Basics
What Is SCHUFA? The German Credit Score Explained
What SCHUFA stores and what it doesn't, how the new twelve-criteria score works, how to see your data for free and when entries are deleted.
SCHUFA is Germany's best-known credit agency (Auskunftei): a private company, not a government authority. Banks, retailers and phone companies tell it which contracts you have and whether you pay your bills and instalments. From that it calculates a score, which companies check before giving you a loan, an account with an overdraft or a purchase on invoice.
If you are new to Germany, you start here with no history. A thin file is normal at the start and grows over time. The rules behind it are manageable, and SCHUFA now publishes them.
What SCHUFA stores and what it doesn't
Other credit agencies exist too, but SCHUFA is the one you will hear about. It stores:
- your name, date and place of birth, current and previous addresses;
- contracts such as current accounts, credit cards, instalment loans and leasing, and whether they run as agreed;
- inquiries from companies in the last twelve months;
- payment defaults and entries from public registers, such as the debtors' register (Schuldnerverzeichnis) or insolvency notices.
According to SCHUFA, it does not store your income or assets, your job, marital status, nationality, religious or political views, or anything from social networks. Where you come from plays no part; only your contracts and payment behaviour in Germany do.
An unpaid bill doesn't go there straight away either. As a rule, a company may only report a payment default if the claim is undisputed, you have received at least two written reminders, the first reminder was at least four weeks ago, and you were told it might be reported.
How the new SCHUFA score works
Since 17 March 2026 there has been a new score on a scale from 100 to 999 points. It is built from twelve published criteria, and for the first time consumers and companies see the same number. Companies have until the end of 2028 to switch, so some still use older scores.
The twelve criteria fall into four groups:
- Payment defaults: the heaviest criterion. While a reported default is still open, SCHUFA calculates no score at all.
- Time: the age of your oldest bank contract, your oldest credit card, your current address and your most recent credit line.
- New contracts in the last twelve months: inquiries and openings for current accounts and credit cards, inquiries from outside banking (retail, telecoms, insurance) and newly taken instalment loans. Several inquiries within 28 days count only once.
- Credit profile: the longest remaining term of your instalment loans, the status of your loans, a mortgage, and whether your identity has been verified, for example when you opened a bank account.
SCHUFA groups scores into classes: excellent (776 to 999), good (709 to 775), acceptable (642 to 708), sufficient (100 to 641), and insufficient when open payment defaults mean no score is calculated. Whether you get a contract is decided by the company itself, using its own rules and further information such as your income.
For newcomers this explains the low start: the time criteria give few points at first and rise on their own as long as everything runs as agreed.
Your free copy of your data
Under Art. 15 GDPR you have the right to know what SCHUFA stores about you. This data copy (Datenkopie) is free. You request it directly from SCHUFA, most easily online, without giving a reason, and receive it by post. It shows your data and the inquiries of the last twelve months. A free SCHUFA account also shows your data and the new score online. The Verbraucherzentrale (opens in a new tab) recommends checking at least once a year and warns about third-party services that charge for this.
Looking at your own data is not one of the twelve criteria. If you find a mistake, SCHUFA must correct wrong data free of charge. Tell them exactly which entry is wrong and include evidence.
Where the score matters: renting and loans
When you rent, landlords often ask for proof of creditworthiness. Your full data copy is not the right document: according to Germany's data protection authorities, landlords may not ask for it, because it contains far more than they need. SCHUFA sells a separate BonitätsCheck for tenants. It only shows whether there are payment defaults and contains no score.
For a loan or a mortgage, the score is one factor among several. The bank checks your income from your documents, because SCHUFA doesn't know it. I explain the payslip that counts here in German Payslip Explained.
Habits that help
- Pay bills and instalments on time. If money gets tight, talk to the company early, before the second reminder arrives.
- If a payment default has been reported, settle it quickly. If it is paid within 100 days of being reported and nothing negative is added, it is deleted after 18 months instead of 36.
- Avoid opening many accounts, credit cards or loans in a short time. You can still compare offers: inquiries within 28 days count once.
- Your oldest account and oldest credit card earn points for time. Cancelling them without a reason gives those points away.
When entries are deleted
| Information | Deleted |
|---|---|
| Inquiries from companies | after twelve months |
| Loans repaid as agreed | three years after settlement |
| Current accounts and credit cards without problems | as soon as the company reports they have ended |
| Settled payment defaults | three years to the day after settlement, or after 18 months under the conditions above |
| Debtors' register | after three years, earlier if deletion is proven |
SCHUFA (opens in a new tab) publishes the full list.
German terms
| German term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Auskunftei | Private credit agency |
| Bonität | Creditworthiness |
| Datenkopie nach Art. 15 DSGVO | Free copy of all data stored about you |
| Zahlungsstörung | A due, reminded and undisputed claim that was not paid |
| Rahmenkredit | Credit line you can draw on flexibly |
| Schuldnerverzeichnis | Public register of debtors kept by the enforcement courts |
| BonitätsCheck | SCHUFA's proof for landlords, without a score |
What I look at in a first conversation
When a bigger step is coming up, such as buying a home, I look at these with you:
- your data copy: is everything correct, and are there open points to clear first?
- timing: what will the bank see today, and is it worth waiting until a settled entry has been deleted?
- the whole picture: for a mortgage, income, savings and your own capital count at least as much as the score.
FAQ
What is a good SCHUFA score?
SCHUFA calls 776 points and above "excellent" and 709 to 775 "good". What counts as good enough is decided by each lender, together with your income and other information.
Can I get a SCHUFA as a foreigner?
Yes. SCHUFA does not store nationality. Your file starts once a company reports a contract with you, typically your first bank account, and it grows from there.
How long does a SCHUFA entry last?
Inquiries stay for twelve months, repaid loans and settled payment defaults three years after settlement, sometimes only 18 months. The clock starts when a claim is paid, so an unpaid claim stays.
If you would like to go through your SCHUFA data with me before a bigger decision: the first conversation is free and non-binding, in Stuttgart or online, in Persian, German or English. Call me or send me an email; you'll find the details on the contact page.
