Your Credit Responsibilities Map contains all the information related to loans in your name (or for which you are a guarantor), as well as the monthly installment amounts and outstanding debt.
Financial institutions use this information to decide whether to grant you credit, calculating your effort rate and assessing your credit behavior. Therefore, it is important for you to know what your Credit Responsibilities Map contains and how to interpret it.
Where and how to obtain your Credit Responsibilities Map?
You can obtain your Credit Responsibilities Map directly from the Banco de Portugal website:
- Go to the website and read the terms of access to the Credit Responsibilities Center (CRC) and accept them in the corresponding section;
- Select the date for which you want the information (by default, the current month is selected, but you can request information for previous months, up to a maximum of 5 years);
- Click on “Authenticate and obtain map”;
- Authenticate yourself using your Portal das Finanças login credentials and authorize the communication of your name and taxpayer number to Banco de Portugal;
- Return to the previous page and click on “Obtain map”;
- The file will be immediately downloaded in PDF format to your computer. You can then open or save your Credit Responsibilities Map.
Where does the information in the Credit Responsibilities Map come from?
The information in your Credit Responsibilities Map comes from the Credit Responsibilities Center (CRC), a database managed by Banco de Portugal, containing data reported monthly by financial institutions regarding loans exceeding €50 granted to their clients.
What information does it contain?
Your map includes information about all your actual and potential loans:
- Actual loans: Loans that are currently active and being repaid.
- Potential loans: Credit limits on credit cards, guarantees, and loans where you are a guarantor.
What are actual loans?
Actual loans refer to funds that have already been used and are being repaid, such as:
- Mortgage loans
- Personal loans
- Loans for purchasing securities
- Overdrafts on bank accounts
- Discounted bills
- Leasing and factoring transactions
- Amounts used from credit cards
What information is included about actual loans?
For each financial institution, the following details are included:
- Type of loan
- Monthly installment
- Outstanding debt amount
- Loan status (regular or in default)
What are potential loans?
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Potential credit responsibilities refer to amounts available but not yet used, as well as guarantees given as a guarantor or endorser, including:
- Unused credit card limits
- Approved but unused credit lines
- Guarantees provided
- Guarantor commitments
- Endorsements (avales)
What information is included about potential loans?
For potential loans, the map shows the maximum available amount.
For example:
- If you have a credit card with a €1,000 limit and a €200 balance, the potential credit amount will be €800.
If you are a guarantor or endorser for a loan, the total loan amount is listed as potential credit responsibility. If the borrower defaults, this debt becomes your actual responsibility, meaning you must repay it.
How to interpret the Credit Responsibilities Map?
There are two sections in the map:
- Detailed Credit Responsibilities Map (footer labeled “informação detalhada”)
- Aggregated Credit Responsibilities Map (footer labeled “Quadro Síntese”)
Detailed Credit Responsibilities Map
It organizes your financial responsibilities by credit institution and loan type, displaying key details:
- Type of Responsibility – Are you the borrower, guarantor, or endorser?
- Financial Product – Mortgage, personal loan, car loan, credit card, leasing, etc.
- Negotiation Type – Is it a new loan, renegotiated loan (at your request), or renegotiated due to default?
- Legal Dispute – Indicates if the loan is involved in a legal process.
- Start and End Dates – Loan origination date and end date.
- Number of Borrowers – If the loan has multiple borrowers, only your portion is displayed.
- Total Outstanding Debt – The remaining amount to be repaid, including overdue payments.
- Overdue Amount – The portion of the loan that is past due:
- Outstanding balance – The overdue payments expected to be settled.
- Written-off debt – The overdue amount that the bank considers unlikely to recover.
- Potential Amount – The unused portion of your credit limits.
- Installment and Frequency – Your repayment amount and its frequency (e.g., monthly).
- Guarantees – Any guarantees associated with the loan.
Aggregated Credit Responsibilities Map | Summary Table
This section summarizes your credit responsibilities, distinguishing between:
- Loans where you are the borrower.
- Loans where you are the guarantor or endorser.
It provides key figures such as:
- Total outstanding debt
- Overdue debt
- Potential credit limits
- Number of loans with guarantees
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can access your Credit Responsibilities Map?
Only you and any financial institutions to whom you grant access.
Do banks see all your detailed information?
No. Financial institutions only receive aggregated data, meaning they won’t see which banks you owe money to or where you have defaults. However, they will know how many banks you have credit with and how many have reported defaults.
When did I authorize my bank to access my Credit Responsibilities Map?
- When you open a bank account, the bank usually requests authorization to access the CRC.
- If you apply for a loan, the bank will require access to evaluate your financial status.
- If you deny access, your credit application will be automatically rejected.
Can my bank see my loans with other banks?
Yes. Banks report client loans to Banco de Portugal and, in return, receive information about your total financial commitments with other banks.
If I default on a loan, will other banks find out?
Yes. Banks report loan data to Banco de Portugal every month, including defaults. If you default, your name will be listed in the “Banco de Portugal Blacklist” (Lista Negra do Banco de Portugal).
Important: This information remains in the CRC for 5 years. If you have defaulted during this period, it may impact your ability to get new credit or result in higher interest rates.
Will a paid-off loan be removed from my map?
Yes. Once a loan is fully repaid, it disappears from your Credit Responsibilities Map as soon as the bank stops reporting it.
I missed a payment but later paid it off. Will it still be recorded?
Yes. Missed payments are reported to Banco de Portugal and remain in your records for 5 years, even after you settle the debt.
Does renegotiating a loan affect future credit applications?
- If it was a regular renegotiation (e.g., lower interest rates), there is no negative impact.
- If it was due to default, banks may consider it a risk factor, which could affect future credit approvals.
