Month 1
Time
Minutes (paid) – up to 2 weeks (free)
Cost
Free (annual) or €30 (instant)
Difficulty
Easy
What to bring
Passport / ID
A German address
Not needed: A long German credit history, newcomers simply show a thin file
Your options
SCHUFA free annual report (Datenkopie)
Your legal free copy
Free, once a year
Request the "Datenkopie nach Art. 15 DSGVO" on schufa.de. Free, but takes days to weeks by post, order early.
meineSCHUFA / instant certificate
Same-day landlord-ready score
~€30 one-off
A polished, instant certificate landlords like. Worth it if you're applying this week and can't wait for the free copy.
Bank-partner SCHUFA (e.g. via bonify)
Free digital score check
Free
Some apps surface a free SCHUFA score. Handy to see where you stand, though landlords usually want the formal document.
Prices checked June 2026
Do it
- 1
Request the free Datenkopie early
Order it on schufa.de as soon as you have an address, it can take up to two weeks, so don't leave it to the day you find a flat.
- 2
Pay for the instant version if you're in a hurry
The ~€30 certificate is generated immediately and formatted the way landlords expect.
- 3
Add it to your application PDF
Bundle the SCHUFA with your ID, payslips and Anmeldung into one file for viewings.
- 4
Keep it current
A report older than a few months looks stale. Refresh it if your search drags on.
Words you'll hear
SCHUFASHOO-fa
Germany's credit-score agency. Landlords routinely ask for a SCHUFA report before handing over a flat.
Common questions
I just arrived, will I even have a SCHUFA score?
You'll have a thin or neutral file at first, which is normal. A clean (empty) record is fine; landlords mainly want to see no negative entries.
Does checking my own SCHUFA hurt my score?
No. Requesting your own Datenkopie is a soft, score-neutral enquiry, only certain lender checks affect the score.
Full checklist tracking and task completion live in the Settli app for Berlin.