Schufa in Germany: what it is and how to get your free report

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Schufa collects information about contracts and payment behaviour: bank accounts, mobile contracts, loans, unpaid bills. From this it calculates a score that tells companies how likely you are to pay. It does not store your income, your employer, your assets or your marital status.

Rules, amounts and deadlines change. Check the official source linked at the end before you act, and ask the office in your city, because procedures differ from town to town.

Step by step

1. Understand when it matters

   You are asked for Schufa information when you apply for a flat, a loan, a credit card, a mobile contract or a leasing deal. A newcomer has no entries yet. That is not a bad score, but some companies want to see a history.

   Done

2. Open the free form

   Go to meineschufa.de and look for Datenkopie (nach Art. 15 DS-GVO). The free copy is less prominent on the site than the paid products, so read carefully.

   Done

3. Fill in your details

   Enter your name, date of birth, current address and earlier addresses in Germany. A copy of your ID is only needed if Schufa cannot match your address. A copy of your registration confirmation helps then.

   Done

4. Wait for the post

   The data copy comes by letter, usually within one to two weeks. By law Schufa has one month to answer.

   Done

5. Check every entry

   Look for contracts you do not know, accounts that are closed but still listed, and payment problems that were settled long ago.

   Done

6. Demand corrections

   Wrong or outdated entries must be corrected or deleted free of charge. Write to Schufa and to the company that reported the entry, and attach proof. Consumer advice centres help if they refuse.

   Done

Good to know

Landlords often ask for the paid credit certificate (Bonitätsauskunft), which shows less detail and is made to be handed over. You are not obliged to buy it. Many landlords accept the relevant page of the free copy, with the rest blacked out.

Your record improves simply through contracts that run without trouble: a bank account, a mobile contract, bills paid on time. Unpaid bills that go to a collection agency damage it for years. Most entries are deleted three years after the matter is settled.

Other agencies, such as CRIF and Experian, hold similar data. The same right to a free copy applies to them.

Your first contract is usually the bank account: how to open a bank account in Germany as a newcomer.

In short: Schufa is the credit agency. Order the free Datenkopie on meineschufa.de once a year, check it, and have wrong entries corrected.