An HDB application is not one thing. Depending on where you are in your home-buying journey, it could mean the HFE letter that confirms what you can afford, a new flat ballot, a resale submission, or a season parking sign-up. Each runs through a different e-service, costs a different fee, and has its own deadline. This guide maps every HDB application you might file in 2026, the exact dollar figures, and the contact channels that replaced HDB's old general hotline when it was retired on 1 March 2026. Get the sequence right and you avoid the most expensive mistake first-timers make: applying for a flat before your eligibility is locked in.
Most search traffic for "HDB application" hides four very different tasks. Sorting out which one you need saves you from filing in the wrong order, which is the usual reason an application gets rejected or delayed.
All of them now run online through HDB's digital services. There is no walk-in counter for submitting a flat application anymore, and most enquiries that used to need a phone call are handled inside the portal itself.
| Application | What it does | Where you file it | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| HFE letter | Confirms your eligibility, grant amount, and loan limit before you buy | HDB Flat Portal (Singpass) | Free |
| New flat (BTO / SBF / open booking) | Enters you into a sales exercise ballot for a new flat | HDB Flat Portal | $10 per application |
| Resale flat | Buyer and seller submit to transfer an existing flat | HDB Resale Portal / My Flat Dashboard | $40 or $80 per party |
| Season parking | Monthly car or motorcycle parking at HDB carparks | HDB car park e-services | Set by season parking rates |
The HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter is the first thing you file, and it is free. It pulls your income, CPF, and existing property history into one assessment and tells you three numbers upfront: whether you can buy a flat at all, how much in CPF housing grants you qualify for, and the maximum HDB loan you can take.
You apply through the HDB Flat Portal using Singpass. Every person who will be listed as an applicant or occupier needs to give their Myinfo consent, so a couple buying together both log in. HDB asks you to allow several weeks for processing, which is why you start this months before a sales launch, not the week of.
An HFE letter is valid for 9 months from the date HDB issues it. That window was extended from 6 months back in November 2023 and still stands in 2026. If it lapses before you book a flat, you reapply from scratch. Our full HFE letter walkthrough breaks down the documents and the common rejection reasons.
Before you even open the portal, run your numbers. The BTO affordability calculator shows whether your target flat fits your income and CPF, and the HDB loan calculator estimates your monthly repayment under the current concessionary rate.
With a valid HFE letter, you can apply for a new flat during a Build-To-Order (BTO), Sales of Balance Flats (SBF), or open booking exercise. Applications go through the HDB Flat Portal, and the window is short, usually about a week per exercise.
The application fee is $10 per application, inclusive of GST, paid by Mastercard, Visa, or a supported mobile payment app. You do not upload documents when you apply. HDB only requests them if your queue number is good enough to be invited to book.
After the ballot, you track everything in My Flat Dashboard inside the Flat Portal. It shows your queue number, your booking appointment, and the steps left in your journey. If you are weighing a new flat against an existing one, the BTO vs resale comparison lays out the cost and timeline trade-offs side by side.
Your eligibility for a new flat is capped by a monthly household income ceiling, which depends on the flat type. These are checked when you apply, so confirm them inside your HFE assessment.
Buying or selling an existing flat is a separate application from the new flat ballot, and it has more moving parts because both sides file. Sellers register an Intent to Sell and buyers register an Intent to Buy on the HDB Resale Portal before any Option to Purchase is granted.
The resale application admin fee is $80 for a 3-room or larger flat and $40 for a 1- or 2-room flat. Each party pays its own share, so a typical 4-room transaction means the buyer pays $80 and the seller pays $80. Both portions are submitted through My Flat Dashboard, and HDB needs both before it processes the case.
Resale buyers still need a valid HFE letter at the point of granting the Option to Purchase. Sellers do not need an HFE letter, but they must serve a 7-day wait after registering Intent to Sell before they can grant an OTP. The HDB Resale Portal guide tracks the full seven-stage timeline and every fee in between.
HDB has consolidated most home-buying tasks into the HDB Flat Portal at homes.hdb.gov.sg, while transactions and account matters sit across a few related e-services. You log in with Singpass for all of them.
HDB retired its general enquiry hotline, 6490-1111, on 1 March 2026. If you still have that number saved, it no longer connects you to a general agent. The replacement is a set of focused lines plus the e-Feedback form, which HDB now treats as the main channel for most queries.
For anything tied to your application status, the fastest answer is usually inside My Flat Dashboard or the relevant portal, because those show your live case. Use the lines below for matters that the portal cannot resolve.
| Channel | Number / link | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Branch Service Line | 6225-5432 | Leases, car park, flat maintenance, renting from HDB, housing finance, EASE |
| SERS Enquiry Line | 6866-3070 | Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme matters |
| Commercial Properties Line | 6866-3073 | HDB commercial unit enquiries |
| Emergency Hotline | 1800-455-0089 | Fire, fallen window, wall collapse, urgent safety risks |
| e-Feedback form | hdb.gov.sg Write to Us | General and application-specific enquiries |
The single most common first-timer error is applying for a flat before the HFE letter is ready. Without a valid HFE letter in hand, the Flat Portal will not let you submit a new flat application or grant a resale OTP.
Yes. A valid HFE letter is required before you can submit a new flat application on the HDB Flat Portal or grant an Option to Purchase as a resale buyer. It confirms your eligibility, grant amount, and loan limit, and it is valid for 9 months from issue.
The HFE letter is free. A new flat application costs $10 per application, inclusive of GST. A resale application admin fee is $80 for a 3-room or larger flat and $40 for a 1- or 2-room flat, paid by each party separately.
HDB retired the general hotline 6490-1111 on 1 March 2026. For most flat matters use the Branch Service Line at 6225-5432, or the e-Feedback form on hdb.gov.sg. There are separate lines for SERS, commercial properties, and a 1800-455-0089 emergency hotline for safety risks.
Log in to the HDB Flat Portal with Singpass and open My Flat Dashboard. It shows your queue number, booking appointment, resale case progress, and the next steps. This is faster than calling, since the dashboard reflects your live case in real time.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.