Most people who ask us to check their status expect to hear nothing much. Nearly half of them are wrong. Of the last 524 people who ran a check against the National Credit Regulator's register, 44.1% turned out to be actively listed under debt review, and most had no idea.
What You Get
The full check produces a personal credit and debt options report. It shows what you owe, what you are contractually expected to pay each month, what you actually have available after living expenses, and whether a debt review is running in your name. Here is a sample, using fictional figures.
Sample report with fictional data, for illustration.
Two ways to run it
Full report. Your credit record, affordability assessment and NCR debt review status. You need your ID number, your monthly income and your monthly expenses. About two minutes.
Status check only. Just the NCR register answer: are you listed, under which status code, and with which counsellor. You need only your ID number. A few seconds.
Why Not Just Look at Your Credit Report?
You can, and you should claim your free bureau reports anyway. But a credit report is not a reliable source for this particular question. The debt review indicator on a bureau profile is set and cleared based on updates filed by debt counsellors and payment distribution agencies, so it depends on other people reporting accurately and on time.
We know how badly that can drift because we tested it. Building our monthly financial pressure index, we compared the bureau debt review field against the NCR register for the same people. The bureau field said "under debt review" for everybody. The register put the real figure at 44.1%. The two disagreed on 152 of 336 matched cases. The register is the legal record, so that is what we check.
The full explanation is in our guide to what your credit report will not tell you, and if you would rather check on your own, all three free ways to check your status are set out there.
What the NCR Status Codes Mean
A register listing carries a status code, and the code decides what you should do next. Being on the register does not automatically mean a debt review is running. Some codes mean the opposite. The table below is a working guide to how these codes are commonly applied. We confirm the exact meaning of your own code when we run your check, because the difference between "active" and "resolved" changes what you need to do.
| Code | What it means | Still under debt review? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Application received, under assessment | Active |
| B | Application rejected, not over-indebted | Resolved |
| C | Over-indebted, debt review active | Active |
| D3 | Court application submitted | Active |
| D4 | Court order granted | Active |
| F1 | Clearance issued, home loan outstanding | Resolved |
| F2 | Clearance certificate issued | Resolved |
| G | Court rescission, debt review removed | Resolved |
| G1 | Confirmed not over-indebted | Resolved |
| H | Debt counsellor withdrawal (does not remove you) | Active |
The one that catches people
Code H means your debt counsellor withdrew from your matter. It does not remove you from debt review. Once you have been accepted into the process, only a court order or a clearance certificate ends it. People with a code H listing often believe they are out and find out otherwise when credit is declined.
What Happens After the Check
It depends entirely on what comes back, which is the point of checking rather than guessing.
If nothing is listed and your affordability looks fine, you have your answer and you owe us nothing. If your restructured debts are settled but a listing remains, you need a clearance certificate. If a review is active but your file has gone quiet, you can transfer to a counsellor who will work it. If you were never lawfully placed under review, the listing can be disputed, and our guide to removing debt review covers each route and what it costs. And if the numbers show you genuinely cannot afford your instalments, debt review is the process built for that.
Checking You Can Trust
Debt review attracts scams, so verify anyone who offers to check or clear your status. Every legitimate debt counsellor in South Africa holds an NCRDC number issued by the National Credit Regulator. Ours is NCRDC2423, held by Rowan Breeds, and you can confirm it yourself on the NCR register of registrants before you share anything. Nobody legitimate charges you to find out your status, and nobody legitimate promises to make a listing disappear. If you want the warning signs in full, read how to spot a debt review scam.
Your information is handled under POPIA and used to run your check and prepare your report. Aggregate, anonymised figures feed our monthly index. Your name and ID number never appear in anything we publish.
Related Guides
If you would rather read before you check, these cover the ground in detail.
- Three free ways to check your debt review status — including how to do it yourself through the bureaus or the NCR.
- What your credit report will not tell you — why the bureau flag and the register disagree.
- How to claim all four free bureau credit reports — your annual entitlement under the National Credit Act.
- Paid up but still listed under debt review — what to do when the debts are settled and the flag remains.
- The three legal routes out of debt review — clearance certificate, court rescission, or bureau dispute.
- How the clearance certificate works — the document that formally ends debt review.
- The South African Financial Pressure Index — the monthly research these checks feed into.
Reviewed by a registered debt counsellor, NCRDC2423. Statistics from the SAFPI baseline report, August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my debt review status for free?
Give an NCR-registered debt counsellor your ID number and they can query the National Credit Regulator's debt review register on your behalf. At Debt Solutions 4U (NCRDC2423) this is free and takes a few seconds on chat. You can also request your free annual credit report from TransUnion, Experian, Compuscan or XDS and look for a debt review indicator, or phone the NCR on 0860 627 627.
What do I need for the free check?
For a status check, only your South African ID number. For the full credit and debt options report you also need your net monthly income and a rough figure for your monthly living expenses. That is what lets us calculate whether your instalments actually fit your income. The whole thing takes about two minutes.
What does the report show me?
Your total debt and number of active accounts, your monthly instalments, any judgments, arrears or handed-over accounts, a financial health score, and an affordability assessment showing what you have available for debt versus what creditors expect. It also states plainly whether there is an active debt review listing on the NCR register in your name, and sets out which options apply to your situation.
Does a credit report show if I am under debt review?
Not reliably. Credit bureaus carry a debt review indicator, but it is set and cleared based on updates filed by debt counsellors and payment distribution agencies, so it drifts out of date. The NCR register is the legal record. When we tested the bureau field against the register on our own checks, the two disagreed on 152 of 336 matched cases, which is why we always report status from the register.
Will checking my status affect my credit score?
No. Checking your own record is a soft enquiry and does not affect your credit score. Only hard enquiries, which happen when you apply for credit and a provider checks your profile, can lower it. You can check your own status as often as you like without any consequence.
Am I signing up for debt review by running the check?
No. The check tells you where you stand and what your options are. Plenty of people run it, find nothing wrong, and carry on with their lives. If the check does show something, we will tell you honestly what applies, including when debt review is not the right answer for your situation.
