Sberbank has relaxed its criteria for individual credit seekers after imposing tighter conditions last year during the onslaught of the global financial crisis.

“Due to the fact that we have a mission to vitalize retail credits, we are ready to lift the restrictions introduced during the recession,” Natalya Karasyova, the director of Sberbank’s retail credit board, said Wednesday.

“We’ve already wound up a number of the measures. The other changes will be introduced by year-end or at the beginning of the next year at the latest.”

The bank has decreased the required down payment for consumer loans to 15 percent to 20 percent from 30 percent, increased the maximum loan amount and decreased requirements for cosigning on a certain number of loans.

In July, Sberbank lowered interest rates on retail loans by 0.5 percent to 1 percent, and the bank resumed foreign currency loans in August.