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The short answer
Equifax UK gives you your statutory credit report free for life: you view, download or print it as a PDF through a free Equifax Basic account, or apply by post to Equifax Ltd, Customer Service Centre, PO Box 10036, Leicester LE3 4FS. Equifax says a postal report is sent as soon as possible and within a calendar month. It shows your credit accounts, addresses, electoral roll entry, public records and searches.
Equifax is one of the three UK credit reference agencies, alongside Experian and TransUnion. Its paid products are prominent on its website, which leads many people to think they have to subscribe. They do not. UK data protection law gives you the right to a free copy of your information, and Equifax offers it in two ways.
Option 1: online, through Equifax Basic
Equifax's statutory report page says you can view, download and print your report as a PDF online by creating a free Equifax Basic account, and that the report is free for life.
- Go to the statutory report page on Equifax's own website (equifax.co.uk) and choose the free statutory option, not a trial.
- Create the Equifax Basic account with your name, date of birth and addresses.
- Answer the identity questions. For a newcomer with a thin UK file these can be harder, because there is less history to ask about.
- Open and download the PDF and keep a dated copy.
On the same site you will see paid plans. As at October 2026 Equifax's page showed a Credit Report & Score product at 30 days free then £14.95 a month, and a Family & Friends plan at 30 days free then £22.95 a month. Neither is needed for the statutory report. If you start a trial by accident, note the date and cancel before it ends.
Option 2: by post
If online identity checks fail, or you prefer paper, Equifax provides a postal form. Send it to:
Equifax says it will post the report as soon as possible and no later than a calendar month. The ICO's guidance on credit gives the same postal address and the phone number 0800 014 2955.
What to include
The ICO recommends giving your full name and any other names used in the last six years, your current address and postcode, other addresses in the last six years, and your date of birth. If you have recently arrived, give your UK addresses since arrival; Equifax holds UK data, not your Nigerian address history.
If Equifax cannot verify you
Online identity questions rely on data already held about you. With a few weeks of UK history there may be too little to ask about, and the check can fail. That does not remove your right to the report. The ICO says the request can be made verbally or in writing, and that the agency has one month to respond, which it can extend by up to two further months if it tells you within the first month. The postal route above is the reliable fallback. Include a copy of your passport photo page and something showing your UK address if the form asks for proof of identity, and keep a copy of what you sent and the date you posted it.
How often to check
There is no limit on how often you can look. Experian's guide to searches lists checking your own report as a soft search that only you can see, and the same principle applies across agencies: looking at your own file does not harm it. A sensible rhythm for a newcomer is every few months in the first year, and before any significant application.
What the report shows
According to the ICO, a credit file typically includes:
- credit and utility accounts and how you have paid them;
- your current and previous addresses;
- electoral register information;
- county court judgments and insolvency records;
- searches made by lenders and others.
In your first months it may show almost nothing. Equifax's guide for people moving to the UK says you arrive with no UK report or an empty one, and that your home-country history does not transfer. An empty file is not a bad file; it is a starting point.
What to look for
- Your name and date of birth, exactly as on your passport.
- Your address, spelt correctly with the right postcode.
- Electoral roll, if you are registered; see how long it takes to show.
- Accounts you do not recognise, which can mean a data error or fraud.
- Searches you did not make.
If something is wrong, the ICO says to raise it with Equifax and with the lender that supplied the information; our guide to fixing an error on a UK credit report walks through it. Remember Equifax is only one of three files; see which agency lenders use.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme's records do not appear on your UK Equifax file. If a UK landlord or lender asks for evidence of how you manage money beyond the UK, a Pryme Personal account can give you a verifiable statement from VerifyDoc.ai that the recipient can check has not been altered. See how Pryme works.
Questions people ask
Is the Equifax statutory credit report free?
Yes. Equifax says its statutory report is free for life, viewed online through a free Equifax Basic account or requested by post.
How long does an Equifax report take by post?
Equifax says it posts the report as soon as possible and no later than a calendar month after your request.
Do I need to cancel an Equifax trial to keep my free report?
The statutory report does not need a trial or subscription. If you started a paid product's free trial, cancel before it ends to avoid the monthly charge shown on Equifax's page.
Why is my Equifax report empty?
Equifax says people who move to the UK arrive with no UK report or an empty one, because overseas history does not transfer. It fills as you use UK accounts and register to vote.
Sources
- Equifax UK: Statutory credit report · accessed Oct 2026
- ICO: Credit (your rights with credit reference agencies) · accessed Oct 2026
- Equifax UK: Your credit score when you move to the UK (1 Apr 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
- Experian: Searches and credit checks · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.