First Home Buying Grant: Ireland Scheme Guide & Eligibility

If you’re a first-time buyer in Ireland, the gap between your savings and what your mortgage covers can feel impossible to close. The First Home Scheme exists to bridge exactly that divide — offering up to 30% of a property’s purchase price as a shared equity contribution, not a loan. Since February 2026, over 5,000 households have used the scheme to secure their first home, with another 4,000 applicants approved and waiting.

Minimum equity amount: 2.5% of purchase price or €10,000 · Eligible buyers: First-time buyers and self-builders · Location: Republic of Ireland · Maximum borrow: 95% of property price · No upfront charges: True

What is the First Home Scheme?

The First Home Scheme (FHS) is a shared equity programme designed to help first-time buyers and certain other eligible purchasers bridge the deposit and mortgage gap when buying a home in the Republic of Ireland. Unlike a loan, the Government takes an equity stake in your property — you repay nothing upfront, and the amount you owe grows or shrinks with your home’s market value.

“The FHS is a shared equity scheme — available for qualifying properties, price ceilings apply by local authority, not a loan — getting up to 30% of the property.”

— First Home Scheme, Official Scheme Administrator (firsthomescheme.ie)

Ireland has one of the most generous property grant systems in Europe right now, and the First Home Scheme sits at its centre for buyers who can secure a mortgage but lack the savings to cover the full gap alone. According to official figures, the scheme reached its 5,000th home purchase milestone in February 2026, with another 4,000 applicants approved and awaiting completion (The Journal). The scheme is administered directly through the First Home Scheme website and requires applicants to work with participating lenders.

“A scheme to help people cover the cost of their home has reached its 5,000th home purchase, with another 4,000 applicants approved.”

— The Journal, Irish Independent News (thejournal.ie)

Overview of the scheme

The scheme provides up to 30% of the purchase price of a qualifying property as an equity contribution, not a loan. This means buyers do not pay it back monthly — instead, when you sell or transfer the property, you repay the same percentage of the sale price you received. Your equity share remains yours; the Government’s share is repaid along with any appreciation (or loss) in value.

Regional price ceilings apply depending on the local authority area where the property is located. For example, Dublin properties have a price ceiling of €500,000, while Galway County properties are capped at €450,000. These ceilings vary by house and apartment type within each local authority area (Build Me Ireland).

How it bridges deposit and mortgage gaps

To understand how the scheme works in practice, consider the official example: a €380,000 property with a joint salary of €70,000. A lender might offer a maximum mortgage of €280,000 (four times income). With a 10% deposit of €38,000, the buyer still faces a shortfall of €62,000 — roughly 16.32% of the property price. The First Home Scheme covers this gap by contributing up to 30% of the property value (First Home Scheme (Official Scheme Administrator)).

First Home Scheme eligibility

Eligibility for the First Home Scheme centres on buyer status, residency, and mortgage capacity. Unlike some Government support programmes, there are no specific household income limits required to participate in the FHS, which broadens access considerably — but applicants must still meet strict criteria around property type, location, and borrowing behaviour.

First-time buyer requirements

The scheme is primarily aimed at first-time buyers, defined as individuals who have never purchased, built, or owned a dwelling anywhere — including outside Ireland. This excludes farmland, commercial property, or self-build sites from the definition, so someone who once owned a house abroad would not qualify as a first-time buyer for FHS purposes (First Home Scheme (Official Scheme Administrator)).

Beyond first-time buyers, fresh start applicants are also eligible — typically those who previously owned a home but no longer do due to relationship breakdown, insolvency proceedings, or court-ordered divestment. These buyers must demonstrate they no longer hold any property interest to qualify (Harbour View Mortgages).

Age and other eligible homebuyers

Applicants must be over 18 years of age and have the legal right to reside in Ireland. The property must be purchased as a Principal Private Residence, and it must fall within the applicable local authority price ceiling for the area. Qualifying property types include new build houses or apartments in private developments, self-builds on land already owned, or rented properties where the tenant has received a valid Notice of Termination from their landlord.

Crucially, all applicants must borrow the maximum available from their lender — up to four times their income — without requesting a Macro Prudential Exception (MPE). This means the First Home Scheme fills the gap only after the applicant has maximised their conventional borrowing capacity.

First home buying grant application

Applying for the First Home Scheme involves a structured multi-step process that starts before you find your property and concludes at the solicitor’s office on completion day. Understanding the sequence in advance prevents delays and avoids the frustration of submitting incomplete applications.

Steps to apply

The application process begins with checking eligibility using the official calculator on firsthomescheme.ie, followed by obtaining a Mortgage Approval in Principle (AIP) from a participating lender. The AIP must be valid for at least 8 weeks when you submit your FHS application. Once you have the AIP in hand, you register on the FHS portal, upload your documents, and await the Eligibility Certificate — typically issued within 2-3 days if everything is in order (Doddl.ie).

Importantly, you do not need to have agreed a sale before applying. Applicants can register their interest in a new development within their local authority area and receive a Preliminary Certificate before they have finalised their property or mortgage arrangements. This flexibility allows buyers to secure their equity contribution early in the house-hunting process.

• Check eligibility using the online calculator at firsthomescheme.ie
• Obtain Mortgage Approval in Principle from a participating lender (minimum 8-week validity)
• Register and create an account on the FHS portal
• Upload required documents: AIP, valid photo ID (6+ months expiry), address verification (utility bill or bank statement from last 6 months)
• Wait for Eligibility Certificate (usually 2-3 days)
• Proceed to sale agreed and final mortgage offer
• Engage your solicitor to handle equity registration at completion

Required documentation

The documentation requirements are straightforward but exacting. Photo ID must be valid for at least six months beyond the application date — passport or driver’s licence are typically accepted. Address verification requires a utility bill, bank statement, or similar official document from the last six months; mobile phone bills are not accepted.

For self-build applicants, estimated build costs must be uploaded alongside the AIP. All applications are subject to anti-money laundering, fraud, terrorist financing, criminal, and adverse media screening by the scheme administrator (First Home Scheme (Official Scheme Administrator)).

First-time buyer grant second-hand house Ireland

One of the most common questions about Irish first-time buyer grants concerns second-hand properties. The First Home Scheme is primarily designed for new builds — but it does cover certain second-hand scenarios that buyers should understand clearly before ruling out older properties.

Second-hand property rules

The First Home Scheme applies to new build houses and apartments within private developments, self-builds on owned land, and rented homes where the applicant has received a Notice of Termination from their landlord. Standard second-hand properties sold on the open market by a previous owner are not eligible — except in the specific case of rented properties where the tenant is purchasing under the scheme.

This distinction matters because many first-time buyers in Ireland assume they can use the scheme on any property under the price ceiling. The FHS is not available for properties outside private developments except in those specified cases — a point the scheme administrator emphasises in its eligibility guidance (First Home Scheme (Official Scheme Administrator)).

Ireland-specific details

The scheme applies exclusively in the Republic of Ireland. Northern Ireland is not covered, and there is no equivalent scheme operating across the border. Local authority price ceilings vary by county and by property type — houses and apartments often have different maximum thresholds within the same authority area.

For buyers interested in new developments, participating lenders include AIB, EBS, Haven, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB, among others, though the full and most current list of participating lenders should be confirmed directly with the scheme administrator (Build Me Ireland).

First Home Scheme and Help to Buy

The First Home Scheme and Help to Buy (HTB) are the two most powerful equity-support tools available to Irish first-time buyers on new builds. They are not competing programmes — they can be used together — but doing so changes the maximum equity contribution available from each.

How they work together

Used alone, the First Home Scheme provides up to 30% of a new property’s value as an equity contribution. Help to Buy provides a tax rebate worth up to €20,000 for first-time buyers purchasing new builds, based on the greater ofIncome Tax or DIRT paid over the previous four years. When combined, the FHS equity share reduces from 30% to a maximum of 20% to account for the HTB rebate received (Harbour View Mortgages).

This interaction means that for higher-value new properties, combining both schemes can still make strong financial sense — but buyers should calculate whether the HTB rebate they are likely to receive justifies the reduced FHS equity share. The Help to Buy scheme runs until 31 December 2029, after which it is scheduled to close (Build Me Ireland).

Tax rebate details

The Help to Buy rebate is calculated based on the greater of your Income Tax or DIRT paid during the previous four tax years. First-time buyers who have been renting and paying Income Tax for several years can accumulate a substantial rebate entitlement. For example, a single buyer earning €45,000 annually who has paid Income Tax consistently for four years could receive close to the maximum €20,000 rebate — provided they are purchasing a new build.

The rebate is claimed through Revenue after sale agreed and before drawdown, and it is paid directly to your solicitor for offsetting against the purchase price. It cannot be used for the deposit — it forms part of the purchase price contribution at closing.

Related reading: First Home Buyers Grant NZ – Status, Eligibility and Alternatives

First-time buyers often combine the First Home grant with first-time buyer incentives like shared equity to boost affordability and access better properties.

Frequently asked questions

Summary

The First Home Scheme is one of the most impactful equity-support mechanisms available to Irish first-time buyers, offering up to 30% of a new property’s value with no monthly repayments. The absence of income limits, the flexibility of the Preliminary Certificate, and the ability to combine with Help to Buy make it unusually accessible compared to other European buyer support schemes. However, its restriction to new builds and the requirement to maximise conventional borrowing first set clear boundaries on who benefits most.

For buyers targeting new developments within local authority price ceilings, the scheme removes the most common barrier to purchase: the gap between mortgage capacity and deposit requirement. Those considering older properties or repeat-purchase situations should explore alternative routes, and anyone combining with Help to Buy should model the reduced 20% equity share against their likely HTB rebate before committing.