Attention Future Car Owners: Why Will Getting a Car Loan Become Harder?

Car loan requirements in Kazakhstan are set to tighten significantly. For citizens planning to purchase a new or used vehicle, strict new regulations will take full effect starting in 2027.

Madina Abylkassimova, Chairperson of the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM), revealed these upcoming changes in an interview with the "BESmedia" news outlet. Going forward, banks will strictly assess a borrower's Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio when processing car loans.

Previously, providing data on daily expenses was often sufficient to secure a vehicle loan, but the situation is about to change completely. Abylkassimova explained that because car loans are secured by the vehicle itself, they traditionally carried lower interest rates and were exempt from strict regulatory limits. However, this leniency is coming to an end.

"To determine the appropriate level of regulatory oversight, a monitoring period was established. The monitoring phase for tracking the DTI ratio on car loans concludes at the end of this year. Starting next year, these mandatory requirements will be fully enforced," stated the head of the agency.

The Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio represents the proportion of a borrower's total monthly debt payments relative to their official monthly income. According to current national legislation, the maximum allowable DTI ratio for banks and microfinance organizations (MFOs) is set at 50%. This means that if the total of all your monthly credit payments exceeds half of your monthly salary or regular income, the bank will reject your application for a new car loan.

Notably, the agency had already introduced initial amendments to these rules in early 2025. Previously, banks exempted borrowers from the DTI calculation primarily when purchasing brand-new vehicles. Now, that exemption has been phased out, and the strict evaluation rules will systematically extend to pre-owned (used) cars as well.

Consequently, in the near future, buying a car on credit may become a privilege reserved only for individuals with higher incomes and low existing debt.