Bankruptcy is the most serious credit event a lender can see, and it is still not a permanent block. Discharge, timing and what you have done since decide whether a lender will say yes.
Nobody lends on the word bankruptcy alone. These are the three things that decide the answer.
Undischarged bankruptcy usually rules out a mortgage. Once you are discharged, lenders can consider your case, though the number who will is smaller.
The longer the gap and the cleaner the record since, the more lenders will look at your application. There is no single waiting period across the market.
Cases after bankruptcy usually need a larger deposit or more equity in the property. Your adviser will give you the figure a lender expects.
The paperwork settles the basics quickly, so the conversation can be about what is actually available to you.
The official notice that your bankruptcy has ended. Lenders will ask for it, so keep a copy with your other documents.
Check the bankruptcy dates and that related accounts are marked correctly. The record stays on your file for six years from the date of the order.
Employed or self-employed income evidence, plus anything else your adviser asks for. Lenders read the whole picture, not just the credit file.
The questions people ask most when a bankruptcy is on their file, answered plainly.
Yes, once you have been discharged, though the market is smaller and rates are higher than for a clean credit file. A specialist adviser can tell you what is actually available.
It varies by lender and by how long you have been discharged. There is no fixed waiting period, so the answer comes from your circumstances rather than a rule.
No. It stays for six years from the date of the bankruptcy order, and its effect on lending decisions reduces as it ages.
You will get an honest answer and, where it is a no, what would need to change and roughly when it is worth coming back.
Free, no-obligation introduction to an FCA-authorised adviser who handles cases after bankruptcy.
Reviewed by Charlotte Wood, Adverse Credit Mortgages, updated November 2026