The BNR Central Credit Register records loans and commitments of 20,000 lei or more per lender, overdue loans and card fraud.
Biroul de Credit keeps data for 4 years from the update, and only 6 months for applications that were withdrawn or refused.
A foreign borrower with no Romanian loans usually does not appear in either database. The bank builds its view from income, statements and a credit report from home.
Credit history for foreigners in Romania: the short answer
A Romanian bank looks at two credit databases before it lends. The first is Biroul de Credit, a private company that runs a shared system for banks, non-bank lenders, insurers and debt-recovery firms. The second is the Central Credit Register (Centrala Riscului de Credit, CRC), run by the National Bank of Romania (BNR), which records loans of 20,000 lei or more per lender.
If you have never borrowed in Romania, you will usually not appear in either. That is not a black mark. It is an empty file. The bank then builds its view of you from other sources: your income documents, your bank statements and, very often, a credit report from your home country.
In plain words: in Romania, no history is not bad history. But the bank still needs proof of how you pay, so you bring it from home.
How a Romanian mortgage works for non-residents, step by step, is in our Romanian mortgage guide. This article explains the credit check inside it.
Two databases, two different jobs
| Biroul de Credit | Central Credit Register (CRC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Biroul de Credit SA, a private company | The National Bank of Romania |
| Who reports | Its participants: banks, non-bank lenders, insurers and debt-recovery firms that signed a participation contract | Banks, non-bank lenders on the BNR's special register and other reporting entities |
| What is reported | Loans requested and granted, amounts due, instalments, arrears and days late, restructuring, co-borrower and guarantor roles, insolvency, number of enquiries | Loans and commitments of 20,000 lei or more per lender, overdue loans, card fraud |
| How long it is kept | 4 years from the update; 6 months for applications that were withdrawn or refused | 7 years for overdue loans |
| Score | Can calculate a FICO® Score (300 to 850) at a participant's request | No score |
| How a foreigner is identified | Country code and passport series and number, for non-residents | Country code plus the data the bank collected when opening the current account, for non-residents |
Sources: BRD information notice on Biroul de Credit processing (24.07.2024) and the BNR's own CRC questions and answers.
Two details are worth noting. Paying off a loan does not erase it from the CRC: the BNR states that full repayment does not delete information already reported. And the score is not universal: BRD's notice says BRD itself does not use the FICO® Score, though other participants may.
What a Romanian bank checks on a foreign borrower
The credit databases are one part. A typical credit check combines several sources:
- Biroul de Credit and the CRC, with your written consent, to see any Romanian loans, arrears and recent enquiries.
- Your income, from documents you provide. For residents the bank can check income with ANAF, the Romanian tax authority. For income earned abroad, your file has to prove it.
- Your existing debts everywhere. The BNR caps all monthly loan repayments at 40% of net income, and at 20% for a foreign-currency loan when you earn in another currency (BNR Regulation 17/2012, Art. 19). Debts abroad count too, which is why banks ask about them.
- Fraud and sanctions lists, as part of the bank's own checks.
- The property, through valuation and land-register checks.
The same regulation asks lenders to take reasonable steps to verify what borrowers declare, including, where relevant, by consulting a credit bureau database (Art. 18(3^1)).
No Romanian history: what fills the gap
Because a Romanian database cannot show your record abroad, banks typically ask for documents that do the same job:
| What the bank wants to know | What usually answers it |
|---|---|
| Do you pay your loans on time? | A credit report from your home country's credit database. For Israeli residents: the report from the Bank of Israel's credit data system |
| How much do you already owe? | Statements of existing loans and mortgages, with monthly repayments |
| Is your income real and stable? | Tax assessments, payslips or accounts, and bank statements |
| Where does your own capital come from? | A source-of-funds file; see source of funds |
Each bank sets its own list and its own requirements on translation and apostille. Ask for the list in writing before you collect anything.
In Romania, no history is not bad history. But the bank still needs proof of how you pay.
Building a Romanian footprint early
You do not need a Romanian loan to start. Two simple steps make the process smoother:
- A Romanian tax number (NIF). Banks and notaries need it for a non-resident. See the Romanian tax ID for foreigners.
- A Romanian bank account. It is where your own capital, the loan and the repayments will move, and it is often a condition of the loan. See a bank account in Romania as a non-resident.
What not to do: apply to many lenders at once. Biroul de Credit records the number of enquiries, and its score takes into account requests for new credit in the last 6 months, according to the BRD notice. Ask for approvals in principle from two or three banks, not ten.
Checking your own Romanian record
If you have ever had a Romanian loan, credit card or leasing contract, check your record before you apply.
Biroul de Credit. You can exercise your right of access in writing, by post to Biroul de Credit, through its website, or through the lender you are dealing with. You may also ask the bank for a copy of the credit report it used, when it tells you its decision.
CRC at the BNR. You can request your own data only in your own name: a dated and signed written request, in original by post to the BNR Statistics Department, Str. Lipscani 25, Sector 3, Bucharest, 030031, or by email to the address on the BNR website, with a legible copy of your identity card or passport. The BNR answers by post, by email for email requests, or in person at its head office.
Errors. CRC data can be challenged through the institution that reported it. For Biroul de Credit, rights of rectification and erasure are exercised through its website or the lender; complaints can go to ANSPDCP, the Romanian data protection authority.
Checklist before applying
- Get your home-country credit report, recent, and check it for errors.
- List every existing loan, with balance and monthly repayment.
- Obtain your NIF and open a Romanian account.
- Ask two or three banks in writing for their document list and their translation and apostille rules.
- Sign the consent for Biroul de Credit and CRC checks only with the banks you are serious about.
- If you had Romanian credit before, request your own Biroul de Credit and CRC data first.
- Get an approval in principle before signing any reservation or preliminary contract.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Romanian credit history to get a mortgage?
No. Banks lend to non-residents without a Romanian history. They replace it with your income documents, bank statements and, often, a credit report from your home country. For buyers from abroad, financing is up to 70% of the property's value, subject to bank approval.
What is Biroul de Credit?
A private company that runs a shared credit database for its participants: banks, non-bank lenders, insurers and debt-recovery firms. It records loans, repayments and arrears, keeps data for 4 years from the update, and can calculate a FICO® Score between 300 and 850 at a participant's request.
What is the BNR Central Credit Register?
A database run by the National Bank of Romania that records loans and commitments of 20,000 lei or more per lender, overdue loans and card fraud. Overdue loan information is kept for 7 years, and repaying a loan does not delete what was already reported.
How can I see what the BNR register holds about me?
Send a dated, signed request in your own name to the BNR Statistics Department, by post or by email to the address on the BNR website, with a copy of your identity document. The answer comes by post, by email or in person at the BNR.
Does a bank in Romania see my debts abroad?
Not through the Romanian databases. That is why banks ask you to declare them and to bring statements and a credit report from your home country. Your total repayments, at home and in Romania, count against the BNR caps.
The bottom line
In Romania, a foreign borrower usually starts with an empty credit file. That is not a problem, as long as you bring the proof yourself: income, existing debts and a clean credit report from home.
Prepare that file before you choose a property, and apply to a few banks, not many.
If you want to go through what a Romanian bank will ask you for, book a 30-minute call with me.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: BRD: information on personal data processing in the Biroul de Credit system (24.07.2024) · National Bank of Romania: information on the Central Credit Register · BNR Regulation 17/2012, consolidated form (legislatie.just.ro), Art. 18 and 19 · Bank of Israel: credit data register
This article is for general information only and is not legal or financial advice. The rules are correct as of 22 October 2026. Each bank sets its own credit checks and document list, and every loan is subject to the bank's approval.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
