What is an A code with the BKR?

An A code with the BKR means you are two months or more behind on payments on a loan or credit. This coding is often the first warning that you are behind on payments.

Before the A code is placed, you usually receive a letter from the bank stating that you will be reported to the Bureau Krediet Registratie (BKR) in Tiel if the arrears are not cleared in time. The A code remains visible in your credit report, which may affect your credit rating.

You will then see a letter "A" reflected in your credit report.

Below you'll read more about what it means to have a code with the BKR, and what a code A specifically means. We also briefly discuss what different BKR A codes you may encounter in your credit report.

About the BKR and codes

The BKR - Bureau of Credit Registration - keeps a record of everyone's loans, credits and debts taken out by that person.

Lenders have access to this data. In this way, the BKR makes it clear to those other lenders what a person's financial situation - or, in other words, his or her creditworthiness - is.

This means that a BKR code can affect your ability to obtain a new (business) loan, or, for example, the amount of the maximum mortgage you can get.

Even after you pay off a loan or debt in full, such a code remains for five years. So that means you can still be held back by past debt for five years.

Is a BKR code getting in the way of the progress of your life? If so, it may be worth exploring whether BKR code removal is possible in your case.

How does removing a BKR code work?

Code A explained

So a BKR code is a notation of a loan or credit you have taken out. There are different debts and loans that the BKR records.

Such a BKR registration in itself is usually not a problem. As long as you always pay your repayments neatly on time, we speak of a positive BKR code. (Incidentally, this too can affect the amount of mortgage you can get: after all, you already have monthly payment obligations that depress your monthly disposable income).

If there is a delay in loan repayment, an A code is added to the credit's record in your credit report. The A here stands for "arrears notification."

As mentioned above, even after catching up or paying off the loan, the code A remains for 5 years.

Furthermore, there are so-called "particularity codes" that provide more clarification about what is going on. So these are added to the A coding:

• A1 coding: After arrears occurred, a repayment or debt arrangement was made with the lender.
• A2 coding: claim is due.
• A3 coding: An amount of €250 or more has been written off on the debt. An end date is added to this coding when this write-off took place against final discharge and the debt was thus closed after it.
• A4 coding: When the borrower in question appears unreachable.
• A5 coding: This indicates that a preventive payment arrangement has been made, in fact, to prevent the actual creation of a debt. It is temporary in nature: after the payment arrangement is terminated, this coding is removed.
• H-coding: The H-code stands for "Recovery notification. An H-code therefore means that the arrears have been cleared the corresponding A-code will then change to an H-code. Read more about removing an H-coding here.