Everyday money
Your credit report: the Central Credit Register explained
Last updated 16 October 2026
Ireland's Central Credit Register holds every loan of €500 or more. You can get your report free, fix mistakes and add a statement. There is no credit score.
When you apply for a loan, the lender looks at your credit history on the Central Credit Register (CCR). This is a database run by the Central Bank of Ireland under the Credit Reporting Act 2013. Knowing what is on yours, and checking it before you apply, can avoid an unpleasant surprise.
What is on it
Lenders report every loan of €500 or more each month, including:
- mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and overdrafts (since June 2017)
- moneylender, local authority and business loans (since March 2018)
- hire purchase, asset finance and Personal Contract Plan (PCP) car finance (since June 2019)
For each loan it shows the lender, the amount, the balance, the next payment and any missed payments. Records are kept for five years after a loan is repaid. It does not include utility bills, your income, deposit accounts, tax, court orders such as instalment orders, or insolvency arrangements.
There is no credit score
The CCR doesn't give you a score or a grade. Each lender decides using its own policy, your report, and usually your income and outgoings. The private Irish Credit Bureau, which did give ratings, closed in 2021 and deleted its records.
When lenders check it
- they must check it for any loan application of €2,000 or more
- they can also check it if you ask to restructure a loan, fall into arrears, or go over a credit card or overdraft limit
Lenders don't need your consent, but nobody else, such as an employer or landlord, can see your report without it. Every check is recorded as a 'footprint' you can see. If a lender refuses a consumer loan between €200 and €75,000 because of your report, it must tell you.
Getting your report
You can request your own report at any time, free of charge, subject to fair use, online at centralcreditregister.ie or by post. You will need to prove your identity, with your name, address and PPSN. It is worth doing a few months before applying for a mortgage or car finance.
Fixing problems
- If something is wrong, incomplete or out of date, you can ask for it to be amended.
- If you think someone has borrowed in your name, you can place a notice of suspected impersonation on your report.
- You can add an explanatory statement of up to 200 words, for example about missed payments during illness or a bereavement. Lenders see it, though they don't have to take it into account.
Improving your history
The record is built from how you repay. Paying on time, keeping within limits and clearing arrears all show on later reports. For a mortgage, lenders also apply the Central Bank's limits of four times income for first-time buyers: see buying your first home.
Work it out
Sources
- Central Bank of Ireland: Mortgage measures (loan-to-income 4x / 3.5x, deposits 10% / 30%) (checked 24/10/2026)
General information, not tax advice. HeyPenny is not a tax agent.