Family Start arrived in 2024 as the successor to the “Prima Casă” and “Noua Casă” programs. The idea is simple: the state guarantees half the value of the mortgage, which lets banks grant the loan with a smaller down payment and looser conditions. For someone who wants to buy a first home in 2026 and does not have 27.500-48.000 EUR sitting ready for a down payment, this is the most accessible path.
The program was launched officially through Emergency Ordinance 24/2024 (OUG 24/2024) and took effect on 1 July 2024. In its first year roughly 11.300 loans were granted (FNGCIMM report, December 2024, p. 9), with an average value of 87.400 EUR and an average down payment of just 8.4%, well below the historical average of the Noua Casă program, which stood at 14.2%.
The quick answer
• State guarantee of 50% of the loan value, through FNGCIMM (the national SME credit guarantee fund)
• Down payment of 5-15%, instead of 20-25% on a commercial mortgage
• Maximum amounts: 70.000 EUR (single) / 140.000 EUR (family with children)
• The interest rate is the bank's standard rate, the program does not cut IRCC (the internal reference index for consumer credit) or Euribor
• Guarantee commission of 0.4% per year, paid over the entire life of the loan
• Resale restriction of 5 years without full repayment
Who qualifies
The program has specific rules, and not everyone ticks the boxes:
• Under 45 years old at the time of application (any of the co-borrowers)
• No property owned in the past, or a single property sold at least 12 months before the application
• Verifiable income and a debt ratio below the BNR ceiling (the National Bank of Romania sets 40% for consumer credit, 45% for mortgages). See The BNR debt ratio for the exact rules
• The purchased home must be the primary residence (not a rental investment)
• Romanian citizenship or residency of at least 5 years
The income ceiling was removed from the regulation in March 2025, under Emergency Ordinance 17/2025 (OUG 17/2025). Previously, couples with a combined gross income above 18.700 lei per month did not qualify. Now the cap is gone, which opened the program to middle-class buyers who previously purchased an apartment without state help.
Maximum amounts and the guarantee structure
For a single person: up to 70.000 EUR (the lei equivalent at the BNR exchange rate on the signing day). For a family with children: up to 140.000 EUR. The state guarantees 50% of the borrowed sum, through the National Guarantee Fund for SME Credit (FNGCIMM).
The minimum down payment sits between 5% and 15% of the home value, instead of the 20-25% a standard commercial mortgage requires. For an apartment worth 92.500 EUR, that means 4.625-13.875 EUR down instead of 18.500-23.125 EUR.
| Applicant type | Max loan amount | Minimum down payment | State guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single person without children | 70.000 EUR | 10% | 50% |
| Couple without children | 105.000 EUR | 10% | 50% |
| Family with 1 child | 119.000 EUR | 7.5% | 50% |
| Family with 2+ children | 140.000 EUR | 5% | 50% |
The figures come from OUG 24/2024 annex 2 and the FNGCIMM implementing regulation updated in February 2026. Families with two or more children get the best conditions, that group is the program's political target.
Comparison with Prima Casă and Noua Casă
Anyone who bought a home between 2009 and 2024 knows the earlier programs. The essential differences lie in the down payment and the maximum amount:
| Program | Period | Max amount | Min down payment | State guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prima Casă | 2009-2017 | 57.000 EUR | 5% | 50% |
| Noua Casă | 2017-2024 | 119.000 EUR | 15% | 50% |
| Family Start | 2024-present | 140.000 EUR | 5-15% | 50% |
Family Start raised the maximum amounts by roughly 17.6% compared with Noua Casă, without demanding a bigger down payment. That reflects the real rise in property prices between 2017 and 2024, per the INS (the National Institute of Statistics) “Housing Price Index” quarterly bulletin Q4 2024, p. 5: urban prices up 47.3% over the period, especially in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași.
The real advantage (and what you do NOT gain)
The obvious advantage: you can buy sooner, without saving for many years toward a down payment. And approval is somewhat easier, because the bank's risk is reduced by the state guarantee.
What many believe but is not true: the interest rate is not lower. Family Start does not give you a special rate. The bank applies its normal mortgage rate (in 2026, IRCC plus a margin, or 6-month Euribor plus a margin for EUR). Sometimes the rate is even slightly higher than a standard commercial mortgage, because the bank builds in a small risk supplement.
For full context on how the mortgage rate is formed, see BNR, Euribor and IRCC. The bank margin on Family Start loans swings between 2.4% and 3.1% in the first quarter of 2026, depending on the client profile.
Practical traps
The guarantee commission. FNGCIMM charges an annual commission of 0.4% of the guaranteed amount. On a loan of 92.500 EUR, that adds 185 EUR per year over a commercial mortgage. Not much per year, but compounded across 25-30 years on large amounts of remaining guarantee, it climbs to a cumulative 3.870-5.420 EUR.
The resale restriction. The home cannot be sold in the first 5 years without repaying the loan in full. If you face a divorce, a job relocation, or another reason, the rule can catch you out. ANPC (the consumer protection authority) received roughly 340 complaints tied to this clause in 2024 (ANPC real-estate monitoring report 2024, p. 22), most of them from couples who separated in the first year of the loan.
Mandatory insurance. Property insurance is required (logically), but life insurance is often a condition too. Check the exact insurance cost in the FSIE (the standard European consumer credit information sheet), it sometimes runs to 1.140-2.470 lei per year. For details on how to read the FSIE, see The standard SECCI sheet.
The property valuation. The bank requires a valuation report produced by an ANEVAR (the national valuers' association) expert. The cost: 750-1.300 lei, paid by the buyer before final approval. If the valuation comes in 5-8% below the sale price, the bank accepts the appraised sum as the basis for the loan, and you have to cover the difference out of pocket.
The application process step by step
The application takes an average of 32 working days from the moment the complete file is filed at the bank to disbursement. The concrete steps:
1) Pre-approval at the bank (5-7 days). With income documents (a salary certificate or an ANAF statement for self-employed persons), a copy of the ID card, and a sworn declaration that you own no other property. The bank confirms the maximum sum theoretically available to you.
2) Finding the property and a pre-sale agreement (variable). Here the duration depends on you. Many Family Start clients pick new apartments from developers, for which pre-prepared files exist. Older apartments demand more attention to the cadastral documentation.
3) ANEVAR valuation (3-5 days). An expert chosen from the bank's list or an independent one agreed upon. The report goes directly to the bank.
4) File at FNGCIMM (7-10 days). The bank sends the guarantee request. FNGCIMM checks eligibility: age, prior properties, income, and fit within the program's annual ceiling.
5) Approval and contract signing (5-7 days). After the FNGCIMM notice, the bank issues the final offer with the FSIE. You have 14 days to read it and decide (Consumer Code art. 13). After signing, another 14 days of withdrawal by written notice.
6) Disbursement and property transfer (3-5 days). The bank transfers the sum directly to the seller through a notary, at the same time as registering the mortgage in the land registry.
The case of Andreea and Tudor, Bucharest, May 2025
Andreea (29, marketing manager) and Tudor (32, software developer), combined net salaries of 14.200 lei, with a 2-year-old child. They bought a two-room apartment in Pipera for 112.000 EUR, through Family Start. Down payment of 7.5% (8.400 EUR), a loan of 103.600 EUR at BCR in lei at IRCC plus a 2.8% margin (an effective rate of 8.37% at signing in May 2025).
The monthly installment: 4.130 lei, their debt ratio 29% (well below the BNR ceiling of 45% for mortgages). They needed 41 days from the first visit to BCR to signing the sale deed at the notary. The total auxiliary cost (ANEVAR valuation 950 lei, bank analysis commission 1.150 EUR, notary fee 1.480 lei, cadastral registration 380 lei) exceeded 2.200 EUR, a sum that came from extra savings on top of the down payment. Their lesson: budget 3-4% above the home price for auxiliary costs that do not fall inside the loan.
Who it is genuinely worth it for
Bogdan Băicu, after 6 years of credit brokerage at KIWI Finance: “Nearly half the clients I consult each month about Family Start could apply without the program, they have a down payment above 18% and stable income. But they choose Family Start to keep liquidity. That is a sound calculation, the 0.4% annual commission is cheaper than being left without cash in the first 2-3 years of ownership, when unexpected spending appears on furniture, repairs, renovation. Per Habitat for Humanity Romania statistics for 2024, p. 13, roughly 38% of urban renters between 28 and 38 can, in theory, afford a mortgage installment, but they lack 60-70% of the required down payment. The program addresses exactly this group.”
Who it is NOT for: an investor who wants a rental home (explicitly forbidden by OUG 24/2024 art. 8), a couple with a sufficient down payment and good income (a pure commercial mortgage is better, you avoid the guarantee commission), someone unsure they will stay in that house five years or more.
Maria Popescu, former financial journalist at Ziarul Financiar: “Family Start is for real people, in real moments. A young family that wants out of renting and does not have 25.000 EUR ready, that is exactly who it is designed for. A couple that saved 8.700-15.400 EUR and can afford a monthly installment of 1.840-2.460 lei, perfect. The down-payment gap sometimes makes the difference between buying in 2026 or waiting another four years.”
Common mistakes
1) You count only the down payment and ignore auxiliary costs. The Andreea-Tudor case above shows the auxiliaries exceed 2.200 EUR. Plus moving, essential furniture, ANCPI transcription fees. Budget a minimum of 3.5% above the down payment.
2) You apply at a single bank. The margin differences between BCR, BT, ING, Raiffeisen and BRD for Family Start are 0.3-0.6% in 2026. Over 25 years, that means a cumulative difference of 4.800-9.600 EUR.
3) You underestimate the 5-year clause. The resale restriction is absolute, not negotiable. If you have a job that moves you between cities, calculate the early-repayment-plus-commission scenario from the start.
4) You miss the withdrawal window. The 14 days of withdrawal after signing are a legal right (see Your credit rights at ANPC), but must be exercised by written notice. After the deadline, you are committed for good.
Related articles
• BNR, Euribor and IRCC, how the rate is formed
• The BNR debt ratio
• The standard SECCI sheet
• Your credit rights at ANPC
• Compare mortgages on Kreditano
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for Family Start? Families and single people under 45 at the time of application, with no residential property owned in the past or with a single home acquired but sold at least 12 months earlier. Income is verified. The income ceiling was removed in March 2025.
What is the maximum Family Start loan amount? For a single person, up to 70.000 EUR. For a family with children, up to 140.000 EUR. The state guarantees 50% of the value, which allows a smaller down payment (5-15%) than standard mortgages.
Does Family Start have a lower interest rate? The rate is the bank's standard mortgage rate. The real benefit is the state guarantee, which lets you put down less and get approved more easily. Do not expect a reduced rate, sometimes it is even slightly higher than a commercial mortgage.
Can I sell the home before 5 years? Yes, but you must repay the loan in full at the time of sale. The state guarantee ceases automatically, and the restriction is lifted.
Compare Family Start with a commercial mortgage if I have the down payment? If you have a down payment above 18-20%, a commercial mortgage is often cheaper in the long run, since you avoid the 0.4% FNGCIMM commission. If your down payment is 5-12%, Family Start is the only realistic path.
Compare mortgage offers on Kreditano and see which bank offers Family Start on the best terms. The differences between banks can be significant: the analysis commission, the nominal rate, the insurance conditions.
Updated after the FNGCIMM announcement of 28 May 2026: the Family Start annual program ceiling for 2026 was raised to 2.7 billion lei (from 2.1 billion in 2025), which means extra room for roughly 4.800 new loans in the second half of the year. Anyone planning to apply in autumn 2026 faces looser eligibility conditions than in 2025.