SCHUFA — Germany's credit bureau
- SCHUFA collects data on bank accounts, credit cards, loans, phone contracts and payment defaults. Landlords, banks, phone companies and online shops check it.
- New score since March 2026: a single score on a 100–999 scale, calculated from 12 disclosed criteria, which you can look up for free in the official SCHUFA app and online account.
- Free data copy: under Art. 15 GDPR you can request a free copy of all stored data (Datenkopie) at meineschufa.de — don't confuse it with the paid "BonitätsCheck" (around €30), which is only needed as a certificate for some landlords.
- New arrivals start with little data — not a bad score. Opening a German current account and paying bills on time builds a record.
- Negative entries (unpaid, overdue bills after reminders) are usually deleted 3 years after settlement. Under SCHUFA's newer rules, single entries that are paid quickly can be deleted after 18 months. Wrong entries: write to SCHUFA and the creditor and ask for correction or deletion (Art. 16/17 GDPR).
- Never ignore reminders — one forgotten mobile bill sent to debt collection can block your flat search for years.
Your data rights (GDPR / DSGVO)
| Right | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Access (Art. 15) | Find out what a company stores about you — free, answer within 1 month |
| Correction (Art. 16) | Wrong data |
| Erasure (Art. 17) | Data no longer needed |
| Objection to advertising (Art. 21) | Stop marketing letters and calls |
Complaints go to the data protection authority of your state (Landesdatenschutzbeauftragte).
What landlords and employers may ask
- Landlords may ask about income, employment and SCHUFA — but not about religion, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, party membership or criminal records (unless relevant).
- Employers may not ask about pregnancy, plans to have children, religion (except church employers) or union membership. You may answer untruthfully to illegal questions without consequences.
Everyday privacy
- A "Keine Werbung" sticker on your letterbox stops unaddressed advertising.
- You can block the registration office from giving your address to political parties and address dealers: file an Übermittlungssperre/Widerspruch at the Bürgeramt.
- In case of stalking or threats, an information block (Auskunftssperre) on your registration data is possible.