Getting Started · Category
7 guides on credit reports for expats in Germany, each dated and linked to the office that decides.
Loans & Mortgages A Finanzierungsbestätigung from a German bank usually lands in 5 to 10 working days once your SCHUFA and Meldebescheinigung are filed, and non-EU buyers often need 30 to 40 percent equity.
Every guide
Credit ReportsBerlin property managers reject free Datenkopie printouts on sight. The paid Bonitätsauskunft costs 29.95 EUR as of August 2026 and is the only version landlords can legally accept.
Credit ReportsYour Schufa file holds specific data fields, not your salary or nationality, and the free Datenkopie arrives by post within 30 days under Article 15 GDPR.
More in Getting Started
The Sunday briefing
New guides, rule changes with the date they took effect, and the occasional correction. One short email a week, and I write every one myself.