How long does bankruptcy stay on your credit file in NZ?

Two records, two clocks

People talk about “my bankruptcy record” as if it were one thing. It is at least two, held by different organisations, with their own rules.

1. The Insolvency Register. Run by the Insolvency and Trustee Service, a government body. It is public and free to search. Your entry is visible during the bankruptcy and for four years after you are discharged. If you have been insolvent more than once, the details stay on the register indefinitely.
2. Your credit file. Held by credit reporting agencies. It is not public. Lenders, and other organisations with a permitted purpose, can view it. For bankruptcy and No Asset Procedures, the Insolvency and Trustee Service says records are generally kept for four years after you are discharged.

The two can differ. A fact can be on one and missing from the other, or the dates may not line up, which is why checking both is worth the time.

What each bureau holds

Three agencies provide personal credit histories in New Zealand, according to the Insolvency and Trustee Service: Centrix, Equifax and Experian (formerly illion). They are separate companies. Each builds its file from the data it receives, so what one holds can differ from the others.

• Centrix. Offers a free copy of your Personal Credit Report through its website.
• Equifax. Runs the My Credit File service, where you can request your credit report and get alerts about changes. The Equifax rights document we link below says a single bankruptcy may be held for four years from the date of discharge, and multiple insolvencies indefinitely.
• Experian (formerly illion). Also provides a free copy of your credit history through its website.

Lenders are not tied to one bureau. Some check one, some another. If you only look at one report, you might miss something a lender can see.

How to check, step by step

1. Look yourself up on the Insolvency Register. It is free. Confirm your status reads Discharged, and write down the discharge date.
2. Request your report from each of the three bureaus. Use their own websites, not a third-party site that wants a fee.
3. Find the insolvency entry on each. Note the type (bankruptcy, No Asset Procedure or Debt Repayment Order), the date, and whether it shows as discharged.
4. Look for everything else. Defaults, late payments, and old enquiries can matter as much as the insolvency. A debt that was included in your bankruptcy should not still show as an active default. If it does, that is worth raising.
5. Compare the three. Make a short list of anything that differs or looks wrong.

The Insolvency and Trustee Service specifically advises checking that your file shows your discharge. After a Debt Repayment Order, it says your file should show how much you repaid creditors.

What to do if something is wrong

Typical problems include a bankruptcy still shown as current after discharge, a debt shown as unpaid when it was included in the bankruptcy, or a date that does not match the register.

• Contact the bureau that holds the error and ask for it to be corrected. Attach your discharge details from the register.
• The bureau must decide your request as soon as it can. If it needs more than 20 working days, it must tell you why.
• If the original lender supplied the wrong information, the bureau may need to ask that lender to check.
• If you are stuck, free help is available from budgeting and community law services.

Keep copies of everything you send and receive. This is also why checking before you apply is better than finding a mistake after a lender has already seen it.

Why the record matters less than what comes after it

A bankruptcy on your file tells a lender what happened. It does not tell them what you have done since, and that is the part you can change.

Lenders look at:

• Your discharge date, and how long ago it was.
• Your record since, meaning no new defaults or missed payments.
• Your income, and whether it covers the repayment after your usual costs.
• The loan itself, including the size, the term and the car.

Under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, lenders must check that a loan is affordable for you. A recent bankruptcy does not end that conversation, it adds a topic to it. See our credit score guide for how scores and reports relate.

Example: reading your own timeline (illustrative only)

Suppose you were discharged on 1 March 2025. These dates are made up to show the method.

• Insolvency Register: your details are visible until about 1 March 2029.
• Credit file: the record is generally held for around four years after discharge, so until about the same time. The exact date on your own file is the one that counts.
• Between now and then: a lender checking today sees a discharged bankruptcy that is a little over a year and a half old, alongside whatever you have done since.

If a bureau shows a different date from the register, that is a reason to ask it why.

Mistakes that cost people

• Looking at only one bureau. A lender may use a different one.
• Paying a site for your report. The bureaus offer free copies.
• Applying everywhere first, checking later. Each hard check is recorded. See how applying affects your credit.
• Assuming the record has gone. Check, do not guess.
• Hiding it. A lender can see the register. Honesty reads better than a surprise.

Checklist before you apply

• Register status shows Discharged, date noted
• Reports requested from Centrix, Equifax and Experian (formerly illion)
• Any errors raised with the bureau, in writing
• Two or three months of recent payslips or bank statements
• A short plain note on what changed since the bankruptcy
• A repayment figure worked out in the calculator

Questions that come up alongside this one

How long before a debt is written off in New Zealand? Consumer Protection says lenders generally have six years to recover an overdue debt. The clock starts from when you fell behind, or from a written acknowledgement of the debt or a part-payment, which can restart it. A debt that is time-barred is not the same as one that has dropped off your credit file, and neither removes a bankruptcy from the Insolvency Register.

How often should I check my credit report? Sorted suggests at least once a year, and a few months before you apply for a loan so there is time to fix errors. You can get a free copy from each of the three agencies, and Sorted names them as Centrix, Equifax and Experian (formerly illion).

Can I travel overseas while bankrupt? You need the Official Assignee’s approval before you leave the country. Ask before you make any bookings. You can return to New Zealand at any time, but leaving again needs permission.

How Fair Finance helps

We are a referral service, not a lender. You give your details once, we run one soft credit check that does not affect your score, and we refer you to lenders on our panel who consider discharged applicants. We only help people who have been discharged or whose No Asset Procedure has ended. See the eligibility check or how it works.

General information only. Retention periods and bureau practices can change, so rely on the dates on your own reports.

Sources

• Insolvency and Trustee Service: How insolvency affects you
• Insolvency and Trustee Service: Life after insolvency
• Consumer Protection: Bankruptcy and insolvency
• Centrix
• Equifax: Your rights explained (credit file retention)
• MoneyTalks
• Consumer Protection: Payment problems
• Sorted: Credit reports
• Insolvency and Trustee Service: How bankruptcy works