# What happens to bad credit when you move out of the country?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-bad-credit-when-you-move-out-of-the-country/108332>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 10, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-bad-credit-when-you-move-out-of-the-country/108332 "2002-05-10T18:28:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![OfBlinkingThings](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ebca7d/32.png) [@OfBlinkingThings](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OfBlinkingThings)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-bad-credit-when-you-move-out-of-the-country/108332/1 "2002-05-10T18:28:52Z")

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What happens to bad credit when you move out of the country, and what happens if you come back to the U.S a few years later? This is important for me to know because I just got my first credit card in the mail!!!

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-bad-credit-when-you-move-out-of-the-country/108332/2 "2002-05-10T18:41:33Z")

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Nothing happens to it; if anyone, inside the country or out of it, asks the credit bureau about your credit, they’ll get an answer. If abuse of credit is reported, whether from inside or outside the country, it is included in the record. When you come back, it’ll still be there; it usually takes 10 years for these things to go away.

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**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-bad-credit-when-you-move-out-of-the-country/108332/3 "2002-05-10T18:44:25Z")

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Nothing happens to it. Do you want to know if it “disappears” when you leave the country? No, it does not. Obviously if a collection agency can’t locate you then they can’t press you for payment, but the debt doesn’t go away. If you return to the U.S., as long as you never get a job, rent or buy a residence in your name, use your SSN, get a phone in your name, try for another credit card, buy a house or car or get any type of loan, sign up for any utility services, etc., you will probably be scot-free. Otherwise, a skip-tracer will likely locate you and collection proceedings will start.

But it would be a lot easier to just pay the money that you owe.