan to finance the property.

What is signed during the transfer?

Before the mortgage can be signed off, the transfer from seller to buyer must take place by signing the deed of transfer (transportakte or akte van levering). After that, the mortgage deed is signed and registered by the notary in the Land Registry (Kadaster), completing the mortgage process.

What are the costs of signing off on a mortgage?

What are the costs of signing off on a mortgage?