Fines
This page is only for you if you are required to integrate under the 2013 civic integration act. Are you required to integrate under the 2021 civic integration act? Your says what you need to do to prevent you from being fined by DUO.
If you do not integrate in time, you will be fined.
What happens when you get a fine?
Are you required to integrate under the 2013 civic integration act ('Wet inburgering 2013')? You have 3 years to pass the exam. If you do not pass the exam in time, DUO will fine you.
- You receive a letter from DUO. The letter is called 'Vooraankondiging termijnoverschrijding' (announcement of exceeding the time limit). The letter says that you did not integrate in time. And you will be fined.
- If you do not respond, you will receive another letter. This letter tells you how much your fine is and how to pay.
- After being fined you will get 2 extra years to integrate.
- Are you an and did you get fined? This means you always need to repay your loan.
How does DUO calculate your fine?
In case of a fine 3 things are important:
- How many hours of a course you completed (integration course and literacy course + Nt2 course). Only a course at a school listed on the zoekinburgerschool Link opent externe pagina website counts.
- How many times you attempted to pass all the exams.
- How many exams you passed.
The chart ‘Hours of a course and exam attempts’ shows you how steps 1 and 2 determine the amount of the fine.
Example: You completed 200 hours of a course, but you did not attempt all exams. Your fine will be €875.
| Your situation | Completed fewer than 150 hours of a course | Completed 150 to 300 hours of a course | Completed 300 hours or more of a course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Did not take all exams | €1,250 | €875 | €500 |
| Took all exams once | €1,000 | €625 | €250 |
| Took all failed exams at least twice (ONA once) | €750 | €375 | no fine |
The chart ‘Lowering fine’ shows how step 3 works. If you passed 1 or more exams, your fine is lowered.
Example: You fine was €625. You passed 3 exams: Listening, Reading, and Writing. Your fine will therefore be lowered by 60%. The fine will then be €250.
| Number of exams passed | Fine lowered by |
|---|---|
| 1 | 20% |
| 2 | 40% |
| 3 | 60% |
| 4 | 80% |
Did you go to school, but is DUO unaware of this? If so, go to your school with the ‘Verklaring deelname inburgeringscursus’ form. You received this form with the letter called ‘vooraankondiging termijnoverschrijding’. Ask your school to complete the form, then send it to DUO. DUO will check the hours.
Participation statement fine
If you did you not sign the participation statement (PVT) in time, you will receive a €340 fine. Also, you will not be able to borrow money from DUO any more.
New bank account number
Are you paying your fine in instalments and did your bank account number change? Let DUO know. Log in to Mijn Inburgering to change it.
- Log in to Mijn Inburgering
- Go to: 'Details' and then ‘Person’
If you cannot log in to Mijn Inburgering, please use the ‘Wijziging rekeningnummer’ form.
Moving abroad
If you move abroad, you need to inform DUO of your new address. Please do so using the 'Doorgeven buitenlands adres' form.