Press room

Central Credit Register

• What is the Banco de España Central Credit Register? (CIRBE)

  The Central Credit Register (CIR from its initials in Spanish) is a public database management service where virtually all the loans, credits, bank endorsements and risks in general that financial institutions have with their customers are recorded.

  Banco de España has been managing this Central Credit Register since 1962. The primary aim is to provide reporting institutions (principally credit institutions) with the information needed to better analyse their credit risks. CIRBE also allows Banco de España to obtain global data about the credits granted by institutions, enabling it to properly exercise its banking supervisory competences.

  By the end of 2010, 32 million direct and indirect risks (coming from guarantees for direct risks) had been reported to the CIRBE, totalling an amount of €3.8 trillion and involving 17.1 million customers. 94% of these were individuals resident in Spain.

• Who has access to this information?

  Any declared customer may request information from the CIRBE. In order to do so, they must identify themselves in a verifiable manner at any branch of Banco de España or by writing to "Central de Información de Riesgos del Banco de España", Calle Alcalá 48, 28014 MADRID. Individuals must attach a photocopy of both sides of their National ID card. As for legal entities, as well as the photocopy of their Tax Identification Certificate and the personal details (name, VAT identification number and position) of the signatory, who must be duly empowered, they must include the relevant details of these powers of attorney: date, Notary and protocol number.

  Requests for reports from the CIRBE can also be made electronically through Banco de España's Oficina Virtual.

  All institutions reporting to the CIRBE can also access the aggregate information about all the risks in the system from declared customers, and from other customers so long as they have expressly authorised this access.

• What is the minimum amount for a risk to be recorded in the CIRBE?

  Direct risks with resident customers of an amount equal to or higher than €6,000 for total business in Spain, or €60,000 in any other country, are generally considered reportable. For non-residents, it is mandatory to report any amount above €300,000.