How Long Do Credit Enquiries Stay on Your Credit Report in Australia?

How long do credit enquiries stay on your credit report?

A credit enquiry can generally remain on your Australian credit report for five years.

An enquiry is usually recorded when you apply for credit and a credit provider accesses your credit report as part of assessing that application.

This can include applications for:

• home loans
• personal loans
• credit cards
• car finance
• business loans
• some Buy Now Pay Later products

Even if the application is unsuccessful — or you decide not to proceed — the enquiry may still remain on your report.

Does an enquiry disappear when the loan is paid off?

No.

The five-year period relates to the enquiry itself, not how long you keep the loan.

For example, if you applied for a personal loan in September 2026, the enquiry may remain visible until approximately September 2031, even if you repaid the loan much earlier.

Can you have too many credit enquiries?

Credit applications form part of the information contained in your credit report and can be considered when your creditworthiness is assessed.

That doesn't mean there is one magic number of enquiries that is automatically “too many”.

The circumstances matter.

Several applications made within a short period can tell a different story from a small number of applications spread over several years.

This is one reason it can be useful to check your credit report before making multiple applications for finance.

Can a credit enquiry be removed before five years?

A genuine and correctly recorded enquiry generally can't simply be removed because you would prefer it not to appear.

However, an enquiry may be worth investigating if:

• you don't recognise it
• you never made the application
• it appears to relate to the wrong person
• there appears to be an error in the information
• you believe the access to your credit information was not permitted

The important question is not simply whether an enquiry is affecting your file.

It is whether the information is accurate and correctly reported.

If you believe an enquiry on your credit report may be incorrect, you can request a correction yourself at no charge.

If you would prefer assistance reviewing the listing, you can also learn more about A OK Credit Repair's Credit Enquiry Removal and Correction service.

Sources

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — What stays on a credit report
• MoneySmart — Credit reports and credit repair