CIRBE and credit files: who holds your data in Spain

Terms used

• CIRBE — CIRBE is the Banco de España's central register of the loans, cards and other credit that lenders hold with each person.
• Asnef-Equifax — Asnef-Equifax is a private file, run by Equifax, that lists unpaid debts reported by creditors.
• Badexcug — Badexcug is a private file, run by Experian, that lists unpaid debts reported by creditors.
• AEPD — The AEPD is Spain's data protection agency, where you can complain about misuse of your personal data.

Key rules

• No national score: Spain has no single official credit score; each lender judges you in its own way.
• Who sees CIRBE: Lenders see CIRBE only when you are a client or apply for credit; landlords and employers cannot.
• Your access: You can get your data from each private file free of charge, with a copy of your ID.
• Time limit for debts: A paid debt must be removed from private files, and no debt stays longer than five years.

Who holds your credit data

Your credit data sits in two kinds of place: one official register and several private files. Spain has no single official credit score. Each lender builds its own view from your income, your job, your payment history and these records.

CIRBE: the official register

CIRBE is run by the Banco de España. It records the credit that banks and other lenders have given you: loans, credit lines, cards, guarantees and leasing. For each one it shows the lender, the type of product, the amount used and unused, any guarantees, the end date and whether payments are overdue or doubtful.

It is not a list of defaulters only. It also holds no score and no income details.

Lenders report to CIRBE once your total risk with them reaches 1,000 euros. Below that, only operations in default are reported.

Private default files

The two main private files are Asnef-Equifax, run by Equifax, and Badexcug, run by Experian. Creditors such as banks, phone companies, utilities and insurers report unpaid debts to them. An entry shows the creditor, the amount, the date and the product.

A debt can only be listed if it is certain, due and demandable, and you were warned beforehand. It must come off once you pay it, and after five years at most.

Other files exist too, such as one for bounced bills and some services that record positive payment data.

Who can see what

• CIRBE: Lenders can see your risks when you are their client or you apply to them for credit, and only for that purpose. The Banco de España uses it for supervision. Some public authorities, such as tax and judicial ones, may use it under the law. Private persons and other companies, including landlords and employers, cannot look you up.
• Private files: Banks, lenders, phone and utility companies check them when deciding whether to give you credit.
• You: You can see your own data in every one of these.

How to see your own data

For CIRBE, you request a report from the Banco de España. The steps are in the process below.

For the private files, ask Equifax (for Asnef-Equifax) and Experian (for Badexcug) for your data. It is free. Use each one's web form, email or post, and attach a copy of your ID. Each must reply within one month. For complex cases it can take up to two further months.

The reply lists the debts, creditors, amounts, dates and the companies that checked your data. You can ask in the same way to correct or erase a wrong entry. If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the AEPD, the Spanish data protection agency.

Requesting your CIRBE report, step by step

Requesting your CIRBE report

• Choose your route: online is fastest, or go in person or send a request by post: before you start

• Get your ID ready: an NIE or TIE with a passport, or just a passport if you have no NIE: before you start

• If you want to apply online, set up a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve (this needs an NIE or TIE and usually a check in person or by video): before you apply online, as setup can take time

• Submit the request in the Banco de España's electronic office; it is free of charge: once your online access works

• Or apply in person at the Banco de España head office in Madrid or a branch, or post a signed request with a copy of your ID; both are free of charge: if you cannot use the online route; book an appointment first where required

• Receive your report. Online it often arrives immediately or within a few days; by post or in person expect about 10 days to a month, and one month is the legal ceiling: after you apply

• If the report says no risks are recorded, you have no CIRBE history yet. It starts when a Spanish lender reports a loan, mortgage or credit card for you: when you read the report as a newcomer with no Spanish credit

• If something is wrong, ask the lender that reported it to correct it, because only it can change the data. You can also tell the Banco de España, which can pass your request on: as soon as you spot an error

• If the lender ignores or refuses you, send a complaint to the Banco de España's claims service or to the data protection agency (AEPD); you can also go to court: if the lender does not respond or refuses

Documents you need

• A copy of your ID (DNI, NIE or passport), to send with your free data request to Equifax (Asnef-Equifax) or Experian (Badexcug), by web form, email or post.

Checklist

• Look through your CIRBE report for each loan, credit line, card or guarantee: the lender, product type, amounts drawn and undrawn, maturity and any overdue status.

• Expect operations below 1,000 euros of total risk with one lender to be missing from CIRBE, unless they are in default.

• Ask Equifax (for Asnef-Equifax) and Experian (for Badexcug) for your data, free of charge, by web form, email or post.

• Read each reply for the recorded debts, creditors, amounts, dates and the entities that consulted your data.

• Ask the bureau to correct or erase any entry for a debt you have paid, or that you were never warned about, using the same channel as your request.

What to watch out for

• Small unpaid bills can land you in a default file: Banks, phone, utility and insurance companies report unpaid debts to Asnef-Equifax and Badexcug. Lenders check those files before granting credit, so even a small unpaid bill can lead to a refusal. Pay or dispute any overdue bill quickly. Once it is paid, ask the bureau to remove the entry.

• Lenders see your whole CIRBE record, not just defaults: CIRBE shows every loan, card, credit line and guarantee you have, with amounts drawn and any overdue status. A lender you apply to can see all of it, and a large unused credit line can count against you. Request your own report before you apply, and cancel credit lines you no longer need.

• Having no CIRBE history is not the same as a good record: CIRBE holds no score and no income data, and Spain has no single national score. A new arrival with no record may still be judged by each lender's own model. Bring proof of income and employment to any credit application, because lenders weigh these as well.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one official credit score in Spain?

No, Spain has no single official national credit score. Each lender uses its own scoring model, fed by your income, employment and payment history, plus CIRBE and the private default files.

Can my landlord or employer look me up in CIRBE?

No, private persons and other companies cannot consult CIRBE.

How long can an unpaid debt stay in Asnef-Equifax or Badexcug?

An unpaid debt must be removed once you pay it, or after five years at most. It can only be recorded if it is certain, due and demandable, and you were warned beforehand.

How long does Equifax or Experian have to answer my data request?

Each bureau must reply within one month. It can extend that by two further months for complex cases. If it does not answer or will not correct an entry, you can complain to the AEPD, Spain's data protection agency.

Are there other credit files besides Asnef-Equifax and Badexcug?

Yes, there is also the Registro de Aceptaciones Impagadas (RAI), which lists bounced bills. There are also positive-data services run by Experian, which record more than defaults.