Kontantinsats (down payment)
The kontantinsats (down payment) is the part of a home’s price you must pay yourself; the bank lends the rest as a mortgage. From April 2026 the minimum is 10% of the price, because the mortgage cap rose so a bank may lend up to 90%.
The 2026 change
Until April 2026 the mortgage cap was 85%, so the minimum down payment was 15%. The cap rose to 90%, cutting the minimum to 10%. That means less to save up front, but a larger loan and higher monthly cost, the barrier to entry drops, the size of the debt does not.
Bigger is often smarter
Paying only the minimum is not always the best move. A larger down payment lowers your belåningsgrad (loan-to-value), which reduces how much you must amortise each year and can earn a better interest rate. If you can comfortably put down more, it usually pays off over the life of the loan.
Where it shows up
- Mortgage
- Budget
The down payment must be your own money, savings, not a fresh loan. And budget for the extras on top: pantbrev (mortgage deeds) and lagfart (title registration) are one-off costs the down payment does not cover.