NBS orders banks to prepare offers of more affordable loans by September 15

After a comprehensive analysis of the terms under which banks in Serbia approve household cash, consumer and housing loans and consideration of the best potential solutions, the NBS ordered banks which offer consumer and cash loans in dinars, as well as housing loans, to update their offers by September 15, 2025, so as to make these credit products more affordable to employed and retired persons with a monthly income of up to RSD 100,000, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) announced.

The NBS has decided to take such measures, as announced, in line with its regulatory and supervisory function, in order to create an environment where it will no longer be difficult for certain categories of natural persons to access loans, that is, to create an environment in which citizens will be able to use these banking products and service their loan liabilities smoothly.

– The measures we adopt are always considered from the perspective of the general interest that is sustainable in the long term, and the motivation behind every decision we make is to improve the lives and business conditions of all our citizens and the economy as a whole. For the NBS, independence has never meant isolation from the state and the economic policies – said Governor Tabakovic, commenting on the new measures.

The specified credit products under more favorable terms will be published as special offers by banks on their websites, and these measures will enable more favorable borrowing for over 50% of employed individuals and the majority of pensioners. These products include:

– dinar consumer and cash loans of up to RSD 1,000,000,
– dinar loans for refinancing cash and consumer loans with the bank with no limit on the loan amount,
– special cash loans of up to RSD 1,000,000 and refinancing loans approved to pensioners that include life insurance,
– housing loans for first-time homebuyers.

The NBS expects that the nominal interest rates on cash and consumer loans, as well as on loans used to refinance those loans, will be 3 pp lower (with the interest rate floored at 7.5%) compared to the average interest rates at which banks approved this type of loans in July 2025.

The NBS also expects that for special cash loans and refinancing loans granted to pensioners with included life insurance, the nominal interest rates will be 3 pp lower (with the interest rate floored at 10.5%) compared to the average nominal interest rate at which banks approved such cash loans in July 2025.

As regards housing loans, the expectation is that the nominal interest rate will be up to 0.5 pp lower than the average nominal interest rate at which banks approved housing loans within their standard offers in July 2025.

It is also expected that no fees will be charged for processing loan applications when approving these loans, and that the loans will be offered by banks for at least 12 months. The fact that these loans will be available for at least 12 months gives citizens more time and opportunities for planning and decision-making, while not having to pay the application processing fee reduces additional costs, making the loans more affordable, the NBS says.

The NBS estimates that the savings for citizens on total cash and consumer loans based on these measures could reach up to RSD 40 billion over the next five years, with savings in the first year of loan repayment amounting to up to RSD 12 billion. Additionally, the monthly installment on individual cash loans under these conditions would be up to 16% lower compared to the standard offers of some banks, resulting in total savings of over RSD 200,000 for the entire loan repayment period. Furthermore, the monthly installment on individual housing loans, due to the lower interest rate, would be up to 6% lower compared to the loan installments under the current rates offered by some banks, translating to savings of over EUR 9,000 for the entire loan repayment period.

The NBS will monitor the implementation of these measures and analyze their impact on the banking sector, and if necessary, revise the given recommendations, the press release says.

Narodna banka Srbije Beograd

National Bank of Serbia

Jorgovanka Tabaković

more affordable loans for citizens with lower salaries