Borrowing money from DUO

Are you an asylum status holder

An asylum status holder has been recognized by the IND as a refugee and has received the asylum status.

and are you required to integrate under the 2021 civic integration act ('Wet inburgering 2021')? Then you cannot borrow from DUO. Your municipality pays your course costs and 2 exam attempts.

Almost everybody else can borrow money from DUO to integrate. You can borrow money for a course at level B1 or B2 (Dutch as a second language), a course at level A2 (Dutch as a second language)or a literacy course.  

You can only borrow if you take the course at a school listed on the website zoekinburgerschool.nl Link opent externe pagina . You can also borrow money for the exam.

EU or Switzerland

Are you not required to integrate, but do you want to anyway? If you are from an EU/EER- country Link opent externe pagina or Switzerland and you want to integrate, you can borrow money as long as your income is not too high. 

Applying for a loan

1. Log in to Mijn Inburgering.
2. Go to: 'Lening aanvragen' (Apply for loan)

What does borrowing money mean?

Borrowing money means that DUO pays for your course or exam. The money will not be paid into your bank account. The amount that DUO pays for you is your loan.

You do not always need to pay back your loan. Your loan may be (partially) cancelled. Sometimes you do need to pay back the loan. If so, you also pay interest.