CIRBE, ASNEF and BADEXCUG in Spain (2026): Your Credit File
Jules
Editor
Updated: October 2026 | Found helpful by 9 others
Spain has one public credit register and separate private defaulter files. CIRBE, run by the Banco de Espana, records all credit above EUR 1,000 with a lender, paid or not, and you can check your own report for free online. ASNEF (Equifax) and BADEXCUG (Experian) list only unpaid debts: never below EUR 50 of principal and never for more than five years from the due date, as of October 2026. A newcomer with no Spanish credit simply has no data, not a bad score.
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What Is CIRBE and How Do You Check It?
| Topic | Rule | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| What CIRBE is | CIRBE is the Banco de Espana credit register. Each month it gives lenders aggregated information on people whose total risk with them exceeds EUR 1,000: loans, credit lines, drawn card credit and guarantees. It is not a list of defaulters. | Banco de Espana, Central de Informacion de Riesgos |
| Checking your own CIRBE report | Anyone can see their own CIRBE data for free. Online at the Banco de Espana sede electronica with Cl@ve, a digital certificate or the DNIe, the report comes as a PDF in minutes. | Banco de Espana |
| A newcomer with no Spanish credit | If you have never had EUR 1,000 or more of credit in Spain, CIRBE simply holds no data on you. That is not a negative mark, but it is not a positive score either: Spain has no positive credit-scoring bureau, so lenders judge a thin file on income documents. | Banco de Espana, Central de Informacion de Riesgos |
When Can a Debt Be Listed in ASNEF or BADEXCUG?
| Topic | Rule | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Defaulter files (ficheros de morosos) | Private defaulter files are separate from CIRBE. The two main ones are ASNEF (run by Equifax) and BADEXCUG (run by Experian); being clear in one says nothing about the other. | Ley Organica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD), art. 20 |
| When a debt may be listed | The debt must be certain, due and payable, and not disputed in an administrative, court or binding arbitration claim; the creditor must have warned you of the possible listing; and the file must notify you within 30 days of the listing. | Ley Organica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD), art. 20.1 |
| Minimum amount | Debts with a principal below EUR 50 may not be listed. | Ley Organica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD), additional provision 6 |
| How long a listing stays | Only while the debt is unpaid, and never more than five years from the debt's due date. Pages that still say six years are out of date. | Ley Organica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD), art. 20.1.d |
| Complaints | Checking whether you are listed is a free data-protection access right; complaints about an improper listing go to the AEPD. | Agencia Espanola de Proteccion de Datos |
How Do CIRBE and the Defaulter Files Differ?
| CIRBE | ASNEF / BADEXCUG | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Banco de Espana (public) | Equifax / Experian (private) |
| What it records | All credit above EUR 1,000 with a lender, paid or not | Unpaid debts only |
| Threshold | EUR 1,000 of total risk | EUR 50 of principal |
| How long | While the credit exists | While unpaid, at most 5 years |
| Your own data | Free, online in minutes | Free access right; complaints to the AEPD |
What If You Have an ASNEF Listing?
| # | Situation | Best answer | Runner-up | Why | Ruled out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3A-8 | Credit file has an old ASNEF entry | No verified answerNo verified credit card: no issuer publishes criteria that accept an ASNEF listing. Fallback: Correos Prepago | Nickel | Prepaid and e-money accounts involve no credit check | WiZink, ING and the banks' credit cards |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CIRBE in Spain?
CIRBE is the Banco de Espana credit register. Each month it tells lenders about people whose total credit with them is above EUR 1,000, whether or not it is paid on time, so it is not a list of defaulters (October 2026).
How do I check my CIRBE report for free?
Request it at the Banco de Espana sede electronica with Cl@ve, a digital certificate or the DNIe; online, the PDF arrives in minutes. The report is free for anyone checking their own data (October 2026).
Can I get a credit card in Spain with no Spanish credit history?
There is no Spanish score to build first: Spain has no positive credit-scoring bureau, and CIRBE simply shows no data for someone who has never had more than EUR 1,000 of credit with a lender. Lenders then judge the application on your income documents (October 2026).
What is the difference between ASNEF and BADEXCUG?
Both are private defaulter files: ASNEF is run by Equifax and BADEXCUG by Experian. They are separate, so a clear result in one says nothing about the other.
How long does a debt stay in ASNEF?
Only while it is unpaid, and never more than five years from the debt's due date (LOPDGDD art. 20.1.d). Debts with a principal below EUR 50 cannot be listed at all (October 2026).
Sources
- Banco de Espana, Portal del Cliente Bancario: CIRBE (accessed 2026-10-25)
- Banco de Espana sede electronica: CIRBE risk report request (accessed 2026-10-25)
- BOE: Ley Organica 3/2018 (LOPDGDD), art. 20 and additional provision 6 (accessed 2026-10-25)
- Agencia Espanola de Proteccion de Datos (accessed 2026-10-25)
Change log
Updated
- Published: CIRBE, ASNEF and BADEXCUG in Spain, with the EUR 1,000, EUR 50 and five-year rules