True story. We had a client, everything in order. Good salary. Permanent residency. 25% down payment ready to go. The bank approved her income, loved the property, and then paused. The underwriter flagged something in SOLUS: an outstanding debt of 380 CZK from a mobile operator she'd switched away from two years earlier.
380 CZK. That's roughly the price of two cappuccinos at a Prague café. And it nearly cost her a 5,500,000 CZK mortgage.
We sorted it out (she paid the bill immediately, the operator updated SOLUS, the bank resumed the process), but it added three weeks to the timeline and a considerable amount of stress. She had no idea the debt existed. The operator had sent letters to an address she'd moved away from. This happens more often than you'd think.
So here's everything I wish more expats knew about Czech credit registers before they apply for anything.
The Three Databases
BRKI (Bankovní registr klientských informací) is the bank register. It tracks every relationship you've had with a Czech bank: loans, credit cards, overdrafts, mortgages. It records whether you paid on time, were late, or defaulted. Positive and negative history. Data stays for the duration of your credit product and 4 years after you pay it off.
NRKI (Nebankovní registr klientských informací) is the same concept but for non-bank lenders: leasing companies, consumer finance, buy-now-pay-later providers. If you've leased a car, bought a phone on installments, or used any non-bank credit product, it's in here.
SOLUS is the troublemaker for expats. Unlike BRKI and NRKI, which track all credit activity (positive and negative), SOLUS specifically records overdue debts from its member organizations: mobile operators (T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone), energy companies (ČEZ, innogy), insurance companies, and some banks. SOLUS is where the 380 CZK phone bills hide.
Why "No History" Is Not "Good History"
This is the part that surprises most expats. In countries like the US or UK, you build a credit score over time, and a good score helps you borrow. Czech Republic doesn't have a score system in the same way. But banks still look at your registers, and what they want to see is evidence that you've borrowed responsibly and repaid on time.
A Czech citizen who's been banking here for 15 years has pages of history. They've had phone contracts, utility accounts, maybe a car loan, maybe a credit card. All of it shows a pattern of reliable behavior. When they apply for a mortgage, the bank sees a familiar, predictable borrower.
You arrived three years ago. Your registers show a bank account and... maybe a phone contract. That's it. The bank doesn't see a reliable borrower. They see a question mark. And question marks don't get the best mortgage rates.
The Expat's Top 5 SOLUS Surprises
From years of helping clients with mortgage applications, these are the most common unexpected register entries we find:
1. Old phone contracts. You switched from O2 to T-Mobile. But your O2 contract had one remaining payment, or the operator charged you a device installment you didn't realize was outstanding. They reported it. You never knew because the notification went to your old address.
2. Utility final settlements. You moved apartments. The energy company calculated a final settlement (vyúčtování). You thought your landlord handled it. Nobody did. It sat unpaid until the utility company reported it to SOLUS.
3. Gym memberships. You signed up for a 12-month contract, then decided after 4 months that you prefer running in Stromovka. You stopped the direct debit but didn't formally cancel the contract. The gym kept charging, you kept not paying, and eventually they reported it.
4. Insurance autopay failures. Your bank card expired. The insurance company's automatic deduction failed. They sent a letter (in Czech) to your old address. Three months of unpaid premiums later, you're in SOLUS.
5. Overpaid deposits. Less common, but it happens: a utility company owes you money after a final settlement, but instead of paying you, they record a zero balance. Meanwhile, a separate outstanding charge from the same account gets reported. The net amount might be in your favor, but SOLUS only sees the unpaid charge.
How to Check Your Own Reports
You can and should check your registers yourself. Here's how:
BRKI + NRKI (joint report): Go to kolikmam.cz. Register, verify your identity with a passport or Czech residency permit, and order an online report. Costs a few hundred CZK. You'll see every bank and non-bank credit product in your name, repayment status, and any negative marks.
SOLUS: Go to solus.cz and request a statement. Available via electronic form, paper form, or SMS. Costs approximately 125-449 CZK depending on format. Shows whether any SOLUS member has reported an overdue debt in your name.
Do this 6-12 months before applying for a mortgage. Finding a problem the day you apply is too late. Finding it a year early gives you time to pay it off, dispute errors, and build positive history.
How to Fix Problems
If you find a legitimate unpaid debt: pay it immediately and ask the company for written confirmation that the debt is settled. Then ask them to update the register entry. SOLUS entries can be removed once the debt is resolved, though it may take a few weeks.
If the entry is wrong (you paid it but it still shows, or it belongs to someone else, or the amount is incorrect): contact the company that reported it directly and request a correction. If they refuse, you can file a formal dispute with the register operator through kolikmam.cz. They're required to investigate and respond within 30 days.
If you're unsure whether an old entry matters for your mortgage application, ask us. We review clients' register reports as part of our mortgage preparation process. Sometimes a historical entry looks worse than it is, and we can explain the context to the bank. Other times, a small fix makes the whole thing disappear.
For the complete mortgage process including documents, bank selection, and current rules, read our complete mortgage guide for expats.
Take the next step
Planning to apply for a mortgage in the next year?
We'll review your credit register reports and flag any issues before they become problems. It's part of our standard mortgage preparation process.
Let's TalkAbout the author: Nicolas Griss moved from Montreal to Prague in 2011 and co-founded Profi Expats in 2017. The 380 CZK story is real. Names are withheld for obvious reasons.