The debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is the share of net monthly income taken by loan installments: all existing ones plus the installment on the loan being requested. The BNR capped it through Regulation 9/2019 (successor to Regulation 17/2012 for consumer lending), last amended by Regulation 6/2022, at 40% for consumer loans in lei and 45% for mortgages in lei. On foreign currency, caps drop 5 percentage points (35% consumer, 40% mortgage). Above the cap the bank refuses, not out of spite: the law bars further lending, on pain of BNR sanctions and possibly a lost license.
The cap sits inside the BNR's macroprudential Pillar 2, introduced in 2019 after the Swiss franc lending crisis. The central bank's argument: it protects consumers from debt spirals and the banking system from default shocks. According to the Financial Stability Report the BNR published in June 2024, p. 38, the cap cut non-performing consumer loans from 9.2% (December 2018) to 3.7% (December 2023).
Beyond the headline caps there are nuances. Loans guaranteed through Family Start carry a 45% mortgage cap for borrowers under 35 on a first mortgage (Regulation 6/2022, art. 6). Foreign-currency income applied to loans in lei gets an extra 5% buffer. The details appear in the FSIE.
The quick answer
DTI = (all monthly installments + the new loan's installment + 5-10% of card limits) ÷ net monthly income × 100. BNR caps: 40% for consumer loans in lei, 45% for mortgages in lei, 35% and 40% for the same products in foreign currency. Above the cap, automatic refusal. Ways back under: repay a small loan, cut or close card limits, stretch the new loan's term, add a co-borrower, declare extra income officially.
Key points
• 40% of net income for consumer loans, 45% for mortgages
• Credit cards count at 5-10% of the limit, even unused
• Variable income (bonuses, commissions) is averaged over 6-12 months
• A co-borrower shares the borrowing capacity
• Practical ways exist to lower the ratio without hurting the credit file
The formula, in detail
DTI = (sum of all monthly installments) ÷ (net monthly income) × 100. Simple, except that “monthly installments” and “net income” both hide fine print:
Monthly installments include:
• installments on every active loan (consumer, auto, mortgage, refinancing), IFN loans included
• card exposure: the bank counts 5% to 10% of the total card limit as an equivalent installment, used or not
• overdrafts, treated much like cards
• the installment on the requested loan
• installments on loans signed as co-borrower or guarantor, per the BNR Regulation
Net income includes:
• net salary over the last 6 months, averaged
• rent under registered contracts (70-80% stability factor)
• pensions
• dividends and self-employment income, averaged over 12-24 months
• variable income (bonuses, commissions), usually at 50-70% of value
A worked example from a real file
Average net income over 6 months: 4,380 lei. Active: a car loan at 720 lei, a card with a 5,500 lei limit (385 lei counted, so 7%), a new loan request at 780 lei. Sum: 720 + 385 + 780 = 1,885 lei. Against income: 1,885 / 4,380 = 43%. Over the cap. Refused.
The fix was a 6-month extension of the new loan, dropping the installment to 690 lei. New total: 1,795 / 4,380 = 41%. Still over. Another 6 months: 645 lei. Total: 1,750 / 4,380 = 39.9%. Approved, right at the limit.
Table: typical ratios by profile
| Profile | Net income | Existing installments | Available headroom | Max installment allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young, no loans | 3,800 lei | 0 lei | 40% | 1,520 lei |
| Couple with one child | 9,450 lei (combined) | 1,200 lei (auto + card) | ~28% | 2,580 lei |
| Professional, 40 | 7,620 lei | 2,140 lei (3 loans) | ~12% | 908 lei |
| Pensioner | 2,380 lei | 0 lei | 40% | 952 lei |
How to lower the ratio
Three practical routes, in order of immediate effect:
1) Repay a small existing loan. A 200-300 lei installment with a small remaining balance (under 3,500 lei) frees that space the moment it is cleared. The early repayment fee is capped at 1%, zero on variable rates, so the cost is minor.
2) Cut the card limit, or close the card. An unused card still eats capacity. Dropping a limit from 5,500 to 2,700 lei shows up directly in the ratio. A closed card vanishes from the calculation, at the cost of lost account history; see How to raise a credit score for the trade-off.
3) Stretch the new loan's term. The installment falls and the ratio slips under the cap, while total cost climbs considerably. A stopgap, not a long-term answer. On 32,000 lei over 48 versus 60 months at 11% APR, cumulative cost rises by 1,760 lei.
Less obvious fixes
Add a co-borrower. A spouse or parent with verifiable income. Incomes combine, installments spread across two applicants. Downside: joint liability. If one stops paying, the other pays, and vice versa.
Formalize unreported legal income. Rent or dividends made official (ANAF declaration, registered lease) start counting for the bank. There is a tax cost, but it unlocks credit.
Wait for a pay rise. Promotion, job change, raise. Banks average the last 6 months, so 6 months on the new salary put the applicant in a different category.
Frequent mistakes
Underestimating card exposure. Many assume an unused card stays out of the math. Wrong. Under Regulation 17/2012, the bank must count it at 5-10%. Three cards of 5,000 lei each mean 750-1,500 lei of monthly exposure, fictional on paper, real in the bank's eyes.
Counting bonuses at 100%. Bonuses are unstable, so banks take them at 50-70%. On a 3,500 lei salary plus an average 1,200 lei bonus, recognized income is not 4,700 lei but closer to 4,100-4,340.
Undeclared rent. The 1,800 lei collected in cash from a relative does not exist for the bank. Only contracts registered with ANAF count.
Special cases, what changes
Foreign-currency income: a salary in EUR or USD (multinational employer, freelancer) triggers a currency-risk coefficient. For a loan in lei funded from EUR income, the effective cap falls to 35% instead of 40%, covering exchange-rate risk.
High-earner exceptions: the BNR Regulation allows individually approved exceptions above the national average income (over 12,000 lei net), yet most banks keep the 40% cap regardless. Negotiating one is hard and hinges on the client's relationship with the bank.
Under-35s on a first mortgage: through Family Start, the mortgage cap rises to 45% inclusive, with a state guarantee. Details at Family Start and the mortgage.
Related articles
• How to raise a credit score
• Family Start and the mortgage
• What the APR (DAE) is
• Debt-to-income calculator
Frequently asked questions
Can the 40% cap be exceeded on a very high income? The BNR Regulation permits individually approved exceptions, but most banks hold the line. Negotiation is difficult.
Does a credit card count? Yes, at 5-10% of the limit as monthly exposure, used or not. Lowering the limit or closing the card helps the ratio.
How is net income calculated? From the salary certificate, sometimes adjusted by a stability coefficient (0.85-1.0 depending on job stability). Variable income is averaged over 6-12 months.
Can the ratio be checked without applying? Yes, with the Kreditano calculator. Learning there that the cap is out of reach beats an official refusal: refusals are not reported to the Credit Bureau, but the inquiry stays visible for 12 months and the system spots patterns of failed applications.
Roman Dumitrescu, former BCR credit analyst (2010-2016), retail product manager at ING (2016-2022): “In 12 years of banking I reviewed 4 to 12 files a day. What I saw most was people surprised their ratio wasn't what they thought. The 7,500 lei card they never touch, counted at 10% exposure. The brother's loan they co-signed, whose installments count at 100%. The optional insurance lifting the payment by 4-6%. All of it can be worked out at home with a pencil. Five minutes spare you a refusal that derails your plans for a month or two.”
Bogdan Băicu, former Kiwi Finance broker: “The IFN side looks different. Per BNR data on p. 28 of the 2024 Financial Stability Report, only 41% of Romanian applicants know their approximate ratio before applying. The rest apply blind. Someone reaching an IFN after a bank refusal is in an even more delicate spot.”
A 3-month plan before a major loan
For a mortgage or a large amount planned within 3-6 months:
Month -3. Calculate the current ratio, flag small loans that could be cleared early, list cards with unused limits.
Month -3 to -2. Repay the small loan with a balance under 3,500 lei. Request limit cuts on unused cards.
Month -2 to -1. The salary should be landing in one stable main account. Not the moment to switch banks.
Month -1. Recalculate. Under 35% is comfortable territory. Apply for the target loan.
Updated after the BNR announcement of 18 March 2026: the mortgage threshold in large urban areas (Bucharest, Cluj, Timișoara) stays at 45%, no changes planned for 2026. The 40% consumer cap has been unchanged since 2022.
Adriana's case: refused at 41%, approved 3 months later
Adriana, 34, mathematics teacher in Iași, net income 4,620 lei, wanted 38,000 lei to replace her car. She held two cards (combined limit 7,800 lei, exposure 547 lei) and a small consumer loan at 380 lei. Her request at an 850 lei installment came to 1,777 lei / 4,620 = 38.5%, under the cap, but the mandatory insurance the bank required (88 lei/month) pushed it to 40.4%. Refused.
She closed an unused card (5,200 lei of limit gone), repaid the small loan with 1,730 lei left, and reapplied three months later. New total: 850 + 88 + 175 (one card, 2,600 lei limit) = 1,113 lei / 4,620 = 24%. Approved in 2 days, at a better rate than first offered. Clearing the loan cost 1,747 lei; the payoff was a better loan and a healthier standing with the banks.
Three real scenarios, three income-installment profiles
Scenario 1: income 3,840 lei, consumer loan
Retail employee, 27, Bucharest, net 3,840 lei, no active loans, a salary card with a 1,200 lei limit (60 lei exposure). Target: 18,000 lei over 36 months at 11.4% APR, installment 593 lei. (60 + 593) / 3,840 = 17%. Far under 40%, comfortable approval. The same profile with a second card at 4,500 lei and a car loan at 580 lei: (60 + 225 + 580 + 593) / 3,840 = 38.5%. Under the cap, barely. Any surprise (required insurance, a rate 0.5% higher) pushes it out.
Scenario 2: couple, 9,200 lei combined, mortgage
Married couple, 34 and 36, Cluj, combined net 9,200 lei, a BCR card with a 6,000 lei limit (480 lei exposure), car loan at 740 lei. Target: 320,000 lei over 25 years at 7.6% APR, installment 2,385 lei. (480 + 740 + 2,385) / 9,200 = 39.2%. Under the 45% mortgage cap, comfortable. Over 20 years instead of 25, the installment climbs to 2,610 lei and the figure becomes 41.5%. If one spouse loses their job, the single-income ratio jumps to 65-70%, which is why banks require unemployment insurance on mortgages.
Scenario 3: income 12,400 lei but 5 active loans
Senior IT specialist, 41, Timișoara, net 12,400 lei. On the books: a 2019 mortgage at 2,870 lei, a 2022 consumer loan at 940 lei, a car loan at 1,140 lei, two cards (limits totaling 22,500 lei, exposure 1,575 lei). He wants 25,000 lei for renovations, installment 760 lei. (2,870 + 940 + 1,140 + 1,575 + 760) / 12,400 = 58.7%. Automatic refusal; high income does not offset accumulation. The fix: repay the car loan (11,300 lei balance, freeing 1,140 lei) and halve the card limits (freeing 790 lei). Recalculated: 36.3%. The lesson: the ratio is about accumulation, not absolute income.
Update after the BNR announcement of 18 March 2026
Updated after the BNR announcement of 18 March 2026: caps stay at 40% (consumer, lei) and 45% (mortgage, lei) for 2026, but the BNR added a stress test for variable-rate loans running past 10 years. Banks recalculate the ratio with a simulated IRCC 200 bps above the current one; applicants over 45% under the test face extra conditions (mandatory insurance, shorter term). See BNR-IRCC-Euribor.