The Croatian National Bank is limiting consumer lending with new rules starting in October

Zagreb – The Croatian National Bank published in the Official Gazette (Narodne novine) No. 107/2026 of September 23, 2026, the Decision on Consumer Lending Criteria (Art. 1290), which, as of October 1, 2026, prescribes the maximum permitted DSTI and LTV ratios, repayment terms, and deviation quotas for residential and non-residential loans. The Decision was adopted on September 21, 2026, by the Governor of the Croatian National Bank, dr. sc. Ante Žigman, based on Article 249, paragraph 1 of the Law on Credit Institutions and Article 43, paragraph 2, point 6 of the Law on the Croatian National Bank. The new rules are binding for all banks in Croatia and apply to every citizen taking out a loan from October.

The Decision is, as stated in the text, adopted “with the aim of strengthening the financial resilience of consumers and mitigating credit risk for the parties subject to this Decision, related to excessive credit growth and excessive consumer indebtedness, in order to contribute to the preservation of the stability of the financial system as a whole.” The parties subject to application are credit institutions headquartered in the Republic of Croatia, branches of credit institutions from a European Union member state, and branches of credit institutions from a third country that have received approval from the Croatian National Bank to establish a branch. Upon the date of entry into force of the new Decision, the Decision on Consumer Lending Criteria (“Official Gazette”, No. 50/2025) shall cease to be valid.

Maximum Permitted DSTI and LTV Ratios

• residential consumer loan: DSTI ratio maximum 45%
• non-residential consumer loan: DSTI ratio maximum 40%
• loan secured by a pledge on real estate or transfer of ownership rights to secure a claim: LTV ratio maximum 90%
• deviations: for residential loans up to 10% of the total amount of residential consumer loans disbursed in the previous quarter, for non-residential up to 5%, and for LTV above 90% up to 10% of the total amount of loans secured by real estate
• at least 75% of loans disbursed with a deviation must be disbursed to a consumer resolving their housing issue through the purchase, construction, or renovation of a residential property

When calculating monthly income, banks must use the average income for at least the last three months preceding the creditworthiness assessment, whereby one-time and occasional payments, such as jubilee and special awards, are not included. For current account overdrafts and credit card loans, the monthly repayment cost is calculated as 3% of the average daily utilized amount, or 3% of the utilized limit.

Repayment Terms and Exceptions

• residential consumer loan: maximum 30 years
• non-residential consumer loan: maximum 10 years
• exceptionally, non-residential loans secured by a pledge or transfer of ownership rights to real estate: maximum 30 years

The Decision does not apply to current account overdrafts, credit card loans, installment payments via debit or charge cards, loans fully secured by deposits, securities, or other financial instruments, nor does it apply when implementing repayment relief measures prescribed by the law governing consumer and residential consumer lending.

Transitional Period and Supervision

In the fourth quarter of 2026, the basis for calculating permitted deviations shall be loans disbursed in the third quarter of 2026; the total amount of loans approved with a DSTI or LTV ratio higher than prescribed may not exceed 20% of the basis for residential consumer loans, 20% for loans secured by real estate, and 10% for non-residential consumer loans. The Decision applies to all consumer loans and refinancing agreements entered into from October 1, 2026, but not to refinancing agreements concluded for loan contracts entered into before July 1, 2025, where there is no increase in the remaining principal amount.

The Croatian National Bank will regularly monitor the application of the Decision based on data provided by obligors in accordance with the decision on the collection of data on consumer lending conditions and household deposits, and is authorized to supervise the application in any other manner consistent with its powers.

For citizens planning to take out a loan, this means a stricter verification of total indebtedness and the value of the pledged real estate, shorter repayment terms for non-residential loans, and maneuvering room for banks to approve a portion of loans above the prescribed limits, but in a limited volume and with the obligation to document each such deviation.

»This Decision is published in ‘Narodne novine’ and enters into force on October 1, 2026, except for the provision of Article 2, paragraph 1, point 12, which enters into force on November 20, 2026.«
O. no.: 390-091/09-26/AŽ, Zagreb, September 21, 2026, Governor dr. sc. Ante Žigman, signed — Narodne novine no. 107/2026, art. 1290, September 23, 2026.