From June 1, it will be more difficult to lift the self-imposed ban on loans

From June 1, the Gosuslugi portal will begin accepting only applications for lifting the ban on obtaining a loan confirmed by an enhanced qualified electronic signature (UKEP). Regular login with a password will no longer work for this purpose. This issue may be relevant for at least 11 million Russians - that is how many users of the Gosuslugi portal have issued a self-ban on loans as of the last week of May. UKEP is a digital analogue of a handwritten signature. To obtain a certificate in the Gosklyuch application, you will need a valid new-style passport or biometrics for confirmation, another option is a personal visit to the bank or MFC.

Experts told MK what the new procedure for lifting self-prohibitions is connected with, and what its pros and cons are.

Alexey Krichevsky, financial analyst, author of the project "Economism":

"According to the Ministry of Digital Development, as of April, 1.8 million Russians have received an enhanced electronic signature. And about 11 million have self-imposed a ban on lending. Moreover, a third of them did so in the first week of the service's existence. So, on the one hand, it will naturally be somewhat more difficult to lift the ban. On the other hand, an enhanced electronic signature can be made both online and by visiting an MFC or one of the banks issuing signatures in one day - that is, this should not become a global problem. In fact, this barrier will be an extra reason for a potential borrower to think about whether to lift the ban or leave it in force for now. After all, so many people will not set such restrictions for themselves for no reason. This is unlikely to affect the speed of processing loans in any way, since without lifting the self-imposed ban, it is still impossible to receive money from an MFI or a bank, so this innovation will not directly affect the issuance mechanism. A certain barrier simply appears for a more conscious approach to the issue."

Mark Goykhman, analyst at the Capital Skills Financial Academy:

"The introduction of a self-prohibition on loans from March 2025 was a very important and long-overdue measure preventing loans from being obtained without the borrower's knowledge or by deceiving them. This was possible, in particular, when hacking an account on "Gosuslugi" or by providing the lender with false documents allegedly from the borrower. But in these cases, the attackers can also remove the self-prohibition without the recipient's knowledge. And then the self-prohibition measure loses its meaning. The new practice eliminates this gap. Thus, it is designed to additionally protect people from fraudulent actions, from harm to people."

Elman Mekhtiev, founder of the Kredcheck service:

"The UKEP can be obtained remotely only using the Gosklyuch application, provided that you have a "biometric" passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (these are passports valid for 10 years) and a mobile phone with an NFC module (smartphone). According to some estimates, no more than 30 million such passports have been issued to date.

The initiative will not affect the speed of processing loans. Firstly, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation data already shows that most active users of credit products do not set a self-prohibition. Secondly, we can assume that there is a significant overlap between the audiences of biometric passport holders and those who do not actively use bank credit products, since such passports are needed primarily by those who travel abroad at least once a year, but constantly. And this is exactly the category of citizens who, even if they use credit products, prefer a credit card from one, their main bank, rather than running from bank to bank for promotional cashback.

But there is an alternative way to lift the ban. As they say, "welcome to the MFC." The whole point is that with all other methods, except for the UCEP and a visit to the MFC, it is impossible to guarantee the identification and authentication of the person "on the other end of the line."

Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global:

"This innovation has its advantages. First of all, it is enhanced protection against fraudulent actions. The use of a qualified electronic signature (QES) minimizes the risks associated with attempts by third parties to remove a self-prohibition without the knowledge of the citizen. This measure increases trust in digital services, as it makes the self-protection mechanism against unjustified credit load more stable.

But the measure also has its downsides. It is clear that not everyone has an EQES, and the procedure for obtaining it can be complicated and inconvenient - especially for users who are less digitally prepared. Also, the possibility of urgently lifting the self-prohibition in the event of a real need for a loan can be difficult, for example, in emergency situations.

And finally, if the fraudsters manage to get hold of the UCEP, they will be able to lift the self-ban on the loan and issue a new one. And when visiting the bank or MFC in person to lift the self-ban, such risks are lower."

Vladislav Antonov, financial analyst at BitRiver:

"The advantages of the innovation are that the security of critically important financial decisions of citizens is dramatically increased. The possibility of fraudulent lifting of credit restrictions by third parties is practically excluded. The introduction of modern digital signature technologies into mass use is stimulated.

The disadvantages are also clear. The procedure is significantly complicated for citizens, many of whom do not have an EQES and are not familiar with this technology. Delays and technical difficulties in obtaining and using a qualified signature are possible. An additional barrier to access to credit services is created, especially for less technically savvy categories of the population."