With the BKR check you can see in a few minutes how long your BKR registration stays visible under the rules of the Dutch credit registration office BKR. You also get a cautious indication of whether a request for early removal stands a chance. A negative registration usually disappears five years after the recovery notice or after the end date of the credit. If the credit is still running and the arrears have not been made up, there is no fixed end date.
Written by Onur Arslan, attorney at Arslan Advocaten, responsible within the firm for the financial practice: BKR and credit registrations. Onur Arslan has many years of experience with private-law disputes, including insurance and BKR-related disputes. Last updated: 3 October 2026.
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Enter what your BKR overview shows. The check calculates in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
When does a BKR registration disappear?
The periods are set out in the General Regulations of the CKI (Algemeen Reglement CKI) of Stichting BKR, version July 2024, article 14. BKR does not count from the day you fell behind, but from a fixed reference point: the registration date of the recovery notice, the actual end date of the credit or the registration date of the arrears. Which one applies depends on your situation.
| Your situation | When does it disappear? |
|---|---|
| Credit repaid, never any arrears | five years after the actual end date |
| Arrears made up (H), credit still running | five years after the registration of the recovery notice; the entire negative registration then disappears, if nothing new has been reported since |
| Arrears made up (H), credit ended afterwards | arrears, codes from before the recovery and the recovery notice: five years after the recovery notice; the credit itself: five years after the end date |
| Arrears, credit ended without a recovery notice | five years after the actual end date |
| Arrears, credit still running, no recovery | no fixed end date; after five years the lender reviews whether the registration stays |
A common mistake is to assume that everything is gone five years after the arrears. That is only true if you made up the arrears or the credit has ended. Want to know exactly which dates apply to you? First request your BKR registration. Your overview shows the start date, the end date and the date of every report. You can also request it from abroad.
The codes on your overview
Your credit overview shows letters and numbers. The letter A means arrears. A number after it is a special code. It shows what the lender did next. Codes can appear together.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | arrears: you are several instalments behind and received a warning in advance |
| H | recovery notice: you made up the arrears and the credit is still running |
| 1 | payment arrangement agreed after arrears |
| 2 | the lender has claimed the remaining balance or the full amount |
| 3 | write-off of € 250 or more; with a final discharge an end date is reported at the same time |
| 4 | you turned out to be unreachable for the lender |
| 5 | preventive payment arrangement on a mortgage of at least four months |
| SH / SK | municipal debt assistance or a debt consolidation credit |
So an A2 is not a separate code, but arrears with code 2. A full explanation per code is in BKR codes explained.
Positive and negative registration: the difference
BKR does not only register problems. An ordinary personal loan or a revolving credit, such as a credit card with a limit, above € 250 is also in the register. Without arrears or a code this is called a positive registration. It only shows that you have or had a credit. A lender does count such a credit when assessing how much more you can borrow.
A negative registration is a credit with an A, a special code or both. Lenders pay attention to it, for example for a mortgage, a private lease or a new loan. A request for early removal only makes sense for a negative registration. A positive registration disappears automatically five years after the end date.
How are the chances of early removal assessed?
Even a correct registration can be removed early. The BKR regulations allow this if, after a careful balancing of interests, the registration proves disproportionate (article 14(10)). The Dutch Supreme Court has ruled that processing your data must be proportionate to its purpose (9 September 2011) and that you can rely on the right to erasure and the right to object under the GDPR (3 December 2021). The register has two purposes: protecting you against too much debt and protecting lenders against non-payment.
Courts take into account, among other things:
- the size of the debt and any amount written off;
- whether the claim has been paid and a payment arrangement was properly kept;
- the cause of the arrears and to what extent you are to blame;
- your current financial situation, and how long it has been stable;
- whether you have other debts;
- how much time has passed since the debt was made up;
- whether you cannot wait until the period ends, for example because you need a home.
The BKR check uses some of these factors for its indication. Your own evidence carries the most weight. A written rejection says more than being told it will not work. More on the balancing of interests is on our page about removing a BKR listing.
Five steps to a removal request
- Request your overview. Viewing it online is free via mijnkredietregistratie.nl. Without a Dutch bank account you can use the BKR request form. This shows which codes and dates are actually registered.
- Check the data. Are the codes and dates correct? Were you warned in advance? An incorrect registration is a different, often stronger ground than relying on the balancing of interests.
- Send a reasoned request to the lender. Not to BKR: the party that reported the registration decides on it. Describe the cause, your current situation and your concrete interest, and attach documents.
- Wait for the answer. For a request under the GDPR the lender must in principle respond within one month. That period can be extended by two months.
- Rejected? Choose the next step. You can file a complaint with Kifid, if the lender is affiliated with it. Or you ask the court for a decision. A petition under article 35 of the Dutch GDPR Implementation Act must be filed within six weeks of the lender’s answer. In urgent cases, summary proceedings (kort geding) may be an option.
What a procedure with a lawyer may cost and what it depends on is explained in BKR removal costs.
Want to know what is feasible in your situation? Have your situation assessed by a lawyer free of charge. Contact us or leave your details via the form on this page. Keep your BKR overview and the lender’s letters at hand.
Frequently asked questions about the BKR check
How long does a BKR registration stay on record?
A repaid credit stays visible for five years after the actual end date. Arrears that you have made up disappear five years after the registration of the recovery notice. If the credit is still running and the arrears have not been made up, there is no fixed end date.
Does an A code disappear automatically after five years?
Not always. If the credit is still running without a recovery notice, the registration is only put to the lender for review after five years. The lender decides whether it stays. A fixed five-year period only runs after recovery or after the end date.
Is the result of the BKR check a guarantee?
No. The check gives an indication based on your input, the BKR rules and factors from case law. The decision lies with the lender, Kifid or the court. They look at your documents and all the circumstances of your situation.
Is my data stored?
No. The BKR check calculates in your own browser. Nothing is sent or kept. Once you close the page, your answers are gone.
Can BKR remove my registration itself?
As a rule, no. BKR manages the register, but the lender that made the report decides on changes or removal. So address your request to that lender.
Does it help if I have paid the debt in full?
Yes, that counts in your favour. Paying alone is usually not enough for removal. The time since recovery, the cause of the arrears, your current financial situation and your concrete interest also count.
What if my registration is incorrect?
Then it is about correcting an unjustified registration. Think of a wrong code, an incorrect date or a report without a prior warning. The BKR check does not assess this. Have it checked separately, because it can be a stronger ground.
What can I do if the lender rejects my request?
You can file a complaint with Kifid, if the lender is affiliated with it. You can also go to court. A petition after a rejected GDPR request must be filed within six weeks of the answer.
Read also
- Removing a BKR listing
- Request for BKR removal rejected: which next step should you take?
- BKR proportionality test
- BKR registration without a warning
Sources and legal basis
- Stichting BKR, Algemeen Reglement CKI (July 2024), articles 12 to 14
- Stichting BKR, meaning of the special codes on your credit overview (Dutch)
- Supreme Court of the Netherlands, 9 September 2011, ECLI:NL:HR:2011:BQ8097
- Supreme Court of the Netherlands, 3 December 2021, ECLI:NL:HR:2021:1814
- District Court of Amsterdam, 21 August 2020, ECLI:NL:RBAMS:2020:7574
- General Data Protection Regulation, articles 12, 17 and 21
- Dutch GDPR Implementation Act (UAVG), article 35
- Kifid, how complaint handling works (Dutch)
Sources checked on 3 October 2026. The BKR rules may change; if in doubt, check the current regulations on bkr.nl.
This page and the BKR check provide general information and an indication. This is not legal advice about your own situation. No rights can be derived from the outcome.
