Art. 8a para. 4 SchKG
How long does a debt-enforcement proceeding stay on the register?
Updated on 1 September 2026
In brief
By default, a debt-enforcement proceeding stays visible for five years after the proceeding closes, then disappears automatically from the register. This period runs from the end of the proceeding, not from the payment order. But if the debt is paid or unjustified, you can often have it withdrawn or made invisible much sooner.
By default, a debt-enforcement proceeding stays visible for five years after the proceeding closes, then disappears automatically. But depending on your situation, it is often possible to have it withdrawn or made invisible much sooner, without waiting out that period.
The five-year rule
A debt-enforcement proceeding stops being disclosed to third parties five years after the proceeding closes. This period runs from the end of the proceeding, not from the service of the payment order.
How to move faster
If the debt is paid or unjustified, you do not have to wait: a request to the creditor to withdraw, or a non-disclosure request to the office, can often clean your extract well before the five years are up.
Wait or act
Waiting only makes sense if no faster route applies to your case. A free assessment lets you find out in a few minutes whether a quicker option is open to you.
After five years: what exactly happens
The disappearance is automatic: no request to file, no fee. Five years after the proceeding closes, the office simply stops disclosing the entry to third parties (Art. 8a para. 4 SchKG) — a landlord or employer ordering an extract no longer sees it. The record is not physically destroyed, though: authorities with a legitimate interest can still access it. And with several entries, each runs on its own clock: the period runs separately for each proceeding from its own closure — a new entry does not reset the old ones.
- 1Identify the date the proceeding closed: the five-year period runs from there.
- 2Check whether the debt is paid or unjustified: a faster route may apply.
- 3Where appropriate, start a withdrawal or a non-disclosure rather than waiting.
Does the period run from the payment order?
No, it runs from the closure of the debt-enforcement proceeding.
Can I erase a debt-enforcement proceeding before five years?
Often yes, through withdrawal by the creditor or non-disclosure, depending on your situation.
Does the entry disappear automatically, with no steps?
Yes. Five years after closure, the office stops disclosing it to third parties on its own — no request, no fee (Art. 8a para. 4 SchKG).
I have several entries: does the period run for each one?
Yes, separately: each entry disappears five years after its own proceeding closes. A new entry does not extend the old ones.