DUO Loan for Inburgering: Who Can Borrow and What It Pays For

A DUO loan for inburgering is not money paid into your bank account. If you are eligible, DUO uses the loan to pay approved course invoices and some exam fees directly. Whether you can borrow depends on your law route, asylum status, income and whether you are integrating voluntarily. As of May 2026, asylum status holders under the Wet inburgering 2021 do not borrow from DUO because the municipality pays the course and the first 2 exam attempts.

• A DUO loan is used for inburgering costs, not general living costs.
• DUO does not send the loan to your bank account; it pays accepted school invoices or exam costs from the loan.
• For course costs, the school must normally have the Blik op Werk quality mark and be listed on zoekinburgerschool.nl.
• Wi2021 asylum status holders cannot borrow from DUO; their municipality pays the course and 2 exam attempts per component.
• Non-asylum integrators and some voluntary integrators may be able to borrow, but DUO decides the amount.
• As of May 2026, DUO shows a 2026 interest rate of 2.29 percent. Always check Mijn Inburgering for your own rate.

Start with your official inburgering route. The same course can be treated differently for an asylum status holder, a family migrant, a person under the older 2013 law, or someone who integrates voluntarily.

DUO says the loan can be used for language courses at A2, B1 or B2, literacy courses, a taalschakeltraject under Wi2021, course materials such as books and folders, and exams. It cannot be used for everything around studying. DUO's course-invoice page excludes costs such as a laptop or tablet, food and drink, administration fees, intake costs, copying costs, postage and cancellation or deregistration costs.

If you still need to compare total exam fees and course costs, use the broader inburgering costs, loans and fees guide.

• Apply in Mijn Inburgering by choosing 'Lening aanvragen'. If you cannot log in, DUO has a paper loan-application form.
• After you apply, DUO sends a decision letter telling you exactly how much you may borrow.
• For digital school invoices, your school sends the invoice to DUO, you get an email, and you approve or refuse the invoice in Mijn Inburgering.
• For paper invoices, DUO asks you to check the original invoice, add your BSN and signature, and post it to DUO.
• For A2 language exams and knowledge exams, you choose payment from the loan when registering in Mijn Inburgering or on the form.
• For B1/B2 Staatsexamen Nt2 exams, MijnDUO shows automatically whether a free attempt or loan payment is available.

If you must repay, DUO sends a letter with the amount. Repayment usually starts 6 months after you finish integrating. You do not have to pay everything at once: DUO gives 10 years, charges interest, and collects a fixed monthly amount from your bank account. You can sometimes pay extra, repay earlier, repay everything at once, or ask for a lower monthly amount if your income drops.

Some people do not have to repay all or part of the loan. DUO's remission rules are specific, especially for asylum status holders under the Wet inburgering 2013 and close family members of an asylum status holder. Do not assume remission applies automatically to every migrant. Wait for DUO's letter and check the official remission page if you are late, exempted, dispensed, or affected by special circumstances.

Ask three questions before signing a course contract: is the school on zoekinburgerschool.nl, will DUO accept the type of course and materials on the invoice, and what happens if you stop the course early? A cheap course is not cheaper if DUO will not pay the invoice from your loan.

If you are still choosing a course, read how to choose an inburgering school. If you need to manage your DUO account or cannot log in, use the Mijn Inburgering guide. If you are not sure which law route applies to you, start with the Dutch exam decision guide.