What happens when my IVA ends?
Finishing your IVA isn't a single moment — it's a short process that wraps up over a few weeks. Here's what to expect, what changes immediately, and what takes a little longer.
Free to use, no obligation — and a soft search won't affect your credit score.
Written by the AfterMy team · Reviewed by Ben Miller, Customer Success Manager
Last reviewed: June 2026
What happens when my IVA ends?
Finishing your IVA isn't a single moment — it's a short process that wraps up over a few weeks. Here's what to expect, what changes immediately, and what takes a little longer.
Free to use, no obligation — and a soft search won't affect your credit score.
Written by the AfterMy team · Reviewed by Ben Miller, Customer Success Manager
Last reviewed: June 2026
Quick answer
First, congratulations. When your IVA ends you get a Completion Certificate confirming your debts are settled and the restrictions are gone. Your name comes off the Insolvency Register within three months, and the marker stays on your credit file until six years from your IVA's start date. From that point, rebuilding is the job, and there is plenty you can do straight away.
On this page
Completion is a process, not a single day
It is natural to think your IVA ends the day you make your final payment. In practice, finishing is a short process that takes a few weeks. After your last payment, your insolvency practitioner (IP) reviews your case to confirm everything has been met, sometimes asking for recent payslips or bank statements as a final check. Once they are satisfied, they issue your Final Report and your Completion Certificate.
Key point
Until you are told your IVA has officially completed, it is still active, so keep paying as normal and reply to anything your IP asks for. Most people receive their Completion Certificate within about six to eight weeks of the final payment, though it can take longer if there is something outstanding to resolve.
Your Completion Certificate, and why it matters
The Completion Certificate is your proof that the IVA finished successfully and that the obligations you took on are now discharged. It often looks unremarkable, sometimes just a letter on plain paper, but it is an important document.
Key point
Keep it safe, and keep it for years, not months. If you ever need to prove the IVA completed, this is the document that does it, and replacements can be hard to get later, especially if your IVA firm no longer exists by then. It is sensible to save a digital copy too.
What happens to the Insolvency Register
While your IVA was active, your details appeared on the public Individual Insolvency Register. When you complete, your IP updates the register and your entry is marked as completed. It stays visible that way for three months, then it is removed entirely.
Key point
It is worth checking the register yourself a couple of weeks after completion to confirm it has updated, because your credit file will not be corrected until the register entry is right.
What happens to your credit file
This is the part most people misunderstand, so here it is plainly. Your IVA stays on your credit file for six years from the date it started, or until it completes if that is later, whichever comes last. Completing does not wipe it immediately. What changes is the marker: it switches from active to completed or satisfied, and the debts inside your IVA should show a zero balance.
- If you had a five-year IVA, the marker drops off about twelve months after you finish, because the six years runs from the start date.
- If your IVA ran six years or longer, the marker drops off at or shortly after completion.
- This should update automatically. If it has not after a few weeks, send a copy of your Completion Certificate to all three credit reference agencies — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — and ask them to correct it.
What you are free to do now
Once your IVA completes, the restrictions are gone. The £500 limit no longer applies, and you no longer need anyone's permission to apply for credit. If you receive a windfall after your certificate is issued, such as a bonus or a gift, it is yours to keep.
Key point
The honest picture: while the marker is still on your file, mainstream lenders will be cautious, and you may need specialist lenders for a while. That is normal, and it is temporary. The smart move now is to rebuild deliberately, starting with the products designed for exactly this point, so that when the marker drops off your file is already in good shape. That is what AfterMy is built for — what to do first, in what order, staged around your own dates.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get my Completion Certificate?
Does my credit score jump up the day my IVA completes?
When does the IVA disappear from my credit file?
Do I need to tell the credit reference agencies anything?
Can I get credit straight after my IVA ends?
Just finished, or nearly there?
This is the moment everything reopens. See your comeback, staged around your own dates.