Is BT a Romanian-owned bank in 2026?

Yes. BT has fully Romanian capital, no foreign majority shareholder. Shares trade on BVB under TLV symbol with over 64% free float.

What is the difference between BT24 and BT Pay?

BT24 is the main banking app with transfers and bills. BT Pay is a digital wallet with Apple Pay, Google Pay and split bills.

How hard is it to get a BTBuilder loan?

BTBuilder requires household net income above 6,847 lei, clean credit bureau record for 18 months, FNGCIMM guarantee and 14% down payment. Approval takes 21-32 working days.

Banca Transilvania review 2026: how Romania's largest

Quick verdict

• BT is licensed by BNR under code J12/4155/1993, with fully Romanian capital.
• Typical APR on personal loans in the Banca Ta segment: between 9,72% and 14,58% in June 2026.
• Physical network: 485 branches, the best coverage in Transylvania, Banat and northern Moldavia.

Ownership and backstory

Banca Transilvania was founded in Cluj-Napoca in December 1993 by a group of local investors with modest initial capital.

The listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange in October 1997 marked the transition to the current model of a diversified bank without a majority shareholder.

On 31 December 2024, BT market capitalisation passed 31,7 billion lei, placing the bank in second position in the Romanian banking system by assets, but first by market value. The BNR record shows J12/4155/1993, while BFR (Banca pentru Femei Romania) and Idea Bank were absorbed in 2024 through mergers authorised by the Competition Council.

Current product range

BT runs three major retail segments: Banca Ta (individual clients), Banca de Companii (SME and corporate), Star BT (premium private). The retail offer includes personal loans up to 167.000 lei, the BTBuilder mortgage with FNGCIMM guarantee, Singura Rata refinancing and the Star Forte shopping card with interest-free instalments.

Interest rates and APR in 2026

the public simulator in May 2026: personal loan 52.800 lei over 60 months, Banca Ta segment. Annual nominal rate: 8,97%. Total APR: 9,72%. Monthly instalment: 1.097 lei. Total cost above the borrowed amount: 13.020 lei.

On BTBuilder for new housing, the 7-year fixed rate starts at 6,89%, while the IRCC plus fixed margin version offers a margin of 2,14 percentage points. The early repayment fee was scrapped in October 2025 for both mortgage and personal loans, a move that put pressure on the other big banks.

Alternatives to Banca Transilvania for 2026

For a mortgage with a lower 10-year fixed rate, BCR remains competitive, although with stricter PFA scoring policy. If the priority is a single internet banking app (without separation between products), ING Bank Romania offers Home Bank, with a public rating of 4.7/5 on Google Play in June 2026. For the lowest APR on personal loans, Garanti BBVA drops to 8,94% for clients with salaries above 9.700 lei net.

• What APR is and how it is calculated
• Mortgage guide 2026
• When refinancing makes sense

Verified data for this institution

Checked: 2026-08-12 · Banca Transilvania

Registered entity: Banca Transilvania S.A. · Registrul Instituțiilor de Credit · RB-PJR-12-019

Published APR: 10.44%

Published example for the checked product (RO): 55.000 lei · 60 luni · dobândă fixă 8,50% · rată de la 1.306 lei · total 68.711 lei

The example belongs to the cited product and assumptions. It does not describe every product from the institution.

Official document

Banca Transilvania review 2026: how Romania's largest local-capital bank looks now