Loan Agreements by Country: Governing Law in 36 Jurisdictions
A loan agreement is governed by contract and civil-code rules that set what interest may be charged, what formalities make the loan enforceable, and how repayment is secured. This reference compares the governing law for 36 jurisdictions, with a free, locally-drafted loan agreement template for each.
Why loan agreement law differs by country
Lending is regulated to protect borrowers from excessive interest and to keep agreements provable. Civil-code systems codify the loan (mutuum) and often impose statutory interest ceilings and anti-usury limits; common-law systems rely on the written contract plus consumer-credit and usury statutes. Formality rules differ too — some jurisdictions require a written instrument above a threshold, others recognise oral loans but make them hard to prove. Enforcement, default interest and security (guarantee, pledge, promissory note) are all set by local law, which is why the template differs per jurisdiction.
Governing statute & free template by country
| Country | Primary governing statute | Free loan agreement template |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | CCyC Art. 1525 (Ley 26.994); RG AFIP 3572/2013 | Acuerdo de Préstamo entre Partes Relacionadas |
| Australia | National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (Cth) | Loan Agreement (Australia) |
| Austria | Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (ABGB) §§983–1000 (JGS Nr. 946/1811) | Darlehensvertrag Österreich |
| Belgium | Code civil belge articles 1874-1904 (contrat de prêt); Code de droit économique livre VII (crédit à la consommation); Loi du 12 juin 1991 sur le crédit à la consommation | Contrat de Prêt Personnel (Belgique) |
| Brazil | Código Civil — Art. 586 (Lei 10.406/2002); CDC — Art. 52 (Lei 8.078/1990) | Contrato de Empréstimo Pessoal |
| Canada | Bills of Exchange Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. B-4) | Loan Agreement (Canada) |
| Chile | Código Civil Arts. 2196–2211 (Mutuo); Ley 18.010/1981 (Operaciones de Crédito de Dinero) | Contrato de Préstamo de Dinero entre Particulares Chile |
| Colombia | Código Civil arts. 2221–2235 (mutuo); Ley 45/1990 art. 68 (usura) | Personal Loan Agreement Colombia |
| Denmark | Aftaleloven (LBK nr. 193 af 2. marts 2016); gældsbrevsloven (LBK nr. 333/2014); renteloven (LBK nr. 459/2014) | Privat låneaftale |
| Finland | Velkakirjalaki (622/1947); Korkolaki (633/1982) 4 §; Kuluttajansuojalaki (38/1978) 7 luku; Laki saatavien perinnästä (513/1999) | Loan Agreement Finland |
| France | Code civil art. 1892 à 1904 (prêt de consommation); art. 1905 CC (intérêts); art. 242 ter 3 CGI (déclaration 2062); Code conso. L314-6 (seuil usure) | Contrat de Prêt Entre Particuliers (France) |
| Germany | Buergerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) sections 488-498 | Loan Agreement Germany (Darlehensvertrag) |
| Ghana | Contracts Act 1960 (Act 25) | Loan Agreement (Ghana) |
| Hong Kong | Bills of Exchange Ordinance (Cap. 19) | Loan Agreement (Hong Kong) |
| India | Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 | Loan Agreement (India) |
| Ireland | Consumer Credit Act 1995 | Loan Agreement (Ireland) |
| Italy | artt. 1813–1822 c.c. (mutuo); art. 1815 c.c. (interessi); art. 1284 c.c. (saggio legale); art. 2 L. 7 marzo 1996, n. 108 (usura); art. 1817 c.c. (termine di restituzione); art. 634 c.p.c. (prova scritta per decreto ingiuntivo) | Contratto di Mutuo tra Privati |
| Kenya | Law of Contract Act Cap. 23 | Loan Agreement (Kenya) |
| Malaysia | Financial Services Act 2013 (Act 758) | Personal Loan Agreement (Malaysia) |
| Mexico | Código Civil Federal arts. 2384–2397 | Personal Loan Agreement Mexico (Contrato de Préstamo Personal) |
| Netherlands | BW Boek 7 art. 129-134 (verbruikleen); BW 6:119; Wet IB 2001 art. 3.119a; Wft; Wck | Geldleningsovereenkomst Nederland |
| New Zealand | Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 | Loan Agreement (New Zealand) |
| Nigeria | Contract Law (received English common law) | Personal Loan Agreement (Nigeria) |
| Norway | Gjeldsbrevlova (1939); Renteloven (1976) § 3; Finansavtaleloven (2020) kapittel 5 | Loan Agreement Norway |
| Pakistan | Contract Act 1872 | Loan Agreement (Pakistan) |
| Philippines | Civil Code of the Philippines (RA 386), Art. 1933 | Loan Agreement (Philippines) |
| Poland | Kodeks cywilny (ustawa z 23.04.1964) art. 720-724 | Umowa pożyczki |
| Portugal | Código Civil (Decreto-Lei nº 47 344/66) artigos 1142.º a 1151.º | Loan Agreement (Contrato de Mútuo) Portugal |
| Quebec | Consumer Protection Act (CQLR, c. P-40.1) | Personal Loan Agreement — Quebec (Convention de prêt personnel) |
| Singapore | Bills of Exchange Act (Cap. 23) | Loan Agreement (Singapore) |
| Spain | Código Civil art. 1740–1755; Real Decreto Legislativo 1/1993 (ITP-AJD art. 15) | Private Loan Agreement Spain (Préstamo entre Particulares) |
| Sweden | Konsumentkreditlagen (2010:1846) §§ 6, 8, 14, 21, 25, 32; Skuldebrevslagen (1936:81); Räntelagen (1975:635) § 4 | Privatlåneavtal Sverige |
| Switzerland | Swiss Code of Obligations (OR) Art. 312-318 | Loan Agreement Switzerland (Darlehensvertrag) |
| United Arab Emirates | UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985) | Loan Agreement (UAE) |
| United Kingdom | Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 | Loan Agreement (England & Wales) |
| United States | Uniform Commercial Code (UCC §3) | Loan Agreement |
Statutes shown are the primary governing act; the specific requirements are set out on each linked country page. All 36 template links verified live on 2026-06-25.
Frequently asked questions
Does a loan agreement have to be in writing?
Many jurisdictions recognise oral loans, but a written loan agreement is strongly advised — and in several countries mandatory above a certain amount — because it fixes the interest rate, repayment schedule and default terms that the governing law would otherwise have to imply. Each country template is drafted to the local minimums.
Is there a maximum legal interest rate?
Most countries cap interest through usury or consumer-credit law, and many set a statutory default-interest rate that applies when the contract is silent. The cap varies widely by jurisdiction and by whether the loan is consumer or commercial. The linked country page gives the applicable limit.
What's the difference between a loan agreement and a promissory note?
A loan agreement is a two-sided contract setting out all terms (interest, schedule, default, security); a promissory note is a one-sided written promise to pay a sum. Many lenders use both. forms-legal.com offers templates for each across these jurisdictions.
Are these loan agreement templates free?
Yes — a free, jurisdiction-specific loan agreement template is available for every country listed, as PDF or Word with no signup.
About this comparison
Each entry maps a jurisdiction to its primary governing statute and to the matching free template on forms-legal.com. The data is curated from our multi-jurisdiction legal document library; the linked country pages carry the full, locally-drafted document and the current statutory detail. Templates are free to download as PDF or Word with no signup. This is reference information, not legal advice.