In brief
Banks in Romania grant mortgages also to the self-employed, to company owners who draw dividends and to those earning abroad. Regulation 17/2012 of the central bank (BNR) does not exclude any type of income, but it allows each bank to count only part of less certain income, and it imposes strict ceilings: 40% of net income for all repayments, 20% for a loan in a foreign currency when the income is in another currency, and a limit on counting a sharp increase in income.
Key takeaways
- 1All monthly repayments on all loans together are limited to 40% of net income, or 45% for a first home (Article 19 of Regulation 17/2012).
- 2For a loan in a foreign currency when the income is in another currency, the repayments in the foreign currency are limited to 20%, or 25% for a first home.
- 3Each bank determines which income it accepts and at what coefficient; only a salary under a permanent contract is protected from reduction.
- 4The current year's income is counted at most 20% above the previous year, unless documents prove that the increase will continue.
- 5For company owners: the bank counts what reached you, salary and dividends paid, not the company's profits.
The self-employed and company owners approach the question of a mortgage in Romania with a concern familiar from Israel: “Without a payslip, the bank will not take me seriously”. In Romania the question is framed differently. The bank does not ask whether you are an employee, but how much of your income you can prove, and how confident it is that it will continue. This guide focuses on one question: how income that is not a salary becomes a figure the bank approves.
Can a self-employed person obtain a mortgage in Romania?
Yes. Regulation 17/2012 of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), which applies to every bank and every lending institution, does not exclude any type of income. It leaves each bank to determine in its internal rules which income will be accepted and how much of it will be counted, according to adjustment coefficients that depend on the certainty and regularity of the income. A salary under a permanent employment contract is the only income that the regulation provides must not be reduced.
For a loan in a foreign currency when the income is in another currency, the repayments in the foreign currency are limited to 20%, or 25% for a first home.
Which central bank rules apply to every borrower?
| Subject | The rule | Article of Regulation 17/2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Method of measurement | Total monthly repayments divided by net monthly income | 13(1) |
| General ceiling | All repayments together up to 40% of net income | 19(1) |
| First home | Up to 45%, for a person who does not own and has not owned a home | 19(2) |
| Foreign currency against income in another currency | Repayments in the foreign currency up to 20% (25% for a first home) | 19(3) |
| Which income is counted | Each bank sets types and coefficients; no coefficient applies to a salary under a permanent contract | 12(1)(d) |
| Increase in income | At most 20% above the previous year, unless it is proved that the increase will continue | 15(1), 15(4) |
| Proof of the previous year | Documents of income reported to the tax authorities and/or income received into accounts at the lending bank | 15(2) |
| Derogation quota | Up to 15% of the volume of loans, not above the equivalent of EUR 250,000, for borrowers earning at least the average net salary | 20 |
The two rules that mainly affect the self-employed
The adjustment coefficient. The bank may count only part of income that appears less certain to it, such as dividends or a self-employed person's professional fees. The regulation does not set the coefficient, and each bank sets it itself. Therefore exactly the same file may receive two different approvals at two banks.
The increase limit. After an excellent year, the bank cannot take the last year as it is. The basis is the previous year, to which up to 20% may be added, unless you present documents showing that the change is permanent. The regulation itself gives as an example a “significant increase in the volume of business” for a person with self-employment income, such as new long-term contracts.
What do banks publish about the types of income they accept?
Some of the large banks have published general lists. BCR mentions income of a self-employed sole trader (PFA, Persoană Fizică Autorizată), of liberal professionals and freelancers with tax documents and account statements, dividends with a history of at least two years, and income from abroad with translated and authenticated documents. Banca Transilvania mentions, among others, dividends, self-employed activity, rent and a salary from abroad, where the income is regular and can be proved. UniCredit asks for consent to verify income with the tax authority ANAF and supporting documents for other types of income.
None of them publishes what part of each income it counts. This is the question worth asking each bank, in writing.
What should each profile bring to the bank?
| Profile | What the bank examines | Where the file usually gets stuck |
|---|---|---|
| Self-employed and freelancers | Annual returns or tax assessments for recent years, account statements showing the receipts | A strong year after weak years: the 20% limit |
| Company owners with dividends | Financial statements, distribution resolutions, proof of payment of the dividend and of the tax on it | Profits that remained in the company and are not counted |
| Recipients of income from abroad | Employment or service contract, payslips or tax assessments, account statements, translated and authenticated | Income in one currency and a loan in another: the 20% ceiling |
Why is profit in the company not income in the bank's eyes?
From the bank's point of view, the company's profits belong to the company. Your income is what actually reached you: a salary, a dividend that was declared, paid and on which tax was paid, or a combination of the two. A company owner who has left profits in the company for years may look on paper like someone with a modest salary.
If you plan to apply for a mortgage in Romania, talk to your accountant a year or two in advance about the way you draw money from the company. This is a tax decision in Israel, not a “banking trick”, and it should be made with a tax adviser.
How does a reduction coefficient affect the loan amount?
An example for illustration only: a company owner with net income of EUR 5,000 a month, 2,000 salary and 3,000 dividends. Assume the bank counts dividends at 70%, an assumption for the purpose of the example and not a figure from any bank.
| Scenario | Income counted | Maximum repayment at 40% |
|---|---|---|
| All income counted | EUR 5,000 | EUR 2,000 a month |
| Dividends at 70% | 2,000 + 2,100 = EUR 4,100 | EUR 1,640 a month |
The mechanism is what matters: a coefficient on part of the income lowers the permitted repayment, and with it the loan amount. When the loan is in a currency different from the currency of the income, the 20% ceiling narrows the picture even further; see our guide to a mortgage in Romania with income in shekels.
Preparation checklist for the mortgage file
- Ask two or three banks in writing which of your income they accept, at what proportion, and how many years back.
- Collect annual returns or tax assessments for two to three years, and the statements of the account into which the income was received.
- For dividends: financial statements, distribution resolutions and proof of payment and of tax.
- For income from abroad: the contracts in force and their end dates; a contract about to end weakens the file.
- Translate and authenticate with an apostille what the bank requires, before choosing a property.
- Calculate all existing repayments, wherever they are; they are counted within the ceiling.
- Obtain approval in principle before a reservation agreement or a preliminary contract.
What to do before signing and how we assist
Before committing to a property, it is worth knowing how much the bank will actually approve and not only the “up to” figure. We help buyers build the legal and documentary file against the bank's requirements, time the approval in principle in relation to the preliminary contract and make sure that the contract does not require payments before the financing is clear. The notarial mortgage contract and registration of the mortgage are carried out by a notary and by lawyers licensed in Romania.
What is stated here is general information correct as of October 2026 and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice. Each bank determines for itself which income it accepts, at what coefficient and which documents are required, and every mortgage is subject to the bank's approval.
Frequently asked questions
Can you obtain a mortgage in Romania without payslips?
Yes. Regulation 17/2012 of the central bank does not exclude any type of income. Banks accept income from self-employed activity, dividends and income from abroad when it is documented and regular, and each bank decides what part of it to count.
What is the maximum repayment ratio for a mortgage in Romania?
All monthly repayments together up to 40% of net income, or 45% for a first home for a person who has never owned a home. For a loan in a foreign currency to a borrower earning in another currency, repayments in the foreign currency up to 20%, or 25% in the same first-home situation.
My income jumped this year. Will the bank count all of it?
Not automatically. Current income is counted at most 20% above the previous year, unless documents, for example new long-term contracts, show that the increase will continue.
Do banks in Romania accept dividends as income?
Many do, subject to conditions. Financial statements and distribution resolutions are usually required, and some banks specify a history of at least two years. The bank may count only part of the dividend, so it is worth asking for an answer in writing.
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The information in this guide is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice on any specific transaction. Every transaction is assessed on its own facts.