Verlustschein

Also called: certificate of loss

If a seizure does not cover the debt, the creditor receives a certificate of loss for the rest, and you receive a copy. You owe no interest on that amount (SchKG, Art. 149).

The claim becomes time-barred 20 years after the certificate is issued. You can pay it off at any time at the office that issued it, and the entry is then deleted from the register (SchKG, Art. 149a).

What it means for your loan

A certificate of loss can show on your debt collection extract. Paying it off at the office that issued it removes the entry (SchKG, Art. 149a).

Explained in full

  • Missed a loan payment

    What happens in Switzerland after a missed loan payment, from late interest to the IKO report and debt collection, what to do now and where to get help.

More on this

Sources

  1. Bundesgesetz über Schuldbetreibung und Konkurs (SchKG), SR 281.1, as in force on 1 January 2026, Art. 69, 74, 75, 88, 93, 149 and 149aSwiss Confederation, Fedlex, read on

All terms in the glossary

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