Debt-to-income ratio: how much you can borrow

How a bank works out your maximum payment from your income, the limits BNR sets, and why the maximum is not a target.

Published 12 October 2026 · updated 15 October 2026

What the debt-to-income ratio is

The debt-to-income ratio is the share of your net monthly income that goes on loan payments. With an income of 9,000 lei and payments of 2,700 lei, your ratio is 30%.

The bank works it out by adding up all payments: the new loan, existing loans and, usually, part of your credit card and overdraft limits.

The limit set by BNR

BNR rules cap total payments at:

40% of net income, for loans in lei;
20%, for loans in a currency other than the one you earn in.

For a first home you will live in, both limits rise by 5 percentage points, to 45% and 25%. The lower limit for foreign currency reflects the risk that the leu weakens and your payment rises without the interest rate changing.

What that means in money

With a net income of 9,000 lei, the maximum payment is 3,600 lei. At a 5.9% rate, that means a loan of about:

607,000 lei over 30 years;
564,000 lei over 25 years;
507,000 lei over 20 years.

If you already pay 1,000 lei a month on other loans, 2,600 lei is left for the new one, and the maximum over 30 years falls to about 438,000 lei.

The down payment matters too

For a loan in lei, banks finance at most 85% of the home's price, so you need a down payment of at least 15%. For a loan in euro the minimum is 25% (20% if you earn in euro), and it rises by 10 percentage points for a home you won't live in. Even if your income allows a large loan, a small down payment limits the price you can afford.

The maximum is not a target

The 40% limit is a ceiling, not a recommendation. On the maximum loan in the example, a rate two percentage points higher would lift the payment from 3,600 to about 4,411 lei, almost half your income.

Before you sign, check whether you could pay that amount as well. If the answer is no, borrow less or choose a fixed rate for the first years.

In the "How much can I borrow" calculator you enter your income, existing payments and down payment, and see the maximum loan and the payment at a higher rate.

Sources

BNR Regulation 17/2012, consolidated text

What the debt-to-income ratio is

The debt-to-income ratio is the share of your net monthly income that goes on loan payments. With an income of 9,000 lei and payments of 2,700 lei, your ratio is 30%.

The bank works it out by adding up all payments: the new loan, existing loans and, usually, part of your credit card and overdraft limits.

The limit set by BNR

BNR rules cap total payments at:

40% of net income, for loans in lei;

20%, for loans in a currency other than the one you earn in.

What that means in money

With a net income of 9,000 lei, the maximum payment is 3,600 lei. At a 5.9% rate, that means a loan of about:

607,000 lei over 30 years;

564,000 lei over 25 years;

507,000 lei over 20 years.

If you already pay 1,000 lei a month on other loans, 2,600 lei is left for the new one, and the maximum over 30 years falls to about 438,000 lei.

The down payment matters too

The maximum is not a target

Before you sign, check whether you could pay that amount as well. If the answer is no, borrow less or choose a fixed rate for the first years.

In the "How much can I borrow" calculator you enter your income, existing payments and down payment, and see the maximum loan and the payment at a higher rate.