Regulatory AlertsLending & Credit regulation by country
122 jurisdictions, compiled from the primary-source documents we track and refreshed monthly. Open a country for the full picture — laws, licensing, restrictions — with every claim cited.
Asia-Pacific
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Regulated | Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) | National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 |
| Fiji | Regulated | Reserve Bank of Fiji | Banking Act (Year not specified in documents) |
| Hong Kong | Regulated | Hong Kong Monetary Authority | Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155) |
| Japan | Regulated | Financial Services Agency (JFSA) | Act on Improvement of Improvement of Money Lending Business (Money Lending Act) |
| Mongolia | Regulated | Bank of Mongolia | Bank of Mongolia Regulations (various, e.g., 2017 Asset Classification, 2013 Mortgage Lending) |
| New Zealand | Regulated | Reserve Bank of New Zealand | Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989 |
| Samoa | Uncertain | Central Bank of Samoa | Central Bank of Samoa Act (year not specified in sources) |
| Solomon Islands | Partially regulated | Central Bank of Solomon Islands | Central Bank of Solomon Islands Act (Year not specified in sources) |
| South Korea | Regulated | Financial Services Commission (FSC) | Personal Credit Management and Debtor Protection Act (2024) |
| Taiwan | Regulated | Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) | Banking Act; Regulations Governing the Extension of Mortgage Loans by Financial Institutions |
Central Asia
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | Regulated | National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan | Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On Banks and Banking Activities' (2014) |
| Kyrgyzstan | Regulated | National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic | Law of the Kyrgyz Republic 'On Limiting Usurious Activities in the Kyrgyz Republic' |
| Tajikistan | Regulated | National Bank of Tajikistan | Instruction No. 255 (2024) and Instruction No. 197 (2022) |
Europe
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Regulated | Bank of Albania | Bank of Albania Law (general framework); specific consumer credit act not cited in sources |
| Armenia | Regulated | Central Bank of Armenia | Law on Banks and Banking Activity |
| Austria | Regulated | Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) | Banking Act (Bankwesengesetz) |
| Azerbaijan | Regulated | Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan | Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Credit Bureaus (2025) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Partially regulated | Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (for credit reporting); Entity Banking Agencies for licensing | Entity-level Banking Laws and Consumer Credit Acts |
| Bulgaria | Regulated | Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) | Credit Intermediation Act (2007) |
| Croatia | Regulated | Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA) | Banking Act (consolidated) |
| Czech Republic | Regulated | Czech National Bank | Consumer Credit Act |
| Denmark | Regulated | Finanstilsynet (Danish Financial Supervisory Authority) | Act on Consumer Loan Businesses |
| European Union | Regulated | European Banking Authority (EBA) | Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) (EU) No 575/2013 |
| Finland | Regulated | Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA) | Act on Credit Institutions and Investment Services (2014) and FIN-FSA Regulations |
| France | Regulated | Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) | Code monétaire et financier (CMF) |
| Georgia | Regulated | National Bank of Georgia | Law of Georgia on Microfinance Organizations (2006) |
| Germany | Regulated | Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) | German Banking Act (KWG) |
| Gibraltar | Uncertain | Financial Services Commission of Gibraltar (FSC) | Financial Services Act 2019 |
| Guernsey | Regulated | Guernsey Financial Services Commission | Lending, Credit and Finance (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2022 |
| Hungary | Regulated | Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) | General Banking and Financial Regulations (specific core act not cited in provided documents) |
| Ireland | Regulated | Central Bank of Ireland | Consumer Protection (Regulation of Retail Credit and Credit Servicing Firms) Act 2022 |
| Isle of Man | Regulated | Isle of Man Financial Services Authority | Financial Services Act 2008 |
| Italy | Regulated | Bank of Italy | Legislative Decree 385/1993 (Banking Act) |
| Kosovo | Regulated | Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK) | Law on Banks and Special Credit Institutions (as amended) |
| Lithuania | Regulated | Bank of Lithuania | Regulations on the Assessment of Consumer Creditworthiness and on Responsible Lending (2013) |
| Luxembourg | Regulated | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) | Law of 23 December 2016 on Consumer Credit Agreements for Residential Property |
| Malta | Regulated | Malta Financial Services Authority | Directive (EU) 2023/2225 (Consumer Credit Directive II) |
| Moldova | Regulated | National Bank of Moldova | Regulation on Responsible Lending to Consumers (Decision No. 60, 2026) |
| Montenegro | Regulated | Central Bank of Montenegro | Law on Consumer Credits (2023) |
| Netherlands | Regulated | Autoriteit Financiele Markten (AFM) | Wet op het financieel toezicht (Financial Supervision Act) |
| Norway | Regulated | Finanstilsynet (Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority) | Act Relating to Financial Undertakings and Financial Institutions (Finansforetaksloven) |
| Poland | Regulated | Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) | Banking Law Act (Ustawa o bankach) |
| Portugal | Regulated | Banco de Portugal | Decree-Law No. 133/2009 |
| San Marino | Regulated | Banca Centrale della Repubblica di San Marino | Regulation No. 2011-03 on the Activity of Granting Loans (Finance Companies) |
| Serbia | Regulated | National Bank of Serbia | Law on Default Interest Rate (2016) |
| Slovakia | Regulated | Národná banka Slovenska (NBS) | Act No 90/2016 Coll. on Credit Institutions (and associated NBS Decrees) |
| Slovenia | Regulated | Banka Slovenije | Financial Operations of Credit Institutions and Financial Services Market Act (ZKIF-1) |
| Spain | Regulated | Banco de Espana | Law 5/2019 on real estate credit contracts |
| Sweden | Regulated | Finansinspektionen | Consumer Credit Act (Konsumentkreditlagen) |
| United Kingdom | Regulated | Financial Conduct Authority | Consumer Credit Act 1974 |
Latin America & Caribbean
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Regulated | Banco Central de la Republica Argentina (BCRA) | Organized Texts on Financial Entities (Codified Texts) |
| Aruba | Regulated | Central Bank of Aruba | AML/CFT Handbook (2020) |
| Bahamas | Regulated | Central Bank of The Bahamas | Banks and Trust Companies Act (Cap. 105) and associated Regulations |
| Barbados | Regulated | Central Bank of Barbados | Financial Institutions Act |
| Belize | Regulated | Central Bank of Belize | Domestic Banks and Financial Institutions Act; International Banking Act |
| Brazil | Regulated | Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) | Law No. 15,252 of November 4, 2025 |
| British Virgin Islands | Regulated | British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission | Financing and Money Services Act (as amended) |
| Chile | Regulated | Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF) | Law No. 18.045 (Financial Market Law) |
| Dominican Republic | Regulated | Banco Central de la República Dominicana (BCRD) | General Banking Law (Ley General Bancaria) |
| Ecuador | Regulated | Banco Central del Ecuador (Financial and Monetary Policy and Regulation Board) | Organic Monetary and Financial Code |
| El Salvador | Regulated | Superintendencia del Sistema Financiero (SSF) | Cooperative Banks Law and Central Reserve Bank Technical Standards |
| Haiti | Regulated | Banque de la Republique d'Haiti (BRH) | Law of August 28, 1984 (Savings and Housing Banks) |
| Jamaica | Regulated | Bank of Jamaica | Microcredit Act, 2021 |
| Nicaragua | Regulated | Superintendencia de Bancos y de Otras Instituciones Financieras (SIBOIF) | General Banking Law (year not specified in sources) |
| Panama | Regulated | Superintendencia de Bancos de Panama | Law 3 of 1985 |
| Peru | Partially regulated | Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP (SBS) | Law No. 26702 (Organic Law of the SBS) |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Regulated | Eastern Caribbean Central Bank | ECCB Prudential Standards and Guidelines (no single named Act cited in sources) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Regulated | Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago | Banking Act (Cap 79:01) |
Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | Regulated | Central Bank of Bahrain | CBB Rulebook (Module CM and related modules) |
| Egypt | Regulated | Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) | Central Bank Law No. 194 of 2020 |
| Iraq | Partially regulated | Central Bank of Iraq | Banking Law No. 94 of 2004 |
| Israel | Regulated | Bank of Israel | Bank of Israel Law, 5728-1968 and Proper Conduct of Banking Business Directives |
| Kuwait | Regulated | Central Bank of Kuwait | Law Decree No. 2 of 2009 on Financial Stability |
| Lebanon | Regulated | Banque du Liban (Central Bank of Lebanon) | Code of Money and Credit (Basic Decisions No. 7776, 6116, 12174, 13819) |
| Libya | Regulated | Central Bank of Libya | Law No. 1 of 2017 (Sustainable Credit) and CBL Circulars |
| Pakistan | Regulated | State Bank of Pakistan | Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962 (implied by SBP authority) |
| Palestine | Regulated | Palestine Monetary Authority | Law No. (3) of 2025 Regarding the Regulation of Loan Maturities, Installments, and Financial Leasing Payments |
| Saudi Arabia | Regulated | Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) | Finance Companies Control Law and its Implementing Regulations |
| Tunisia | Regulated | Banque Centrale de Tunisie | Circular No. 87-47 (and subsequent amendments) |
| United Arab Emirates | Regulated | Central Bank of the UAE | Central Bank of UAE Laws and Regulations; FSRA Financial Services and Markets Regulations 2015 |
North America
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Regulated | Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) and Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) | Bank Act (federal) and provincial Insurance/Financial Institutions Acts |
| United States | Regulated | CFPB, OCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve | Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z), Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Housing Act |
South Asia
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Regulated | Bangladesh Bank | Bank Companies Act, 1991 (and associated Prudential Regulations) |
| India | Regulated | Reserve Bank of India | Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 |
| Maldives | Regulated | Maldives Monetary Authority | Maldives Banking Act (2015) |
| Sri Lanka | Regulated | Central Bank of Sri Lanka | Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act No. 01 of 2016 |
Southeast Asia
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Regulated | Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) | Financial Sector Development and Strengthening Law (implementing regulations 2024-2026) |
| Malaysia | Regulated | Securities Commission Malaysia | Securities Services Act 2007 (implied by RMO framework) |
| Myanmar | Regulated | Central Bank of Myanmar | Asset Classification and Provisioning Regulations (2017) |
| Philippines | Regulated | Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) | Manual of Regulations for Banks and Non-Bank Financial Institutions; Republic Act No. 11494 |
| Singapore | Regulated | Monetary Authority of Singapore | Banking Act and Finance Companies Act |
| Vietnam | Regulated | State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) | Law on Credit Institutions (Year not specified in sources) |
Sub-Saharan Africa
| Jurisdiction | Stance | Lead regulator | Key law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | Regulated | Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) | BNA Notices and Instructions (e.g., No. 10/2024, No. 09/2024, No. 08/2024) |
| Botswana | Regulated | Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) | Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority Act (NBFIRA Act) |
| Burundi | Regulated | Banque de la Republique du Burundi | Law No. 1/17 of August 22, 2017 Governing Banking Activities |
| Cameroon | Regulated | Central African Banking Commission (COBAC) | CEMAC Monetary and Financial Cooperation Act (1999) and COBAC Regulations |
| Comoros | Regulated | Banque Centrale des Comores | Law No. 12-011/AU (Leasing) and BCC Regulations (2015, 2023, 2025) |
| Djibouti | Regulated | Banque Centrale de Djibouti | Commercial Code (Chapter 8, Section 4) |
| Ethiopia | Regulated | National Bank of Ethiopia | National Bank of Ethiopia Proclamation (Year unspecified in sources) |
| Ghana | Partially regulated | Bank of Ghana | Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2016 (Act 930) |
| Guinea | Regulated | Banque Centrale de la Republique de Guinee (BCRG) | BCRG Instruction No. I/DGSIF/DSIMF/002/2018 |
| Kenya | Regulated | Central Bank of Kenya | Banking Act (2015) and Central Bank of Kenya (Digital Credit Providers) Regulations (2022) |
| Lesotho | Regulated | Central Bank of Lesotho | Financial Institutions (Credit Only and Deposit Taking Micro-Finance Institutions) Regulations 2014 |
| Liberia | Regulated | Central Bank of Liberia | Financial Institutions Act of 1999 |
| Madagascar | Regulated | Banky Foiben'i Madagasikara (BFM) / Commission de Supervision Bancaire et Financière (CSBF) | Law No. 2020-011 on Banking Law |
| Malawi | Regulated | Reserve Bank of Malawi (Registrar of Financial Institutions) | Financial Services Act 2010; Microfinance Act 2010 |
| Mauritania | Regulated | Banque Centrale de Mauritanie | Law No. 2011-052 on the Recovery of Debts |
| Mauritius | Regulated | Financial Services Commission (FSC) and Bank of Mauritius (BoM) | Financial Services Act 2007 (implied by FSC rules); Banking Act 2004 |
| Mozambique | Regulated | Banco de Moçambique | Banking and Financial Services Framework (Banco de Moçambique regulations) |
| Namibia | Regulated | Bank of Namibia and Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) | Banking Institutions Act, 2023; Microlending Act, 2018; Consumer Credit Bill (final draft 2025) |
| Nigeria | Regulated | Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) | Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 |
| Rwanda | Regulated | National Bank of Rwanda | Law No. 73/2018 (Credit Reporting System); Regulation 65/2023 (Non-Deposit Taking FSPs) |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Regulated | Banco Central de Sao Tome e Principe | Permanent Application Norms (NAP) issued by the Central Bank |
| Senegal | Regulated | Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) | UMOA Monetary and Financial Code (as implemented by BCEAO regulations) |
| Seychelles | Regulated | Central Bank of Seychelles | Financial Institutions Act 2004; Hire Purchase and Credit Sales Act 2013 |
| Sierra Leone | Regulated | Bank of Sierra Leone | Borrowers and Lenders Act, 2019 |
| Somalia | Regulated | Central Bank of Somalia | Licensing Regulations for Non-Deposit Taking Microfinance Institutions, 2025 |
| South Africa | Regulated | National Credit Regulator (NCR) | National Credit Act 34 of 2005 |
| Tanzania | Regulated | Bank of Tanzania | Microfinance Act 2018 |
| Uganda | Regulated | Bank of Uganda | Financial Institutions Act 2004 |
| Zambia | Regulated | Bank of Zambia | Banking and Financial Services Act, 2017 |
| Zimbabwe | Partially regulated | Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe | Prudential Standards No. 02-2016/BSD (as amended 2019) |