NBU Brings Banking Regulation Closer to EU Standards: What Will Change for Banks and Customers

In September 2026, the National Bank of Ukraine adopted a number of regulatory documents aimed at bringing Ukrainian banking regulation closer to European standards. The main changes concern credit risk assessment, bank capital adequacy, corporate governance, financial information disclosure and the easing of certain foreign exchange restrictions.

This is stated in a review of changes to the NBU regulatory framework in September prepared by the Centre for Economic Research and Forecasting “Financial Pulse”.

According to Dilyara Mustafaieva, Head of the Analytical Department at “Financial Pulse”, one of the key areas of regulatory change has been the introduction of prudential requirements of the European Union. These are a set of rules designed to ensure the financial stability of banks, adequate capital levels and effective risk management.

“The regulatory changes concern the gradual introduction of EU-aligned principles for risk assessment, transparency and financial stability. For banks, this means new management requirements, while for customers, it means additional mechanisms to protect their funds and interests,” Dilyara Mustafaieva noted.

Lending and Banks’ Financial Stability

Under Resolutions No. 98 and No. 99 dated 3 September, the NBU changed certain approaches to credit risk assessment. The purpose of these decisions is to bring Ukrainian rules closer to European standards and create conditions for expanding bank lending.

At the same time, Resolution No. 112 provides for changes to the procedure for determining banks’ regulatory capital in accordance with the provisions of European Regulation No. 575/2013.

Certain regulatory changes concern corporate governance, the approval of bank executives, remuneration policies and recovery plans for banking institutions in crisis situations.

“It is important to understand that tighter requirements for risk assessment do not mean restrictions on lending. On the contrary, more accurate assessment of borrowers’ financial standing and risks enables banks to make more informed lending decisions. In other words, the regulator’s task is to ensure that the development of lending does not create additional threats to the stability of the banking system,” the expert explained.

Banks Will Disclose More Information

Another important area has been increasing the transparency of banking activities. Under Resolutions No. 110 and No. 113, the NBU introduced new requirements for the disclosure of prudential information and the publication of relevant data on banks’ official websites.

This is intended to bring Ukrainian information disclosure practices closer to European standards and provide broader access to information about banks’ financial standing.

“Transparency is one of the key elements of trust in the banking system. When information about a bank’s capital, risks and financial stability becomes more accessible, customers and market participants gain additional opportunities to assess its reliability. At the same time, for banks themselves, this creates an incentive to maintain an appropriate level of risk management,” Dilyara Mustafaieva emphasised.

Foreign Exchange Restrictions: Further Easing

Alongside the introduction of European regulatory standards, the National Bank continued to ease certain foreign exchange restrictions in September.

In particular, under Resolution No. 103 dated 15 September, the maximum settlement period for transactions involving the import of certain industrial equipment was extended from 180 to 270 days.

In addition, Resolution No. 105 eased a number of foreign exchange restrictions for individuals and legal entities. Together with Resolutions No. 104 and No. 106, these changes are also aimed at expanding the opportunities available to non-bank payment service providers in the foreign exchange market.

“Foreign exchange liberalisation is taking place gradually. The National Bank is seeking to expand opportunities for businesses and other market participants while maintaining control over risks to foreign exchange stability. The extension of settlement periods for imports of certain industrial equipment is particularly noteworthy, as such transactions often require longer production and logistics cycles,” the analyst noted.

European Rules as the Basis for Further Changes

In September, the regulator also improved banking supervision mechanisms. In particular, Resolution No. 100 changed the approaches to imposing fines and other sanctions on banks and expanded the grounds for removing their officials from office.

At the same time, Resolution No. 108 clarified the criteria for determining the risk profile and systemic importance of financial service providers, which determine the National Bank’s supervisory actions.

According to Dilyara Mustafaieva, the regulatory decisions adopted in September demonstrate the gradual restructuring of Ukrainian banking regulation according to the European model.

“The ultimate goal of European integration of banking regulation is to create a system capable of simultaneously ensuring financial stability, supporting lending to the economy and strengthening depositors’ confidence,” the expert concluded.