Deleting a SCHUFA entry.

Which entries can be challenged, which deletion periods apply and what the route looks like in four steps – with free tools for every step. Honestly: justified, lawfully reported entries stay until their period expires.

Which entries can be challenged

Reported without the requirements of Section 31 BDSG (two reminders four weeks apart, timely notice, claim not disputed), past the deletion period, or simply wrong under Article 16 GDPR — three points of attack that most often succeed in practice.

The deletion periods at a glance

Settled claim three years after settlement; settled within 100 days of the report 18 months; discharge of residual debt six months; loan enquiry twelve months; contract data on termination; open undisputed claims have no period until settlement.

The route in four steps

Request the data copy, hold every entry against the rules, demand deletion or rectification in writing with a deadline, and if refused go to the ombudsman and the supervisory authority — every step prepared by a free tool.

Request the data copy (Article 15 GDPR)
Check an entry against Section 31 BDSG
Calculate the deletion deadline to the day

Frequently asked questions

Can a justified SCHUFA entry be deleted?

A factually correct, lawfully reported entry before its period expires: no — providers who promise exactly that across the board are not reputable. But a considerable share of entries is NOT lawfully reported: without the two required reminders, despite a disputed claim or after the deletion period has expired. These entries can be challenged, and their deletion is a legal right.

How long does a settled entry stay stored?

In principle three years from settlement, to the day. Since 2024 the 100-day rule applies: anyone who pays within 100 days of the report and has no other negative features is out after 18 months. The discharge of residual debt after insolvency is deleted after only six months.

What does it cost to have an entry deleted?

Doing it yourself costs nothing but time: data copy, check, letters, deadlines — all templates and rules are public, our tools prepare every step for free. Anyone who wants to hand over obtaining, checking and enforcing instructs a service like FIAON with transparent plan prices — reputable providers never charge per “deleted entry” on a success basis and promise no guarantees.

Does deleting an entry really achieve anything?

Yes, often considerably: negative entries are the heaviest single feature in the score. If the entry falls away, score class and conditions improve — from the mobile contract to the flat to the loan interest rate. The effect does not occur overnight; the credit bureaus recalculate their scores at intervals.

Can I do this with KSV (Austria) and CRIF (Switzerland) too?

Yes. The GDPR applies directly in Austria; Switzerland has comparable rights to information and rectification under the revised Data Protection Act (DSG). The deadlines and customs differ in detail — the country pages for Austria and Switzerland explain them.

Read on

A SCHUFA entry after years: when it has to disappear. – When a SCHUFA entry has to disappear: expiry checker, all storage periods per entry type and the route when a period has expired. Check the deadline now.
Reading your credit report: the 10-point checklist. – Understand your credit report: the interactive 10-point checklist, the 5 most common mistakes and an explained sample extract. Check your report now.
Understanding the SCHUFA score: what your number really means. – The new SCHUFA score since March 2026: a scale from 100 to 999, five classes, twelve criteria with points — as a table, with the levers behind it.
Received a debt collection letter? Check first, then pay. – Received a debt collection letter: the calm five-step plan — check the claim, work out the costs, know the deadlines, prevent an entry. Checked for free.