Money and banking
Schufa
Credit bureau and credit score
Last updated: September 28, 2026
What does Schufa mean?
Schufa is Germany's dominant credit bureau. It records your bank accounts, loans, phone contracts and payment history, and calculates a credit score that landlords, banks and phone providers check. Since March 2026 the score runs on a 100-999 scale. Newcomers start with no file at all, which is not negative.
Key facts
| Score scale since March 2026 | 100 to 999 |
| Free data copy | Once a year (GDPR Art. 15) |
| Newcomers | No file, not a bad score |
| Built by | On-time payments on accounts and contracts |
What to do
- Open a German current account and pay bills and contracts on time to build a file.
- Request your free data copy (Datenkopie) once a year to check for errors.
- Dispute wrong entries in writing with Schufa and the company that reported them.
- For flat hunting, a Schufa report (Bonitätsauskunft) can be bought, but the free data copy also shows your data.
Worth knowing
Ignoring a Mahnung for an undisputed debt is the classic way to get a negative Schufa entry. Dispute wrong bills in writing instead of staying silent.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my Schufa report for free?
Request the free data copy (Datenkopie nach Art. 15 DSGVO) on the Schufa website, once a year. It lists everything stored about you. The paid Bonitätsauskunft is a shorter version made for landlords.
I just moved to Germany. Is my Schufa bad?
No, it is empty. Newcomers have no file, which landlords may see as 'no score'. Paying a current account, phone contract and bills on time builds it up.
Read next
Sources
More German terms: money and banking
Plain-English explanations of the words on your letters and forms.