SCHUFA. What do you need to know?

New Schufa score: what changed on 17 March 2026

SCHUFA has changed its credit score calculation model, and the old explanations about “how many percentage points you need to get” no longer work.

• The scale is now from 100 to 999 points instead of a percentage, up to 100 %. The higher the score, the better.
• There are twelve criteria, and they have been published for the first time. Previously the formula was a black box, now it’s clear how much each factor weighs — and exactly what to fix.
• The assessment categories have remained the same: from “excellent” to “insufficient”.
• The category changed for roughly one person in six: for 8 % of people it got worse, for 9 % it improved, and for the remaining 83 % it stayed the same.

Disclaimer: the transition is slow. Initially, about a quarter of Schufa partners applied the new model, while the rest continued using the old one for some time. Therefore, the bank and the landlord may see different figures—this is not an error.

The catalyst for the reform was two CJEU rulings on the transparency of scoring: C-634/21 from December 2023 and C-203/22 from February 2025. The meaning of both is the same: an individual has the right to understand how decisions are made about them.

How long each record is stored

Entries are not deleted in bulk: each one is deleted on its own schedule. This is important because the deletion date determines when you can get a loan or a flat again.

• Settled arrears (erledigte Zahlungsstörung) — 3 years after settlement. An exception has applied since 2025: if the debt is paid within 100 days of being reported to Schufa and there are no new negative entries, no data from the Schuldnerverzeichnis (debtors’ register) and no insolvency data, the entry is deleted just 18 months after payment.
• Active loan — at least the entire contract term.
• Queries about you — are visible in your data copy over the last 12 months.
• Discharge of the remaining debt (Restschuldbefreiung) — 6 months. It used to be three years, the term has been shortened.
• Entry in the debtors’ register (Schuldnerverzeichnis) — 3 years, then deleted automatically.

How to get your data for free

Do not confuse the two products. The paid Bonitätsauskunft (credit report) is a nicely presented certificate to show your landlord. The Datenkopie nach Art. 15 DSGVO (data copy under Article 15 GDPR) is a complete copy of your data, and it is free under data protection law. This can be ordered on meineSchufa.de: in the form, you must specifically select the option “Datenkopie (nach Art. 15 DSGVO)”, which is not on the first screen.

It makes sense to check in advance — at least a month before applying for a loan or a flat. Correcting an error takes weeks, and at the time of application it will no longer help.

There’s an error in the copy. What should I do?

1. Write to Schufa with a request to delete or correct the record. For the duration of the check, the disputed record is blocked — meaning it ceases to affect decisions.
2. At the same time, write to whoever supplied the data — to the bank, the mobile network operator, or the online shop. Schufa does not make up data itself, it receives it, and the source must correct it.
3. Order another copy in a couple of weeks and check that the entry has been removed. A repeat order after the correction is free of charge.

Three misconceptions about Schufa

“Checking your credit score damages your credit score.” No. Your own credit check (Eigenanfrage) is not included in the calculation and is not shown to partners. However, bank enquiries made when applying for a loan are visible — which is why applying to five banks in a row is indeed harmful.

“I don’t have a Schufa, I arrived recently.” A profile is created with the very first contract — an account, mobile service, or instalment plan. An empty profile is neither bad nor good: the bank simply has nothing on which to base an assessment, and initial decisions will be cautious.

“One missed payment and it’s all down the drain.” The negative entry does not appear immediately: there are at least two written reminders beforehand and a set time period. If the bill is disputed and you have contested it in writing, the entry should not appear at all.

Schufa when renting a flat: what is asked for alongside it

Most of the time it is not the bank that needs your Schufa but the landlord. And two more questions almost always come in the same package — the deposit and the insurance policies.

• The deposit is capped by law. Under § 551 Abs. 1 BGB it may not exceed three months’ rent excluding Betriebskosten (service charges), and under § 551 Abs. 2 BGB the tenant is entitled to pay it in three equal monthly instalments. What to do if that money is not available at once — on the page about Kaution (rental deposit) and its alternatives.
• Liability insurance. Landlords ask for a Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) policy together with the Schufa: in our tariffs it covers Mietsachschäden — damage to the flat itself for which the tenant is liable. The limit on that item differs from tariff to tariff.
• Contents insurance. Hausratversicherung covers what belongs to you inside that flat. It has nothing to do with the Schufa, but it is usually taken out on the same day as the tenancy agreement.

The landlord needs the Schufa to judge whether you can pay, and the insurance policies to cover the risks attached to the flat itself. These are two different questions inside one and the same document pack, and they should not be mixed up.

What else to read

• Girokonto (current account) in Germany - including regarding the right to an account if the bank has refused.
• Loans in Germany — what the bank looks at besides Schufa.
• Credit cards — and why they aren’t given to newcomers.

Sources: Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) — new Schufa score and what to do if you have a Schufa entry. Checked in August 2026. The material is for informational purposes only.