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.
AU AustraliaFJ FijiHK Hong KongJP JapanMN MongoliaNZ New ZealandWS SamoaSB Solomon IslandsKR South KoreaTW TaiwanKZ KazakhstanKG KyrgyzstanTJ TajikistanAL AlbaniaAM ArmeniaAT AustriaAZ AzerbaijanBA Bosnia and HerzegovinaBG BulgariaHR CroatiaCZ Czech RepublicDK DenmarkEU European UnionFI FinlandFR FranceGE GeorgiaDE GermanyGI GibraltarGG GuernseyHU HungaryIE IrelandIM Isle of ManIT ItalyXK KosovoLT LithuaniaLU LuxembourgMT MaltaMD MoldovaME MontenegroNL NetherlandsNO NorwayPL PolandPT PortugalSM San MarinoRS SerbiaSK SlovakiaSI SloveniaES SpainSE SwedenGB United KingdomAR ArgentinaAW ArubaBS BahamasBB BarbadosBZ BelizeBR BrazilVG British Virgin IslandsCL ChileDO Dominican RepublicEC EcuadorSV El SalvadorHT HaitiJM JamaicaNI NicaraguaPA PanamaPE PeruKN Saint Kitts and NevisTT Trinidad and TobagoBH BahrainEG EgyptIQ IraqIL IsraelKW KuwaitLB LebanonLY LibyaPK PakistanPS PalestineSA Saudi ArabiaTN TunisiaAE United Arab EmiratesCA CanadaBD BangladeshIN IndiaMV MaldivesLK Sri LankaID IndonesiaMY MalaysiaMM MyanmarPH PhilippinesSG SingaporeVN VietnamAO AngolaBW BotswanaBI BurundiCM CameroonKM ComorosDJ DjiboutiET EthiopiaGH GhanaGN GuineaKE KenyaLS LesothoLR LiberiaMG MadagascarMW MalawiMR MauritaniaMU MauritiusMZ MozambiqueNA NamibiaNG NigeriaRW RwandaST Sao Tome and PrincipeSN SenegalSC SeychellesSL Sierra LeoneSO SomaliaZA South AfricaTZ TanzaniaUG UgandaZM ZambiaZW ZimbabweUS US Federal
Asia-Pacific
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) | National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (NCCP Act) | — | Regulated |
| Fiji | Reserve Bank of Fiji | Fair Reporting of Credit Act 2016 | — | Partially regulated |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) | Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155) | — | Restricted |
| Japan | Financial Services Agency (FSA) | Money Lending Business Act (2010) | — | Regulated |
| Mongolia | Financial Regulatory Commission (FRC) | Law on Banks and Banking Operations (2015) | MNT 50bn (Commercial Bank) | Restricted |
| New Zealand | Reserve Bank of New Zealand | Credit Contracts Act 1981 · Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 | — | Partially regulated |
| Samoa | Central Bank of Samoa | Central Bank of Samoa Act 1997 | — | Unregulated |
| Solomon Islands | Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSSI) | Financial Institutions Act 1998 | — | Partially regulated |
| South Korea | Financial Services Commission (FSC) | Act on Registration of Credit Business and Protection of Finance Users | KRW 1 billion (Specialized Credit Finance) | Regulated |
| Taiwan | Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) | Banking Act (1989) | — | Restricted |
Central Asia
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | Central Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (CBA) | Law on Banks and Banking Activities (2014) | KZT 10 billion (Commercial Bank) | Regulated |
| Kyrgyzstan | National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBRK) | Law of the Kyrgyz Republic 'On Credit Organizations' (2003) | — | Regulated |
| Tajikistan | National Bank of Tajikistan | Instruction No. 197 (2022) & Instruction No. 255 (2024) | — | Partially regulated |
Europe
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Bank of Albania | Law on Banks No. 8280 (1998) and subsequent BoA Regulations | — | Partially regulated |
| Armenia | Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) | Law of the Republic of Armenia on Banks and Banking Activity | — | Regulated |
| Austria | Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) | Banking Act (Bankwesengesetz - BWG) | EUR 5m (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Azerbaijan | Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) | Law on Credit Bureaus (2025) | AZN 1,000,000 (Non-Bank Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBB) | Law on Banks and Other Financial Institutions (FBiH/RS) | — | Partially regulated |
| Bulgaria | Financial Supervision Commission (FIC) | Consumer Credit Act (CCA) | EUR 70,000 (Consumer Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Croatia | Financial Agency (FCA) | Act on Consumer Credit (2013, amended) | HRK 700,000 (Consumer Credit) | Regulated |
| Czech Republic | Czech National Bank (ČNB) | Consumer Credit Act (2016) | — | Regulated |
| Denmark | Finanstilsynet (Danish Financial Supervisory Authority) | Act on Consumer Loan Businesses (2025) | — | Regulated |
| European Union | European Banking Authority (EBA) / National Competent Authorities | Directive (EU) 2014/17 (MCD) & Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) | €1m (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Finland | Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanssivalvonta) | Act on Payment Services (2010/517) | EUR 20,000 (Payment Institution) | Regulated |
| France | ACPR (Prudential Control and Resolution Authority) | French Monetary and Financial Code (CMF) | EUR 50,000 (Credit Manager) | Regulated |
| Georgia | National Bank of Georgia | Law of Georgia on Microfinance Organizations (2006) | GEL 1,000,000 (Microfinance) | Partially regulated |
| Germany | BaFin (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) | KWG (Financial Services Supervision Act) | EUR 50,000 (Investment Firm) or EUR 730,000 (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Gibraltar | Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) | Financial Services Act 2019 | — | Unregulated |
| Guernsey | Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) | Lending, Credit and Finance (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2022 | Uncertain | Regulated |
| Hungary | Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) | Act CXII of 2001 on Interest Rate and Charges | HUF 1.5 billion (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Ireland | Central Bank of Ireland | Consumer Protection (Regulation of Retail Credit and Credit Servicing Firms) Act 2022 | — | Regulated |
| Isle of Man | Isle of Man Financial Services Authority (FSA) | Moneylenders Act 1970 (as amended) | No statutory minimum capital specified | Regulated |
| Italy | Banca d'Italia | Legislative Decree 385/1993 (TUB) | EUR 123,000 (IMEL) | Restricted |
| Kosovo | Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK) | Law on Banks in the Republic of Kosovo (2013) & Law on Microfinance Institutions (2013) | EUR 5m (Bank) / EUR 1m (MFI); unknown for non-bank consumer credit | Partially regulated |
| Lithuania | Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos Bankas) | Law on Credit Institutions and the Law on Consumer Credit | EUR 730,000 (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Luxembourg | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) | Law of 12 November 2004 on the financial sector; Law of 23 December 2016 on consumer credit | €300,000 (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Malta | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) | Financial Services Act 2018 · Directive (EU) 2023/2225 | EUR 730,000 (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Moldova | National Bank of Moldova (NBM) | Law on Credit Organizations (2014) | MDL 5m (Non-bank credit organization) | Regulated |
| Montenegro | Central Bank of Montenegro | Law on Consumer Credits (2023) & Law on Financial Leasing, Factoring, Purchase of Receivables, Micro-Lending and Credit-Guarantee Operations (2023) | EUR 500,000 (Micro-lending) | Regulated |
| Netherlands | AFM (Autoriteit Financiele Markten) | Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht, Wft) | €730,000 (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Norway | Finanstilsynet (Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority) | Financial Business Act (Finansforetaksloven) | NOK 1.5m (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Poland | Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) | Banking Law Act of 29 August 1997 | PLN 5,000,000 (Bank) | Regulated |
| Portugal | Banco de Portugal | Decree-Law No. 133/2009 (Consumer Credit) | €1,250,000 (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| San Marino | Banca Centrale della Repubblica di San Marino (BCRS) | Regulation No. 2011-03 on the Activity of Granting Loans (Finance Companies) | — | Regulated |
| Serbia | National Bank of Serbia (NBS) | Law on Banks (2016) | EUR 30m (Bank) | Partially regulated |
| Slovakia | Národná banka Slovenska (NBS) | Act No 90/2016 on Consumer Credit | — | Regulated |
| Slovenia | Banka Slovenije | Banking and Financial Operations Act (ZBP) | EUR 12.2m (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Spain | Banco de Espana | Law 2/2009 on Credit Institutions | EUR 5m (Credit Institution) | Regulated |
| Sweden | Finansinspektionen | Consumer Credit Act (2010:1125) | — | Regulated |
| United Kingdom | Financial Conduct Authority | Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 | None | Regulated |
Latin America & Caribbean
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Banco Central de la Republica Argentina (BCRA) | Law 21,526 (Financial System) & BCRA Circulars | — | Restricted |
| Aruba | Central Bank of Aruba (CBA) | CBA AML/CFT Handbook (2020) | — | Partially regulated |
| Bahamas | Central Bank of The Bahamas | Banking Act (Cap. 04.01) | — | Partially regulated |
| Barbados | Central Bank of Barbados (CBB) | Financial Institutions Act (Cap. 230) | — | Regulated |
| Belize | Central Bank of Belize | Domestic Banks and Financial Institutions Act | — | Regulated |
| Brazil | Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) | Law No. 4,595/1964 (Financial System) · Law No. 15,252/2025 (Consumer Rights) | BRL 100m (Bank) · BRL 50m (Savings Bank) · BRL 10m (Development Bank) | Regulated |
| British Virgin Islands | British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (FSC) | Financing and Money Services Act (2019) | — | Partially regulated |
| Chile | Central Bank of Chile (Banco Central de Chile) | Law 18.045 (Capital Markets) · Law 19.640 (Credit Bureaus) | — | Partially regulated |
| Dominican Republic | Banco Central de la República Dominicana (BCRD) | Law No. 191-02 on Banks and Financial Institutions | USD 10m (Financial Intermediation Companies) | Regulated |
| Ecuador | Banco Central del Ecuador (BceE) | Organic Monetary and Financial Code (2015) | USD 200,000 (Digital Credit Lending Entity) | Regulated |
| El Salvador | Superintendencia del Sistema Financiero (SSF) | Banking Law of the Republic of El Salvador | — | Regulated |
| Haiti | Banque de la République d'Haïti (BRH) | Law of August 28, 1984 (and subsequent BRH Circulars) | — | Regulated |
| Jamaica | Bank of Jamaica | Microcredit Act, 2021 | — | Partially regulated |
| Nicaragua | Superintendencia de Bancos y de Otras Instituciones Financieras (SIBOIF) | Law 588 (Organic Law of the Financial System) and SIBOIF Resolutions | — | Restricted |
| Panama | Superintendencia de Bancos de Panama (SBP) | Law 1 of 1999 (Organic Law of the Financial System) | — | Restricted |
| Peru | Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP de la Seguridad Social (SBS) | Law No. 26702 (Organic Law of the SBS) and Law No. 29324 (Cooperatives) | PEN 1,000,000 (Coopac Level 2) | Partially regulated |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) | Banking Act (St. Kitts and Nevis) | — | Partially regulated |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago | Banking Act Chapter 79:01 | — | Regulated |
Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | Central Bank of Bahrain | CBB Rulebook (Modules CM, BC, Volume 5) | — | Regulated |
| Egypt | Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) | Central Bank Law No. 194 of 2020 | EGP 50m (Consumer Finance Company) | Regulated |
| Iraq | Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) | Law No. 94 of 2004 (Central Bank of Iraq and Organization of Banking) | — | Regulated |
| Israel | Bank of Israel | Banking (Service) Law, 5762-2001 | NIS 1m (Credit Service Provider) | Regulated |
| Kuwait | Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) | Law No. 68 of 2015 on Banks and Financial Institutions | — | Restricted |
| Lebanon | Banque du Liban (BDL) | Code of Money and Credit (Basic Decision No. 12174; Basic Decision No. 13819) | LL 2 billion (Lending Account); LL 500 million (Finance Company) | Regulated |
| Libya | Central Bank of Libya (CBL) | Banking Law (2010/2011 amendments) | — | Restricted |
| Pakistan | State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) | Banking Companies Ordinance 1962; Non-Banking Finance Companies (Establishment and Regulation) Act 1996 | PKR 5 billion (Bank); PKR 1 billion (NBFC) | Regulated |
| Palestine | Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) | Banking Law No. (2) of 2002 | — | Regulated |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) | Finance Companies Control System (2007) | SAR 100m (Finance Company) | Regulated |
| Tunisia | Banque Centrale de Tunisie (BCT) | Law No. 2015-31 on Banks and Financial Institutions | TND 100m (Banking License) | Restricted |
| United Arab Emirates | Central Bank of the UAE (CB UAE) | Central Bank of UAE Law (2022) | AED 200m (Specialized Bank) | Regulated |
North America
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) & Provincial Regulators | Criminal Code (s. 347) & Provincial Consumer Protection Acts | varies by province; no federal minimum | Regulated |
South Asia
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Bank | Bank Companies Act, 1991 | BDT 500m (Commercial Bank) | Regulated |
| India | Reserve Bank of India (RBI) | Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934; NBFC Directions | INR 200m (NBFC-MFI); INR 50m (P2P) | Regulated |
| Maldives | Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) | Maldives Banking Act (2015) | — | Restricted |
| Sri Lanka | Central Bank of Sri Lanka | Finance Business Act No. 30 of 1988 | LKR 100m (Finance Company) | Regulated |
Southeast Asia
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) | Financial Sector Development and Strengthening Law (2020) & OJK Regulations | IDR 12 billion (LPBBTI) | Regulated |
| Malaysia | Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) | Financial Services Act 2013 (FSA) | RM 100m (Bank) | Partially regulated |
| Myanmar | Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) | Myanmar Banking Law (2016) | — | Partially regulated |
| Philippines | Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) | Republic Act No. 9474 (Lending Company Regulation Act) | PhP 50m (Lending Company) | Regulated |
| Singapore | Monetary Authority of Singapore | Moneylenders Act 2009 | SGD 300,000 (Licensed Moneylender) | Regulated |
| Vietnam | State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) | Law on Credit Institutions 2024 | VND 3,000 billion (Commercial Bank) | Regulated |
Sub-Saharan Africa
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA) | Financial System Law (2004) · BNA Notices | Kz 50m (Factoring) · Kz 2.5m (Microcredit) | Regulated |
| Botswana | Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) | Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority Act | — | Regulated |
| Burundi | Banque de la Republique du Burundi (BRB) | Law No. 1/17 of August 22, 2017 Governing Banking Activities | — | Regulated |
| Cameroon | COBAC / BEAC | CEMAC Uniform Act on Banks and Financial Institutions (2010) | — | Restricted |
| Comoros | Banque Centrale des Comores (BCC) | Law No. 12-011/AU on Leasing (2012) | — | Partially regulated |
| Djibouti | Banque Centrale de Djibouti (BCD) | Commercial Code (2024) & BCD Instructions | — | Regulated |
| Ethiopia | National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) | Proclamation No. 1157/2019 (Microfinance Institutions) | ETB 50m (Microfinance) | Partially regulated |
| Ghana | Bank of Ghana | Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2016 (Act 930) | GHS 50m (Specialised Deposit-Taking Institution) | Partially regulated |
| Guinea | Banque Centrale de la Republique de Guinee (BCRG) | BCRG Instructions on Microfinance Operations (2018) | — | Partially regulated |
| Kenya | Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) | Digital Credit Providers Regulations, 2022 | KES 100m (Digital Credit Provider) | Regulated |
| Lesotho | Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) | Money Lenders Order, 1989 | LSL 1m (Microfinance) | Regulated |
| Liberia | Central Bank of Liberia | Financial Institutions Act of 1999 | — | Restricted |
| Madagascar | Commission de Supervision Bancaire et Financière (CSBF) | Law No. 2020-011 on Banking Law | — | Regulated |
| Malawi | Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) | Financial Services Act 2010; Microfinance Act 2010 | — | Partially regulated |
| Mauritania | Banque Centrale de Mauritanie (BCM) | Law No. 2011-052 on Debt Recovery; Instruction 01/GR/2008 | — | Partially regulated |
| Mauritius | Financial Services Commission (FSC) | Financial Services Act 2007 | MUR 20m (P2P Platform) | Regulated |
| Mozambique | Banco de Moçambique | Financial Institutions Law (Law No. 18/2017) | — | Regulated |
| Namibia | Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA) | Microlending Act, 2018 | N$ 1m (Microlending) | Partially regulated |
| Nigeria | Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) | Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 | NGN 100m (Unit MFB) | Regulated |
| Rwanda | National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) | Regulation 65/2023 on Non-Deposit Taking Financial Services Providers & Law No. 73/2018 on Credit Reporting | RWF 100m (credit bureau) | Regulated |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Banco Central de Sao Tome e Principe (BCSTP) | NAP Regulations on Credit Risk and Microfinance | — | Regulated |
| Senegal | BCEAO (Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest) | UMOA Banking Act (OHADA) & BCEAO Instructions | — | Regulated |
| Seychelles | Central Bank of Seychelles | Financial Institutions Act 2004 | — | Partially regulated |
| Sierra Leone | Bank of Sierra Leone | Borrowers and Lenders Act, 2019 | — | Partially regulated |
| Somalia | Central Bank of Somalia | Licensing Regulations for Non-Deposit Taking Microfinance Institutions, 2025 | USD 100,000 (NDMFI-1) | Partially regulated |
| South Africa | National Credit Regulator (NCR) | National Credit Act 34 of 2005 (NCA) | No statutory minimum capital for NCR registration | Regulated |
| Tanzania | Bank of Tanzania | Microfinance Act 2018 | TZS 20,000,000 (Tier 2 Individual Money Lender) | Regulated |
| Uganda | Bank of Uganda | Financial Institutions Act 2004 | UGX 10 billion (Commercial Bank) | Regulated |
| Zambia | Bank of Zambia | Banking and Financial Services Act, 2017 | ZMW 10m (Microfinance) | Partially regulated |
| Zimbabwe | Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) | Consumer Credit Act [Chapter 22:13] (2019) | USD 500,000 (Deposit-Taking MFI) | Regulated |
United States
| Market | Lead regulator | Core law | Entry capital | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Federal | CFPB (consumer) · FTC (unfair practices) · State regulators (licensing) | Truth in Lending Act (TILA) · Dodd-Frank Act · State Consumer Credit Codes | None (federal); varies by state (e.g., $50k-$500k) | Regulated |