Lenders check BKR, and count registered credit
Before you get a mortgage, the lender looks you up at BKR, the Dutch credit register: "Hypotheekaanbieders zijn wettelijk verplicht om uw kredietgegevens bij ons op te vragen als u een nieuwe hypotheek aanvraagt" (mortgage lenders are required by law to request your credit data when you apply for a new mortgage) (BKR, checked 5 Oct 2026).
Credit it finds there reduces how much you can borrow. The Dutch banks' and insurers' code of conduct for mortgages says that if you have a consumer credit, the lender counts "per maand ten minste 2% van de kredietlimiet bij doorlopend krediet" (at least 2% of the credit limit per month for revolving credit) as a financial charge (Gedragscode Hypothecaire Financieringen, article 4.5, checked 5 Oct 2026). On a credit card with a €5,000 limit that is €100 a month, whether or not you ever use the limit, and that monthly charge comes off the mortgage you can get.
The same article makes an exception: the charge does not count if you repay the credit from your own money and end the agreement no later than the day the mortgage is provided.
Which cards are registered
BKR registers a credit card with a credit limit above €250. A charge card, where the full bill is collected every month, is different: "De charge card wordt alleen bij BKR geregistreerd als u een achterstand krijgt door de incasso" (a charge card is only registered at BKR if you fall behind on the direct debit) (BKR, checked 5 Oct 2026).
Most credit cards sold in the Netherlands are charge cards. ICS stopped its instalment facility, which it called a revolving credit, on 1 October 2024 (ICS, checked 5 Oct 2026), and says a credit card "heeft in de meeste gevallen geen invloed op uw aanvraag van een hypotheek" (in most cases has no effect on your mortgage application) (ICS, checked 5 Oct 2026). See charge card or credit card for how they work, and the cards not registered at BKR, ranked on cost.
Two cases where a card does show up:
- A card with a real credit line you can repay over time, which is registered with its limit.
- Arrears. ICS must report an arrear of four months to BKR (ICS card terms, article 15.4, checked 5 Oct 2026). BKR keeps registrations visible for 5 years after the credit is repaid (BKR), and lenders may be more careful with someone who has had arrears.
Before you apply for a mortgage
- Check your own BKR record. It is free online at mijnkredietregistratie.nl. Our BKR guide explains how.
- Look for credit limits you do not use, including an overdraft on your current account or a phone paid off in instalments. Each registered limit counts.
- Close what you do not need, in time. Under the exception above, credit you repay and end by the day of the mortgage does not count.
- Pay any card bill in full and on time. A charge card only reaches BKR through arrears.
Each lender makes its own decision and may ask about other obligations too; a mortgage adviser can tell you how a specific lender treats your situation. This guide is about the credit card side only. For the cards themselves, see our credit card comparison, which shows each card's BKR status as the issuer states it.