Dealing with debts from abroad
You may not know what to do about debts you took out in another country. In most cases, you still need to deal with them.
Can the people I owe chase me for debts in another country?
People you owe in other countries can take action to collect a debt, including:
Using a debt collection agency in the country you live in
Starting court action in the country you live in
This can be complicated
The process depends on which countries are involved
It is not always possible
Taking action in their country
For example against assets or bank accounts you hold in that country
The people you owe may not chase you for a debts in another country. But there is no guarantee.
They may be able to make you bankrupt in their country.
Bankruptcy is recognised across borders in most European countries
Other countries' court and insolvency services have agreements to cooperate internationally
This means you could be made bankrupt in another country
Assets or property you own in your home country could be at risk
What can I do about debts abroad?
How to deal with overseas debts depends on:
Your situation and
What money you have after paying essential living costs
You can usually keep making payments to debts abroad, either:
At the full amount, or
At a lower amount
Making the payments may be harder if:
1. You need to transfer money from your bank account.
This is done across borders using an IBAN transaction
There is usually a fee
Talk to your bank for more details
2. The country you are making payments to has sanctions on it
Bankruptcy may cover debts abroad depending on the countries involved.
Getting help with debts abroad
We can help if you have debts from another country.
But we can only advise you on UK law.
I live in the UK but I have debts from other countries
We can advise on the actions the people you owe can take.
We cannot advise on the actions creditors could take outside the UK.
I have some debts from the UK, but I live in a different country
We may be able to help you, but this depends on whether:
You lived in UK at some point in the last three years
All your debts are from the UK
Your pay goes into a UK bank account
You are living in another country temporarily
You plan to return to the UK in the next 12 months
We can advise you on the actions your creditors could take to collect debts within the UK, but not on the actions they can take in the country you’re now living.
I do not live in the UK, and none of my debts are from the UK
Contact an advice agency in the country you live in. Unfortunately we cannot recommend agencies outside the UK.