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i England, Wales and Northern Ireland

After bankruptcy

Cancelling bankruptcy

You can cancel or "annul" a bankruptcy in some cases. But it is complicated and expensive.

Get full debt advice before going bankrupt.

It may be too late if you change your mind after the fact.

Can I annul my bankruptcy?

There are three ways to annul a bankruptcy:

1. You agree an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) instead

You may be able to do this if:


  • You have enough money for a regular payment after paying your living expenses
  • You can afford to do this for the next five years

Contact an insolvency practitioner (IP) to offer the IVA to the people you owe.

2. You can pay back or secure all your debts

You would also need to cover the Insolvency Service’s costs.

3. The bankruptcy should not have happened

Like if the creditor who bankrupted you did not follow the correct process.

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How do I apply for a bankruptcy annulment?

You can apply to annul your bankruptcy if:


  • You made yourself bankrupt, or
  • The people you owe made you bankrupt

Your insolvency practitioner (IP) deals with the annulment for you if you agree an IVA instead.

You need to apply to the court that made you bankrupt if:


  • You can pay off your debts
  • You can secure debts
  • You should never have been made bankrupt

This is complicated so get in touch with us to discuss it first.

The official receiver dealing with your bankruptcy can annul it in some cases.

They may do this if they find that you have large pension savings you could use to pay off debts.

What happens when a bankruptcy is annulled?

When a bankruptcy is annulled:


  • Details are taken off the public register of insolvencies
  • The people you owe are told
  • The people you owe can start contacting you again for payment, unless you set up an IVA
  • You need to contact the credit reference agencies to get it removed from your credit file
  • Homeowners need to inform the Land Registry
  • This is to lift a ‘restriction’ placed by the OR
  • This stops you selling your house
  • All property and assets are legally yours again
  • You cannot get back anything sold before the annulment

Expert bankruptcy advice

Use our online debt help tool to see if bankruptcy is right for you.