Debt cancellation
You do not always need to pay back your loan. Sometimes you do not have to pay back anything. And sometimes you do not have to pay back part of your loan. This is called a partial cancellation.
Not paying back
Are you required to integrate under the 2013 civic integration act ('Wet inburgering 2013')? And are you an asylum status holder , or is your parent or child an asylum status holder? Then you don't have to pay back the loan if one of these 3 situations applies:
- You obtain your diploma in time.
- You are awarded a full dispensation in time.
- You are awarded a full exemption in time.
Partial cancellation
You have to pay back your loan if you did not meet the integration requirement in time. Do you meet the requirement within 6 months after your integration period? Then you may not have to pay back part of your loan. This is called a partial cancellation.
You don’t need to apply for partial cancellation yourself. DUO will award the cancellation if you meet the conditions. You will receive a letter about repaying your debt. This letter has more information about the partial cancellation.
Conditions partial cancellation
- You are required to integrate under the 2013 civic integration act ('Wet inburgering 2013').
- You are an asylum status holder, or your partner, parent or child is an asylum status holder.
- When your integration period ended, you had failed to pass no more than 2 components of the integration exam.
And:
- You passed these components within 6 months, thus meeting your obligation to integrate, or
- You have met your obligation to integrate within 6 months by receiving a dispensation because of demonstrable effort (AGI), or
- You have fulfilled your integration obligation within 6 months by obtaining an exemption based on the learnability test (LBH) Link opent externe pagina
- You have received Dutch citizenship or reached the required age for a Dutch state pension (AOW) Link opent externe pagina (link in Dutch) within 6 months.
Amount partial cancellation
The table shows how DUO determines the amount of the partial cancellation.
| Number of exams passed late | 0-3 months late | 3-6 months late |
|---|---|---|
| 1 exam late | 90% cancellation | 60% cancellation |
| 2 exams late | 70% cancellation | 40% cancellation |
Apply for partial cancellation
Do you have special circumstances that DUO does not yet know about? And because of these circumstances you:
- believe that a higher percentage of your debt should be cancelled, or
- you could not meet the conditions?
If so, please fill out the Aanvraag gedeeltelijke kwijtschelding form. Check the table for the supporting documents you need to send with the form.
| What happened? | Send the following supporting documents: |
|---|---|
| You had a baby. | Copy of the birth certificate |
| You were in a “Blijf-van-mijn-lijfhuis” (shelter for abused women) or a different type of shelter. You stayed there for more than 3 months. | Letters from the shelter stating the period of your stay there |
| Your partner, child or parent died. | Dutch death certificate or a Dutch translation of a foreign death certificate. The certificate must be translated by a sworn translator. |
| You could not take any exams because the exam locations were closed due to the lockdown. | Explain the situation at question 2.3 on the form |
| There were several special circumstances. Combined they lasted for longer than 3 months without interruption. | (Official) documents stating the period of the circumstances |
| You could not follow any lessons due to problems with the school. | Contract from the school |
| You were ill for longer than 3 months. | Medical authorisation (132Kb, pdf) |
If your situation is not mentioned, describe it at question 2.3 on the form. Enclose supporting documents.
Apply for partial cancellation because of special circumstances
- Complete the “Aanvraag gedeeltelijke kwijtschelding” form.
- Enter the period of the circumstances, briefly describe the situation and add supporting documents.
- Send the form and any supporting documents to DUO.
- DUO decides if you get a partial cancellation. You will receive notice within 12 weeks.