Skip to main content
Glossary termPublished inWki

Schuldenaar

Also known as Debtor

What does "Schuldenaar" mean in the Besluit kwaliteit incassodienstverlening?

de natuurlijk persoon die zijn woonplaats in Nederland heeft en die gehouden is of geacht wordt de vordering tot betaling van een geldsom te voldoen

Defined in / by

Last updated: 14 October 2026.

Who the definition covers

The definition has two parts. The schuldenaar is a natural person who lives in the Netherlands, which mirrors Article 2(c) of the Wki and keeps companies and people living abroad out. And the schuldenaar is the person who is obliged to pay the claim, or is deemed to be (geacht wordt). The second limb also reaches a person from whom payment is sought while the debt is disputed. The Regeling kwaliteit incassodienstverlening requires the collector to keep its written replies to a dispute in the file (Article 6(2)).

What a schuldenaar is owed

From the Besluit kwaliteit incassodienstverlening: a written description of the claim as soon as possible and again on request, with a breakdown into principal, interest, collection costs and VAT (Article 3.1); information on their rights and duties, without having to ask (Article 4.1(2)); and no contact by phone, letter, email or in person between 20:00 and 07:00, on Sundays or on public holidays (Article 4.2).

From the Regeling: no pressure through threats of measures that cannot or will not be taken, and no aggressive, threatening or intimidating language (Article 3(1)); written communication in Dutch at level B1, unless the schuldenaar asked for another language and the collector agreed (Article 3(1)(c) and (2)); information on how to pay, any payment arrangement, help for problem debts including municipal schuldhulpverlening, and how to reach Stichting 113 Zelfmoordpreventie (Article 4); a person to talk to during office hours and the option of an appointment in person (Article 5).

From the Wki: since 1 October 2026, no duty to pay an unregistered or suspended collector, no collection costs for its work, and no interest from its written demand onwards (Article 18).

Questions and answers

Does the Wki protect a business that owes money?

No. The Besluit kwaliteit incassodienstverlening defines the schuldenaar as a natural person who lives in the Netherlands, and Article 2(c) of the Wki limits the Act in the same way. A company, or a person living abroad, has none of the protections set out for a schuldenaar.

Can a debt collector call a schuldenaar on a Sunday in the Netherlands?

No. Article 4.2 of the Besluit kwaliteit incassodienstverlening prohibits contacting a schuldenaar by phone, electronically or in person between 20:00 and 07:00, on Sundays and on generally recognised public holidays.

Glossary

  • Schuldhulpverlening

    het ondersteunen bij het vinden van een adequate oplossing gericht op de aflossing van schulden indien redelijkerwijs is te voorzien dat een natuurlijke persoon niet zal kunnen voortgaan met het betalen van zijn schulden of indien hij in de toestand verkeert dat hij heeft opgehouden te betalen, alsmede de nazorg

  • Incassodienstverlener

    degene die buitengerechtelijke incassowerkzaamheden als bedoeld in artikel 1 van de Wet kwaliteit incassodienstverlening verricht of aanbiedt

  • Buitengerechtelijke incassowerkzaamheden

    activiteiten ter verkrijging van voldoening buiten rechte van een vordering tot betaling van een geldsom

Regulations

  • Wet kwaliteit incassodienstverlening (Wki)

    The Wki (Wet kwaliteit incassodienstverlening) regulates out-of-court debt collection from consumers in the Netherlands. Collectors working for a third party or on bought claims must be in the Justis register. Since 1 October 2026 a debtor owes no collection costs or interest to an unregistered collector.

    Next
    Evaluation of the Wki, brought forward by a year