The key facts

  • Law No. 229-FZ of July 4, 2026 is effective from September 1, 2026 and applies to mortgage agreements concluded earlier
  • Families with a second, third or subsequent child are entitled to the holidays; no proof of income decline is required
  • An application must be submitted no later than 180 days after the child's birth; the holidays last up to 18 months, with no interest accrued during the first 6 months

New mortgage holiday rules for families with children

On September 1, 2026, a law came into force in Russia giving families with children the right to mortgage holidays. This was reported by master of law and private-practice family law lawyer Diana Kryachko, who spoke to Gazeta.Ru. We are talking about Federal Law No. 229-FZ of July 4, 2026, which also applies to agreements concluded before that date — meaning a mortgage taken out earlier also qualifies. The right to holidays belongs to families in which a second, third or subsequent child was born or adopted.

How the new holidays differ from the previous ones

The lawyer formulated the key difference from the 'child holidays', also effective from September 1, 2026, as follows: the birth of a child itself grants the right to a deferral, and for the second and subsequent children there is no need to prove a drop in income. The basic requirements remain in place: the loan amount must be no more than 15 million rubles at the date of disbursement, the home must be the only suitable place of residence, and the borrower must have no overdue payments or bankruptcy. An application for the holidays must be submitted no later than 180 days after the child's birth; their duration is up to 18 months, but no later than the child reaching 1.5 years of age.

How the financial side of the deferral works

During the first 6 months of the holidays, the debt does not grow — no interest is accrued. From the 7th month, interest is accrued as usual, but without fines and penalties. According to Kryachko, the monthly payment after the holidays end will not change, but the loan term will be extended by at least 18 months plus the time needed to repay the interest: missed payments and accumulated interest are moved to the end of the loan. The lawyer noted that the tool is most beneficial within a 6-month horizon — during this time one can stabilize income, return to work, or pay off other debts; at a high interest rate, the second stage of the holidays is more costly, and she does not recommend taking a deferral without a real drop in income, since it makes the loan more expensive without any benefit.

Context

Earlier, according to Gazeta.Ru, in Russia a 20% growth in demand for individual housing construction was forecast due to the new family mortgage. This estimate relates to demand for individual housing construction and is not part of the law on holidays; how it is connected to the new deferral rules is not specified in the publications.