Debtor register

A debtor register is a register of bad payers and can include both private individuals and companies.

There are several ways to be registered in a debtor register, but there are certain prerequisites that must be in place before a registration can be made.

In Denmark, there are a small handful of debtor registers, including Collectia's own Debitorlisten.dk and Experian's RKI - formerly known as Ribers Kredit Information.

If you are registered as a debtor in a debtor register, you are basically registered as a bad payer.

Companies use debtor registers in their credit assessment of customers and therefore use a debtor register as a reference: Is the customer in a debtor register and if so, do we want to offer credit or loans to the debtor - and under what conditions?

The number of people listed in a debtor register is highly cyclical, but in Denmark, just over 200,000 private individuals and companies are registered. In 2022, the total debt amounted to just over DKK 9 billion.

A debtor register is often also called a debt register. Read more about debt registers here.

Who makes the registration in the debtor register?

There is not just one debtor register in Denmark, but a small handful. The way you register is therefore also slightly different from register to register.

The typical way of registration is for a lawyer or debt collection agency to make the registration on behalf of their clients. This is often done as part of the regular debt collection process and is thus agreed in advance between the creditor and the debt collection agency.

Private companies can also register in the debtor register if they have a prior agreement with the register.

For a debt collection agency, lawyer or creditor to report a debt to a debtor register without documentation, three written reminders must first be sent to the debtor. In the last reminder, the debtor must be made aware of a possible registration.

The claim must be over 200 DKK and be uncontested.

Why register in a debtor register?

Registration in a debtor register is one of the tools available to a private company, lawyer or debt collection agency for debt collection.

Few people want to be registered in a debtor register, so many private individuals and companies want to engage with creditors to avoid this.

What are the consequences of being registered in a debtor register?

A debtor register is used by many companies, banks, lenders and government agencies to credit assess their customers.

Being on a debtor register often counts heavily in a credit rating and can determine whether a private company or bank will grant credit or loans.

There are also many companies that offer credit, subscription or similar recurring payments that run credit checks on customers - such as telecom companies, TV subscriptions and more.

This means that being listed in a debtors' register can have major consequences for a company or private individual.

How do you get out of a debtor register?

The easiest way to get out of a debtor register is to pay your outstanding debt - either directly to the creditor or to the creditor's debt collection company/lawyer.

The registration in a debtor register is automatically deleted after 5 years, after which the registration becomes obsolete.

However, you should be aware that even if the registration is deleted after 5 years, you still owe the creditor the money if the limitation period is interrupted.