Minimum CIBIL Score for Loans: Home, Personal, Car, Gold

There is no single minimum CIBIL score for loans in India. RBI does not prescribe one, and each lender sets its own cut-off. In practice, many lenders look for around 700 to 750 for unsecured credit such as personal loans and credit cards, and are often somewhat more flexible for secured loans like home, car and gold loans. A score of 750 or above usually gets you both easier approval and a better rate.

RBI sets no minimum score

It is a common belief that RBI requires a 750 score. It does not. In August 2025, the Ministry of Finance told the Lok Sabha that RBI has not prescribed any minimum credit score for sanctioning loans, and that lenders decide under their own board-approved policies. It also pointed to RBI's January 2025 directions, under which first-time borrowers should not be turned away only because they have no credit history.

What this means for you:

• Cut-offs vary by lender, product and even by month as policies change.
• A score below one lender's threshold may be fine for another.
• Lenders still check income, existing EMIs, job stability, age and collateral. A good score does not guarantee approval.

If you have not checked recently, start with your free report: see how to check your CIBIL score free.

Typical minimum CIBIL score by loan type

The figures below are typical ranges seen across Indian lenders as of October 2026, compiled from lender guidance and market practice. They are not rules, and no lender is bound by them.

Home loans

Because the property secures the loan and tenures are long, many lenders accept scores in the high 600s, though 750 or higher puts you in their better pricing tiers. Some lenders publish rate cards that differ by score band, so the score affects cost as much as approval. See home loan eligibility and documents.

Personal loans

These are unsecured, so lenders lean heavily on the score. Below about 700, expect either a decline or a noticeably higher rate. Many instant-loan apps advertise approval for lower scores; check that the lender is RBI-regulated and read the total cost carefully. More in personal loan eligibility and documents.

Car and two-wheeler loans

The vehicle is hypothecated to the lender, so cut-offs are often a little lower than for personal loans. A weaker score may mean a bigger down payment or a higher rate rather than a flat no.

Credit cards

Issuers usually want a clean history and moderate utilisation. With no history or a low score, a secured card against an FD is the usual entry point, and it builds a record if you pay in full every month.

Gold loans and loans against FD

Lenders generally still pull your report, but the collateral covers most of their risk, so the score is less decisive. These are often the most practical options when your score is low; compare them in personal loan vs gold loan vs loan against FD.

What else lenders check besides the score

A score above the cut-off only gets you through the first filter. Lenders then look at:

• FOIR (fixed obligation to income ratio): the share of your income already going to EMIs. Many lenders cap total EMIs at roughly 40% to 60% of net income depending on income level.
• Income stability: salaried vs self-employed, employer category, years in the job or business.
• Report details beyond the number: recent DPD, settled or written-off accounts, number of recent enquiries, and whether you are a guarantor on another loan.
• Age and tenure: whether the loan ends before retirement.
• Collateral value: for secured loans, the property, vehicle or gold value.

This is why two people with the same score can get different answers. If you were rejected despite a good score, see loan rejected: reasons and fixes.

Worked example: same income, different score bands

Neha takes home ₹70,000 a month and has a ₹10,000 car loan EMI. Her lender caps total EMIs at 50% of income, so she has ₹35,000 − ₹10,000 = ₹25,000 available for a new home loan EMI over 20 years.

The rates are illustrative, not offers. In this example, being in the lower band shrinks her eligible loan by about ₹1.5 lakh, and any loan she does take costs more each year. If her score were below the lender's cut-off altogether, she might need a co-applicant with a stronger score or a different lender. Try your own numbers in the loan eligibility calculator.

If your score is below the cut-off

1. Find out why. Download your full report and look for late payments, high card balances, settled accounts or errors. See how the CIBIL score is calculated.
2. Fix errors first. Disputes must be resolved within 30 days under RBI rules, or you are owed ₹100 per day of delay.
3. Cut utilisation and stop applying. Each application adds a hard enquiry; see hard inquiry vs soft inquiry.
4. Use secured credit meanwhile. A gold loan, loan against FD or secured card is easier to get and, repaid on time, helps rebuild the score.
5. Add a co-applicant with a strong score and income for larger loans like home loans.
6. Give it time. The steps in how to improve your CIBIL score work, but how fast depends on what caused the problem; see how long it takes to improve a CIBIL score.

Score cut-offs for first-time borrowers

If your report shows NH or NA, you are not "below" any cut-off; you simply have no score yet. Lenders handle this differently. Some will consider a salaried applicant with a stable employer and a modest loan amount using income documents and bank statements alone. Others prefer to start you with a secured product. In either case, RBI's position is that the lack of history alone should not be the reason for rejection, so ask the lender what else it needs rather than assuming the answer is no.

A common path is a secured credit card against an FD or a small consumer durable loan, repaid on time for six months or so. That is usually enough to generate a score, after which regular loan products become easier to get.

For what counts as a strong score overall, read what is a good CIBIL score.

Key takeaways

• RBI prescribes no minimum CIBIL score; every lender sets its own cut-off.
• Typical cut-offs are about 700–750 for personal loans and credit cards, and often 650–750 for secured loans like home and car loans.
• Gold loans and loans against FD rely mainly on collateral, so the score matters less.
• Clearing the cut-off is only the first step; FOIR, income and report details decide the final answer.
• A higher score band can increase how much you can borrow and lower what it costs.