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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on August 19, 2009:
U.S. credit report won’t transfer to the U.K.
Dear Experian,
I have a great credit history here in the United States, but I'm planning on moving to England. Would I need to build my credit history from scratch once I settle in the UK?
- AGA
Dear AGA,
I usually get this question when someone is moving into the United States, rather than out of the country. However, the answer is the same.
Credit reporting laws and systems differ from nation to nation, so your credit report from the United States cannot be transferred to the England, even though Experian has credit reporting businesses in both countries.
You will need to establish a new credit history in England after you move there.
One way to start may be to work with your existing lenders. If they have international operations, they may be able to transfer your U.S. account to their English operations and begin reporting the account history there at that point.
Once you have established a credit report there it should be easier to open additional local accounts to further build your history.
Unfortunately, there is no way currently to cross national borders and take your credit history with you when moving from the U.S. to another country or from another country to the U.S.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team