Negative credit report in Germany

Hello,

Between my credit cards and other accounts, I owe €51000 in Germany. I am planning to move to other EU country. My questions are as follows:

1. Will I get a new credit card in Switzerland or other EU countries?
2. Will they check my credit record from Germany?

Thank you

Ronald

Hi Ronald,

Swiss loans are available only for Swiss residents. Even with a permit B, you have to wait for one year after your arrival until you can apply for a loan (as the banks cannot check your credit record in Germany).

Usually, for the same reason, you can't get any Swiss credit card either if you are not living in Switzerland.

Regards,

Why not use a prepaid card? You shouldn't have any trouble opening a Neon account if you live in Switzerland, even with a B permit. The Neon card has very low charges which is great for traveling or spending in other countries. Best of all, you can't get into debt with a prepaid card.

If you absolutely need a credit card (i.e. for car rentals that don't take prepaid cards), check into a secured credit card from Viseca. You put down a deposit equal to your line of credit. As far as I know, you can get one even if you're new in Switzerland.

Swiss lenders cannot check your German credit history (SCHUFA). From a credit perspective, you will pretty much start from scratch after moving to Switzerland. Do a good job cleaning up your financial act during your first years in Switzerland and you will eventually qualify. In any case, you probably want to clear up that 51k before taking on new loans.