Your credit overview shows letters and numbers next to your agreements. Below you will read what each of them means, how to read them in combination (A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5), what the letters next to your credit type stand for, how long a code stays on record, and which question to put to your lender if something is wrong.
Short answer
An A is an arrears report, an H is a recovery report, and the numbers 1 to 5 are speciality codes stating what happened next (a repayment arrangement, a call for full payment, a write-off, unreachability, a preventive payment arrangement). "A2" or "A3" is not a separate code in the regulations, but everyday shorthand for an arrears report combined with speciality code 2 or 3. All reports are in principle removed five years after the registration date of the recovery report, or after the actual end date of the agreement.
What each code means
| Code | Meaning | When reported |
|---|---|---|
| A | Arrears report. You have failed to pay one or more instalments on time | After the period applicable to your credit type has expired, see below |
| H | Recovery code. The arrears have been cleared while the agreement continues | Within 21 days after you cleared the arrears |
| 1 | A repayment arrangement has been made after a situation of arrears arose | Within 21 days after the event occurred |
| 2 | The lender has demanded payment of the remainder or of the entire claim, in accordance with the applicable statutory requirements | Within 21 days |
| 3 | The lender has written off an amount of € 250 or more | Within 21 days |
| 4 | The consumer is or was unreachable | Within 21 days |
| 5 | A written preventive payment arrangement of at least four months has been agreed for a mortgage credit | Within 21 days |
Combinations are possible. The regulations expressly allow several speciality codes to appear alongside one another for a single agreement. So you may see an A with a 1 next to it and an H later on. Moreover, no advance notice applies to the registration of a speciality code: it appears without you being separately informed beforehand.
A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5: how to read the combinations
Advertisements and forums often refer to "an A2 code" or "an A3". Those codes do not appear as such in the General Regulations CKI. What is actually recorded is an arrears report (A) together with a speciality code (1 to 5). Everyday language glues the two together. That is worth knowing, because if you ask for a correction in writing, you are better off referring to "speciality code 2 with contract X" than to "my A2": only the first is unambiguous to your lender.
| Common term | What is actually recorded | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Arrears report + speciality code 1 | You entered into a repayment arrangement after the arrears arose |
| A2 | Arrears report + speciality code 2 | The lender demanded the remainder or the entire claim |
| A3 | Arrears report + speciality code 3 | An amount of € 250 or more has been written off |
| A4 | Arrears report + speciality code 4 | You turned out to be unreachable for the lender |
| A5 | Arrears report + speciality code 5 | There is a written preventive payment arrangement of at least four months for a mortgage credit |
| AH or "A with H" | Arrears report + recovery report | The arrears were cleared while the agreement continued |
Is one code more serious than another? The regulations set no ranking: nowhere do they state that a 3 is worse than a 1. What differs is the story a code tells the next credit assessor. A 1 shows that an arrangement was made and that you kept paying; a 2 shows that the lender demanded the entire claim; a 3 shows that money was actually written off. That is why 2 and 3 often weigh more heavily in acceptance practice. Legally, however, something else counts: are the facts correct, and is the registration, all things considered, not disproportionately burdensome? More on that below.
A number without an A. That occurs too. Speciality code 5 (a preventive payment arrangement for a mortgage) is specifically intended to be reported before arrears arise, and a code 4 can also stand alone. If you see a number without an arrears report, do not assume arrears that never existed.
When is an arrears report made?
That differs per credit type. A report may only be made once an instalment has not been paid without the lender’s consent, whereby your payments are allocated to the oldest instalment due.
- Two months after the due date: instalment credit, mortgage credit for other immovable property, debt restructuring credit, business credit and operational car lease.
- Three months after the due date: revolving credit, and a residual debt arising from a mortgage credit agreement.
- Three full monthly instalments after the due date: mortgage credit for an owner-occupied home. In specific situations, three months after the due date applies.
- Four months and more than € 250: other financial obligations that are not business-related.
- Four months and more than € 1,000: business other financial obligations, where you must be jointly and severally liable and have been called upon to pay within the stated period.
You should be warned before an arrears report. If arrears threaten to arise, the lender must warn you in writing in advance that non-payment will lead to a report to the BKR Foundation, and point out the consequences. The lender must also be able to prove that it was sent, with a copy of the message or a printout from its system. This advance notice does not apply to the registration of a speciality code; that appears without separate notice.
The letters next to your credit type: AK, RK, HY and the rest
In addition to codes about your payment behaviour, each agreement carries an abbreviation for the type of agreement. It says nothing negative; it only states what kind of product it is. All agreements with a term of more than one month are reported.
| Abbreviation | Credit type | Reported from |
|---|---|---|
| AK | Instalment credit | Gross credit amount over € 250 |
| RK | Revolving credit | Credit limit over € 250 |
| SH | Debt assistance (municipal admission decision, WGS) | – |
| SK | Debt restructuring credit | Gross credit amount over € 250 |
| HY | Mortgage credit for an owner-occupied home | Negative payment experiences only, without the amount |
| HO | Mortgage credit for other immovable property | Credit amount over € 250 |
| RH / RN | Residual debt from a mortgage credit, without and with a claim under the NHG guarantee respectively | Residual debt over € 250 |
| OA | Operational car lease | Amount over € 250 |
| RO | Other financial obligations (private), including a surety | Negative payment experiences only, without contract amounts |
| ZK | Business credit | Credit amount over € 1,000 |
| ZO | Business other financial obligations | Negative payment experiences only, without contract amounts |
These abbreviations matter more often than people think. With HY, RO and ZO, a report is made only when something goes wrong: if such an agreement appears in your overview, a negative payment experience has by definition been reported. And with RO or ZO it may concern an obligation to which you are not a party yourself, for instance a surety or joint and several liability for a company. If your situation is business-related, also read a business loan with a negative BKR registration.
Example of an overview (fictitious)
The example below is fictitious and contains no real client data. It shows how letters, numbers and dates together tell a story.
| Lender | Type | Registration date | Code | Actual end date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example Credit Bank | Revolving credit | 12-04-2022 | A | – |
| Example Credit Bank | Revolving credit | 03-09-2022 | 1 | – |
| Example Credit Bank | Revolving credit | 18-06-2023 | H | – |
| Example Credit Bank | Revolving credit | – | – | 30-11-2024 |
How to read this. On 12 April 2022 an arrears report was made. In September 2022 a repayment arrangement was agreed (code 1). On 18 June 2023 the arrears were cleared while the credit continued: hence an H and no end date. Only on 30 November 2024 was the agreement itself terminated; that is when the actual end date was reported.
That distinction determines when the clock starts. For this completed agreement: reports with a registration date before the recovery report are removed five years after the registration date of the recovery report; reports after it, or without a recovery report, five years after the actual end date.
So with your own overview, look at three things, in this order: (1) which contract and which credit type it concerns, (2) which reports appear and with what registration date, and (3) whether an actual end date is stated. Only once you have those three can you calculate when something disappears – and establish whether something is wrong.
Recovery versus termination: two different things
| Recovery report (H) | End of the credit | |
|---|---|---|
| What happened | The arrears were cleared, the agreement continues | The agreement itself has been terminated |
| What is reported | A recovery code H | An actual end date, and then no H |
| Effect on the period | For a current agreement: five years from the registration date of the recovery report | Five years after the actual end date |
The question to put to your lender. If you see an A without an H while you cleared the arrears long ago, ask in writing: "On what date did I clear the arrears, was a recovery report made, and if so with what registration date? If not, why not?" If you see an H while the credit was repaid long ago, ask: "Has the actual end date been reported, and if so which date?"
With code 3 the key question is different: "Has final discharge been granted, and was an actual end date reported with it?" Writing off is an administrative act by the lender and does not automatically mean that your payment obligation has been waived. Only in the case of final discharge is the termination with an actual end date reported together with code 3. If you have paid the full claim after final discharge, the agreement is given a practical final repayment date. Read more in the BKR recovery code: when and how you obtain it.
How long does a code stay on record?
The main rule is five years, but the real question is: five years from when? That depends on two things: is the agreement still running, and is there a current recovery report?
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Completed agreement, no specialities | All data disappear five years after the actual end date |
| Current agreement, arrears with a current recovery report | The arrears disappear five years after the registration date of the recovery report |
| Current agreement, arrears without a recovery report | After five years the arrears are submitted to the lender for assessment – so they do not disappear automatically |
| Current agreement, recovery report | The recovery report itself disappears five years after its registration date |
| Completed agreement, reports predating the recovery report | Five years after the registration date of the recovery report |
| Completed agreement, reports after the recovery report or without one | Five years after the actual end date |
| Speciality codes on a current agreement without a current recovery report | Submitted to the lender for assessment after five years |
| Death of the registered person | One year after notification of death, all data are removed |
Two points stand out. First: if a current agreement carries arrears without a recovery report, no automatic removal follows after five years, but an assessment by your lender. Second: if a negatively registered current agreement has a recovery report and nothing new has been reported since, the entire agreement is removed from the system. A correct and timely recovery report is therefore often worth more than people realise. If the credit has been repaid, read a BKR registration after repayment.
What does a code mean for a loan or a mortgage?
A code is not a statutory prohibition on granting you credit. What the law does prescribe: a credit provider must participate in a credit registration system, must consult that system before granting credit of more than € 250, and must assess whether lending is responsible in view of over-indebtedness. What a provider then does with an A or a speciality code is a matter for its own acceptance policy. That is why the same registration may lead to a rejection with one lender and to a conversation about your situation with another.
This also explains why it pays to know exactly what is recorded. An old code 1 with a repaid instalment credit is something quite different from a current code 2 with a revolving credit and no recovery report – even though people call both "a negative BKR". What remains possible with a registration is set out in a mortgage with a BKR registration and in the consequences of a negative BKR code.
When is a code wrong? A checklist
Go through your overview using these points. Every discrepancy is a concrete starting point for a correction request.
- For every A: had the waiting period for your credit type actually expired before the registration date? A report for a revolving credit after one missed instalment is premature.
- For every A: did you receive a written advance notice? Can the lender prove it was sent?
- For every A: were your payments allocated to the oldest instalment due? Otherwise arrears may appear on paper to have lasted longer than they did.
- For a missing H: did you clear the arrears during the term? A recovery report should then have been made within 21 days.
- For code 1: were there arrears before the arrangement? An arrangement without a preceding situation of arrears should not be registered as code 1.
- For code 2: was the claim demanded in accordance with the statutory requirements, including the required notice of default and period?
- For code 3: has € 250 or more genuinely been written off? Is there final discharge, and was the actual end date reported as well?
- For code 4: were you genuinely unreachable? Did you notify your change of address, or was post sent to an old address while your new one was known?
- For code 5: does it truly concern a written preventive payment arrangement of at least four months for a mortgage credit?
- For an RO or ZO registration: were you formally requested to pay and did you then fail to pay within the stated period? With a surety, an advance notice is mandatory.
- For every report: is the registration date correct, and is the actual end date correct? A wrong date easily costs you months or years.
If you do not yet know exactly what is registered, first request your overview free of charge; see requesting your BKR registration.
Your rights: rectification, objection and erasure
Only the lender that made the report can amend the data; the BKR Foundation does not assess the substance of the data supplied. So address your request there, and state as specifically as possible what you believe is incorrect. You may also approach the BKR Foundation.
Your rights run along three tracks, which you can also use in this order:
- Rectification (Article 16 GDPR) where a fact is incorrect or incomplete: a wrong date, an amount that does not add up, a missing recovery report.
- Objection (Article 21 GDPR) on grounds relating to your particular situation: the registration is correct in itself, but affects you disproportionately. You must substantiate those specific circumstances.
- Erasure (Article 17 GDPR) where there is no longer a legitimate ground for continuing to process your data.
That those latter two rights genuinely exist in the case of a credit registration is not a matter of opinion. On 3 December 2021 the Dutch Supreme Court held that the processing of personal data in the CKI is not based on a legal obligation, but must be assessed against the legitimate interest of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR – and that the registered person therefore has both the right to erasure under Article 17 GDPR and the right to object under Article 21 GDPR (ECLI:NL:HR:2021:1814). That assessment is governed by the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity: the interference with your interests must not be disproportionate to the purpose, and that purpose must not reasonably be achievable in a way less prejudicial to you (Supreme Court, 9 September 2011, ECLI:NL:HR:2011:BQ8097).
The regulations follow suit. A lender may only remove a registration where there is an unjustified registration, a justified registration that proves disproportionate after a careful balancing of interests, or a ruling by a court or a competent disputes committee. Precisely for that reason, a request that merely says "I want my code gone" stands no chance, whereas a request that sets out the error or the disproportionality in concrete terms does.
If you cannot reach agreement with the lender, you can lodge a complaint with Kifid (for credit providers covered by the Financial Supervision Act), with the Private Lease Disputes Committee, with the municipality that registered the debt assistance, or with the Dutch Data Protection Authority. You may also go to court. How to build your request, which supporting documents to enclose and what to do after a refusal is set out in our main article on removing or correcting a BKR registration.
Contact us without obligation if you would like your overview assessed.
Frequently asked questions
What does an A2 code mean?
A2 is everyday shorthand for an arrears report (A) combined with speciality code 2. Code 2 means that the lender has demanded payment of the remainder or of the entire claim, in accordance with the applicable statutory requirements. So “A2” does not exist as a separate code in the General Regulations CKI; there are two separate reports attached to your agreement, each with its own registration date. That distinction matters, because the retention period is calculated per report and a correction request must state which report you believe is wrong.
What does an A3 code mean and is it the most serious?
A3 stands for an arrears report with speciality code 3: the lender has written off an amount of € 250 or more. The regulations set no ranking between codes, so formally code 3 is not “the most serious”. In practice a write-off does weigh heavily in a credit assessment, because money has actually been written off. Writing off does not automatically mean that you owe nothing further: only where final discharge has been granted is the termination with an actual end date reported together with code 3.
What is the difference between A1, A2, A3 and A4?
The number indicates what happened after the arrears. With 1 a repayment arrangement was made, with 2 the remainder or the entire claim was demanded, with 3 € 250 or more was written off, and with 4 you turned out to be unreachable for the lender. Code 5 is the odd one out: it concerns a written preventive payment arrangement of at least four months for a mortgage credit. Combinations are possible, so you may see several numbers alongside one another for a single agreement.
Can an H report appear alongside a speciality code?
Yes. The regulations expressly allow combinations of speciality codes, and a recovery code may appear alongside them. A common pattern is an A for the arrears, then a 1 because a repayment arrangement was made, and later an H because the arrears were cleared. What counts for the retention period is which report was registered when: for a current agreement with a current recovery report, the arrears and earlier speciality codes are removed five years after the registration date of that recovery report, in so far as they were registered before it.
What is the difference between recovery and termination?
A recovery code (H) means that you cleared arrears while the agreement simply continued. If the agreement is terminated at the same time as the arrears are cleared, the lender reports the actual end date instead and no H. The difference determines from which date the five-year period runs: for recovery on a current agreement from the registration date of the recovery report, and for a completed agreement in principle from the actual end date.
How long does an A or H code stay on record?
The main rule is five years, but the starting point differs. For a completed agreement the data disappear five years after the actual end date, except for reports predating a recovery report: those disappear five years after the registration date of the recovery report. For a current agreement with a current recovery report, five years after the registration date of that recovery report likewise applies. If a current agreement carries arrears without a recovery report, no automatic removal follows after five years, but an assessment by the lender.
Will I be notified before a speciality code is registered?
Not separately. The regulations provide that the advance notice does not apply to the registration of a speciality code. Time limits do apply to an arrears report: it may only be made once an instalment has not been paid without the lender’s consent and the period for your credit type has expired, for example two months for instalment credit and three months for revolving credit. In addition, the lender must warn you in writing before a threatened arrears report and must be able to prove it was sent. So always check whether the registration date fits that period.
Does code 3 mean I no longer have to pay anything?
Not automatically. Code 3 means that the lender has written off an amount of € 250 or more, which is an administrative act on its side. Only where final discharge has also been granted, and you genuinely owe nothing further, is the termination of the agreement with an actual end date reported together with this code. In other cases no actual end date is reported and the claim continues to exist. So ask in writing whether final discharge has been granted and whether an end date has been reported.
What do the abbreviations AK, RK and HY on my overview mean?
Those are the credit types: AK is instalment credit, RK is revolving credit and HY is mortgage credit for an owner-occupied home. There are also, among others, SK (debt restructuring credit), SH (debt assistance), HO (mortgage credit for other immovable property), RH and RN (residual debt from a mortgage credit without and with NHG respectively), OA (operational car lease), RO (other financial obligations), ZK (business credit) and ZO (business other financial obligations). With HY, RO and ZO only negative payment experiences are reported; so if such an agreement appears in your overview, arrears or a speciality have been registered.
Can a justified code still be removed?
It can. On 3 December 2021 the Dutch Supreme Court held that a registration in the CKI is assessed against the legitimate interest of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, and that you therefore have the right to object (Article 21 GDPR) and the right to erasure (Article 17 GDPR). Proportionality and subsidiarity apply: the interference with your interests must not be disproportionate to the purpose of the registration. The regulations likewise permit removal where a justified registration proves disproportionate after a careful balancing of interests. You must, however, substantiate those specific circumstances concretely.
Legally reviewed by Onur Arslan, attorney at Arslan Advocaten. Reviewed on 13 September 2026 against the General Regulations CKI of the BKR Foundation (1 July 2024) and the Dutch Supreme Court judgment of 3 December 2021, ECLI:NL:HR:2021:1814.
