How to apply for a self-loan: What you need to know

Starting from March 1, 2025, Russians have the opportunity to establish a self-ban on issuing consumer loans. This means that neither the person himself nor the attacker posing as him will be able to conclude a loan agreement. Read about what a self-lock is and how to issue it in the Izvestia article.

Self—locking on loans - what is it

A self—ban on lending is a restriction that the bank imposes on certain financial transactions at the request of the client. It applies to all types of loans, except mortgage, educational and car loans.

A person can independently choose the conditions of the self-lock. For example, specify the maximum amount for one or more consecutive money transfers, if exceeded, operations will be terminated. It is also possible to restrict access to certain lenders, such as microfinance institutions.

Another option is to ban the method of applying for a loan. You can limit the remote conclusion of a contract, face-to-face signing at a bank branch, or both methods.

How self-locking for loans works

The self-ban works as follows: the next day after registration, information about the ban is reflected in the person's credit history. When the bank receives a loan application, it verifies the client's trustworthiness. It takes into account not only the level of his income, but also the presence of debts, information about bankruptcy, etc. If there is a self-lock, the financial institution is obliged to refuse to conclude the contract. If the loan was issued despite the current ban, the bank cannot require the borrower to fulfill its obligations.

The introduction of self-locking on loans is due to the activity of fraudsters and an increase in cases of data leaks. The mechanism will help the most vulnerable segments of the population not to fall into the trap of intruders. For example, such a restriction will not allow an elderly relative to give all his savings to third parties.

People who do not follow digital hygiene are also at risk. So, if a person often visits questionable sites and leaves his personal data on them, ignores the recommendations of banks on storing information, without hesitation, informs third parties of SMS codes, he becomes an easy prey for fraudsters. In this case, self-locking can be a good safety measure.

It is necessary to prohibit the issuance of loans in your name in case of loss of your passport or mobile phone. Attackers can use them to apply for quick loans to MFIs or to gain access to banking applications.

How to apply for and withdraw a self-ban on loans through Gosuslugi

You can install and withdraw a self-lock for loans for free an unlimited number of times. To do this, you will need to go to the Gosuslugi portal and select the item "Setting a self-ban on obtaining a loan" in the "Fines and taxes" section. Next, fill out the form (full name, date of birth, passport details and INN) and determine the type of restriction. Then you need to sign the application using any type of electronic signature and send it.

A notification of receipt of the application should be received within two days, and the ban itself will take effect the next day.

To cancel the restriction, you will need to go back to the "Fines and taxes" section, and then go through a similar procedure by clicking the "Removing the self-ban on obtaining a loan" button. It is important to keep in mind that it will not be possible to partially lift the ban, it can only be completely canceled. In addition, one of the types of enhanced electronic signatures will be required to receive the service: UNEP or UKEP. If none of them are available, you will have to register them separately.

The cancellation of the self-ban begins to take effect two days after the application is accepted. This is necessary to make sure that the person lifted the restriction of their own free will, and not under the influence of fraudsters.

To establish a self-lock on a loan, you can also visit the nearest MFC and fill out an application there. To do this, you only need a passport and information about the INN. But there is no way to lift the ban through the multifunctional center yet, such a service will appear gradually from March 1 to August 31, 2025.

They cannot refuse to issue a self-lock for a loan to a client. The only way in which the application will be rejected is if the information provided by the applicant does not match. Therefore, it is important to check your data before submitting documents.

Earlier, Izvestia told how get an education loan.