Positive credit register: what is recorded in it?

What the positive credit register is

The positive credit register is a state-maintained register that collects private individuals' loans and income data. It is maintained by the Incomes Register Unit of the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto), and its operation is governed by the Act on the Positive Credit Register (739/2022). The register aims to prevent over-indebtedness and to help lenders assess an applicant's ability to pay.

The name shows the difference from traditional credit records: the register does not contain payment defaults or enforcement data, but information on all credits, including those that have been paid properly. Payment default entries remain in the registers of commercial credit information companies.

What information is stored in the register?

Lenders must report a new credit to the register no later than the calendar day following the signing of the agreement. They also report the instalments paid and the end of the credit. If a payment is more than 60 days late or the credit has been called in, that is also reported.

Mortgages, car loans and consumer credit
Credit cards and instalment payments
Student loans
Loans to business operators, such as sole traders and farmers,
Income data from the Incomes Register for the 12 preceding full calendar months, in gross and net amounts

What does the income data not show?

Income data comes from the Incomes Register, so it shows, for example, wages and many benefits. Business income of sole traders, grants, foreign pensions and most capital income are not shown. According to the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto), from 7.10.2026 months for which no income has been reported appear on the statement marked No data reported rather than as zero euros. If you have income missing from the register, be prepared to present documentation of it when applying for a loan.

Who may view your information?

A register extract can be ordered only by a lender with a valid data permit, and only for a specific purpose: a new credit application, a credit limit increase, a change requiring a creditworthiness assessment, or a guarantee and third-party pledge. Landlords, Kela or taxation cannot see your information in the register. The register itself does not make credit decisions or assess creditworthiness.

If you have guaranteed someone else's loan, you can see limited information about the guaranteed credit in the online service, such as its balance and last due date. This allows the guarantor to follow the development of their liability without the borrower's other information being visible.

How to check your own information

You can see your own credit and income information in the register's electronic service, where you log in with online banking credentials, a mobile certificate or a card reader. The service also shows which lenders have ordered an extract, when and for what purpose. Ordered extracts remain in the service for five years.

If there is an error in the information, first contact the lender; the service shows the lender's official name, which may differ from its marketing name. If the matter is not resolved, contact the register's customer service. The lender must remove the payment default entry once the arrears have been paid.

Coming soon: housing company loans in the register

The register will also include housing company loans' shareholder-specific shares paid as a capital charge. According to the Parliament's Commerce Committee report (TaVM 12/2025 vp), data will begin to be stored in the register from 18.1.2027, and lenders will get access to it from 1.4.2027. In September 2026 the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto) published the related interface description.

The change is important especially for buyers of a flat in a new-build or renovated housing company. The share of the housing company loan can be large, and when it shows in the register, the lender takes it into account when assessing ability to pay. So check your own flat's share of the company loan from the manager's certificate before the loan negotiation.

Voluntary credit ban

You can place a voluntary credit ban in the register free of charge if, for example, your personal data has fallen into the wrong hands or you want to restrict your own borrowing. The ban is placed in the online service, and you choose its period of validity and reason. The ban can be changed or removed at any time. A credit ban does not affect credits already granted, such as an existing credit card. Loan Radar follows changes in the register and consumer credit regulation.

Frequently asked questions

When was the positive credit register introduced?

The register was introduced on 1.4.2024. It is maintained by the Incomes Register Unit of the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto).

Is a payment default shown in the positive credit register?

No payment default entries or enforcement data are recorded. However, the lender reports if a payment is more than 60 days late or the credit has been called in.

Does it cost anything to view your own credit information register extract?

You can see your own information in the register's electronic service. Setting a voluntary credit ban is free of charge.

Can the landlord see my information in the positive credit register?

No. A statement can only be ordered by a lender that has a data permit, for a specific purpose, such as processing a new credit. If you have placed a credit block and given permission to pass it on, credit information companies can tell their customers, such as landlords, about the block.

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Sources

The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.