IVA
After an IVA
You've completed your IVA. That took real discipline. Here's how to rebuild, what lenders look at, and how to reduce the chance of a decline.
Free to use, no obligation. The plan itself won't affect your credit score. It is not advice, and acceptance is never guaranteed.
Written and reviewed by the AfterMy team · Last reviewed October 2026
What changes
What changes the day your IVA completes
The day your IVA is marked complete, a few things change quietly but importantly:
- Your IVA is recorded as completed. Lenders can see it's finished, not active.
- The IVA's restriction on new borrowing ends. Lenders make their own decisions, looking at your credit file, your on-time history and what you can afford.
- Your credit file starts recovering as you add positive, on-time history.
- The IVA marker itself stays on your file for six years from the start date, or until completion if that is later, then drops off completely.
Myths
Common myths about life after an IVA
There's a lot of out-of-date advice out there. Here's what's actually true:
- You might have heard
You have to wait six years before you can get any credit.
What's actually trueYou can apply. Some lenders consider people who have completed an IVA. Each sets its own criteria, and acceptance is never guaranteed. The six years is about when the marker drops off, not when you can apply.
- You might have heard
An IVA ruins your credit file forever.
What's actually trueIt's temporary. The marker drops off six years from the start of your IVA, or at completion if that is later, and lenders also look at the positive history you build.
- You might have heard
No mainstream lender will ever touch you.
What's actually trueSome specialist lenders consider people with a completed IVA. Each lender sets its own criteria.
Finished your IVA? Your Comeback Plan maps your dates and shows options from our panel you may be able to apply for.
Start your Comeback PlanGuides
Your next steps after an IVA
Rebuilding credit after an IVA
The foundations that get your file healthy again.
Credit cards after an IVA
Which builder-card lenders consider a completed IVA.
Mortgages after an IVA
What mortgage lenders look for, and the specialist lenders who consider a completed IVA.
Loans after an IVA
What personal loan lenders look for after an IVA.
When does an IVA leave your credit file?
The six-year rule, and when the IVA marker drops off your file.
Credit-builder apps after an IVA
Whether a credit-builder app is still worth using after an IVA.
How long after an IVA can I get credit?
How lenders see a completed IVA, and where to start.
Remortgaging after an IVA
Remortgaging after an IVA is a new application judged on your current file. What lenders weigh up, and why a specialist broker matters.
Your IVA and the Individual Insolvency Register
Your IVA is listed on the Individual Insolvency Register while it runs. When the entry is deleted, who can see it, and why that is not your credit file.
How long does an IVA last?
An IVA runs to the term set in your own proposal, and yours can run longer. What sets the length, what extends it, and why the credit file clock differs.
Windfalls after your IVA completes
Inherited money or had a lump sum land after your IVA finished? What the windfall clause covers, when it stops applying, and what to check first.
Checking your credit reports after completion: all three agencies, free
How to check your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion reports after your IVA, what to look for, and how to get mistakes fixed.
Your IVA completion certificate: what it is, when it arrives, how to chase it
What your IVA completion certificate is, when it usually arrives, and how to chase it if it has not turned up after your final payment.
What actually happens to your credit score when your IVA completes
Does an IVA affect your credit score after it completes? What happens to your score and credit file when your IVA ends, and the steps that help it improve.
Before you apply
Will I actually be accepted?
Check before you apply
A full application is a hard search, and a run of hard searches can set your progress back. Your Comeback Plan shows options where you're more likely to fit; lenders make their own decisions.
Mistakes to avoid after an IVA
- Applying to several lenders at once: space applications out; each hard search adds up.
- Applying where you'll likely be declined: check eligibility first.
- Taking the first thing offered: the right product for you beats the fastest one.
- Ignoring your credit file: check it's accurate and that the IVA is correctly marked as completed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a credit card after an IVA?
You can apply. Some lenders consider people who have completed an IVA. Each sets its own criteria, and acceptance is never guaranteed. Builder cards usually start with a low limit, and checking your eligibility first helps you avoid declines.
How long after an IVA until the marker leaves my credit file?
The IVA marker stays on your file for six years from the date your IVA started, or your completion date if it ran longer. After that it drops off completely. You don't have to wait for that date to start rebuilding.
Will an IVA still show on my credit file after it's completed?
It's updated to show as completed (sometimes shown as satisfied), and then removed entirely six years from the start date, or at completion if that is later. It does not stay on your file indefinitely.
Can I get a mortgage after an IVA?
Some specialist lenders consider applicants after an IVA. A regulated mortgage broker can tell you what applies to you.
Will applying for credit hurt my score after an IVA?
A full application is a hard search and does leave a footprint.
What's the first thing I should do after my IVA completes?
Check your credit file is accurate and shows the IVA as completed, and make sure you're on the electoral roll. Then pay everything on time: that record is what lenders look at. Your Comeback Plan maps your dates and shows options from our panel you may be able to apply for.
Ready when you are
Your Comeback Plan maps your dates and shows options from our panel you may be able to apply for.
Start your Comeback PlanFree to use, no obligation. The plan itself won't affect your credit score.