In this guide
Expats from countries with credit scores often ask in their first months how to build credit in the Netherlands. In the Dutch system the central register, BKR, records your credits and whether you pay them on time. This guide explains what BKR says about what it registers, how to check your own file, and what that means for you as a newcomer. Where a lender or situation is not covered by an official source, we say so.
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Quick answer: Credit above €250 is registered at BKR. A positive registration can help with a new loan, and a payment arrears makes lenders more careful. You can check your own file online for free at mijnkredietregistratie.nl. For a Dutch financial record, use a Dutch bank account in your own name, pay commitments on time and check your BKR overview before you apply for a mortgage.
What BKR actually is
BKR (Stichting BKR) is the register where credit providers record credits. When you are about to borrow, the lender, for example your bank, checks BKR to see which credits you have and whether you pay them on time (BKR).
What gets registered
According to the BKR consumer pages:
- Buying on instalments above €250, such as a phone, scooter or TV, which BKR treats as consumer credit (goederenkrediet)
- Personal loans above €250
- An overdraft facility (rood staan) above €250
- Debt restructuring credit (saneringskrediet) above €250
- Car lease, partly or fully
- Business credit with a limit above €1,000 in some cases
- Phone on instalments: the loan is registered if it is above €250. If you make a down payment so that the cost of the phone falls below €250, there is no registration (BKR).
Mortgage: the mortgage on your own home is not known at BKR. You only get a registration if you fall behind (your mortgage provider reports it after 3 months, or 2 months for a second home), if you have a second home or a property you rent out (reported immediately), or if you have a residual debt after selling your home.
Arrears and how long it stays
BKR shows whether you pay on time. For consumer credit, an arrears of 2 months is registered. After you have repaid a credit, the registration stays visible for another 5 years (BKR).
Check your own file, for free
Go to mijnkredietregistratie.nl. The first time, you identify yourself once with iDIN, through your Dutch bank; after that you log in with your email address and password. If your bank does not support iDIN, you can use a paper request form. Viewing your overview online is free. A certified overview costs €17.50.
BKR warns about phishing: it never sends emails about a payment arrears or asks you to share or request data via a link, and you never pay instalments to BKR; you pay your credit provider or bank directly.
Check your overview before you apply for a mortgage, so you know what lenders will see.
Phones, banks and cards
Mobile contracts
A phone bought on instalments through your provider is a loan. BKR registers it when it is above €250, and a down payment that brings it below €250 avoids the registration. Two ways to avoid a registration: pay for the handset outright, or take a SIM-only plan and buy the phone separately. You can compare Dutch SIM-only and contract prices at Independer Mobiel, and our roundup of SIM-only plans for expats explains what the Dutch providers include.
Banks
If you have not yet opened a Dutch account, our step-by-step guide to getting a Dutch bank account covers the sequence, and the comparison of the best accounts for expats covers which one to pick. An overdraft facility above €250 is registered at BKR.
Credit cards
BKR’s consumer information covers loans and credit cards in general. Whether your card creates a registration depends on the card’s credit terms, so ask the issuer. We compare options in best Dutch credit cards for expats and, for those who cannot get a full card yet, prepaid alternatives.
Mortgage lenders
BKR states that mortgage providers are legally required to request your credit data when you apply for a new mortgage, and that a positive registration can work in your favour while an earlier arrears makes the bank more careful. Lenders also assess income and employment. Our mortgage explainer for expats and the guide to mortgages on foreign or freelance income go through the details.
A practical plan for your first years
Month one. Register with your gemeente and get your BSN. Open a Dutch current account in your own name and have your salary paid into it. Take out the mandatory basisverzekering if you are insured under the Dutch system. Keep digital copies of your contract and payslips.
Months two to twelve. Pay recurring commitments such as rent, health insurance, utilities and phone from your Dutch account, and keep a buffer so payments do not bounce. Check your BKR overview once so you know what is on it.
Before a mortgage. Check your BKR overview again before you speak to a mortgage adviser. If you are self-employed, see our ZZP tax guide.
Myths worth dropping
“I need a credit card to build credit.” BKR describes registrations of credit and arrears, not a score you can raise by using a card. Get a card for its practical use, not as a credit-building exercise.
“My US or UK score will transfer.” We found no BKR or government information on transferring foreign scores. Ask the lender what it accepts.
“A BKR registration ruins my mortgage chances.” BKR itself says a positive registration can help, and that a bank is more careful after an arrears. Get your own overview and see what you are dealing with.
“A company can remove my BKR registration for a fee.” Be careful with paid services. If something on your overview is wrong, contact the credit provider and BKR directly; see the BKR FAQ.
Summary
Credit above €250 is registered at BKR, arrears are registered, and a registration stays visible for 5 years after repayment. Check your file for free, pay on time, and check it again before a mortgage.
Related reading
- Best Dutch credit cards for expats 2026
- Dutch mortgage explained for expats 2026
- Getting a Dutch bank account step by step
- Mortgages on foreign income in the Netherlands
- Best SIM-only plans for expats in the Netherlands
External sources: BKR, Mijn Kredietregistratie for your own data, and Rijksoverheid on phone contracts as credit for the €250 rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Netherlands have a credit score like the US or UK?
BKR, the Dutch credit register, shows your registered credits and whether you pay them on time, through positive and negative registrations. Its consumer pages describe an overview of your credits rather than a score. Lenders such as banks consult it when you apply for credit, and a mortgage provider is legally required to request your credit data when you apply for a new mortgage (BKR).
What gets registered at BKR?
Credit above €250: buying on instalments (for example a phone, scooter or TV) and personal loans above €250, an overdraft facility above €250, a debt restructuring credit above €250, and car lease amounts. A phone on instalments is registered if the loan is above €250; with a down payment that brings it below €250 there is no registration. The mortgage on your own home is not known at BKR unless you fall behind (3 months), have a second property, or have a residual debt after a sale (BKR).
Is having a BKR registration bad?
BKR explains that a positive registration, a credit without irregularities, can work in your favour when you apply for a new loan, because the lender sees you pay reliably. A payment arrears, registered for consumer credit after 2 months, makes lenders more careful, though it does not mean you cannot get credit (BKR).
How long does a BKR registration stay visible?
5 years after you have repaid the credit, according to BKR. For a mortgage arrears that you have paid off, BKR also keeps the registration for 5 years.
Can I transfer my credit history from my home country to the Netherlands?
BKR only registers credit taken out in the Netherlands, and we found no BKR or Dutch government information on transferring a foreign score or credit report. Ask the lender whether it will look at a foreign report as supporting information.
How do I see my own BKR data?
Go to mijnkredietregistratie.nl. The first time you log in you identify yourself once with iDIN; after that you use your email address and password. Viewing your overview online is free, and a certified overview (gewaarmerkt kredietoverzicht) costs €17.50. BKR warns about phishing emails: it never sends emails about payment arrears or asks you to share data via iDIN through a link, and you never pay instalments to BKR.
What matters more than credit history for a Dutch mortgage?
BKR says mortgage providers must request your credit data, and a positive registration can work in your favour. Lenders also assess your income and employment; see our mortgage explainer for the details.