2013 Inburgering (civic integration) loans and fines cancelled for asylum-status holders

DUO announced the cancellation and refunds for asylum-status holders (External site, opens in a new tab) on 6 July 2026. The action covers Wi2013 (Wet inburgering 2013, the 2013 civic integration law). Every outstanding DUO integration-loan or fine balance for this group is cancelled. DUO returns loan repayments and paid fines automatically.

The cancellation does not depend on a diploma, meeting your deadline or the number of unfinished exam parts. If you still have an integration duty, you must continue integrating. Cancelling your debt does not end that duty.

Check the law and migration category in your DUO letter. These are the rules. Wi2021 (Wet inburgering 2021, the 2021 civic integration law) has different funding rules.

For family-member forgiveness, your own integration duty must fall under Wi2013. You need a temporary regular residence permit granted for family residence with a qualifying sponsor. The sponsor must hold a temporary or permanent asylum permit, or a European Union long-term residence permit marked for international protection. Being related to an asylum-status holder alone is not enough. Besluit inburgering, article 4.1a (External site, opens in a new tab) defines this group.

For a qualifying family member, kwijtschelding (loan forgiveness) can cover the whole loan. Your integration duty must have started on or after 1 January 2013. Any one of these outcomes can qualify under article 4.13 of the decree (External site, opens in a new tab), if you meet the applicable deadlines:

• You complete all required parts for your inburgeringsdiploma (civic integration diploma).
• You receive a full ontheffing (dispensation from the integration duty).
• You qualify for a full vrijstelling (exemption from the integration duty).
• You become Dutch after an exemption from the naturalisation test based on a Staatsexamen NT2 (Dutch as a second language state exam) diploma (External site, opens in a new tab).

Full forgiveness depends on meeting each applicable deadline, including official extensions. If you must complete the participatieverklaringstraject (PVT, participation declaration process), check its deadline as well as your exam deadline. The official explanation of the full-forgiveness rule (External site, opens in a new tab) gives this example: a dispensation in year 2 does not qualify if you missed the PVT deadline in year 1 without an extension.

DUO grants full forgiveness automatically when these conditions are met. If your deadline has passed, check the partial-forgiveness rules below. Wi2013 asylum-status holders themselves receive the July 2026 cancellation regardless of these conditions.

For a qualifying family member who missed the original or officially extended deadline, partial forgiveness can apply if you take a qualifying action within 6 months after that deadline. The partial-forgiveness rules (External site, opens in a new tab) normally require no more than 2 unfinished parts at the deadline. Within those 6 months, any one of these must happen:

• You pass the remaining parts and meet your integration duty.
• You apply for an ontheffing based on demonstrated effort, and DUO later grants it.
• You become Dutch.
• You reach your AOW-leeftijd (state-pension age).

Two other routes have no limit on the number of unfinished parts: an ontheffing based on the leerbaarheidstoets (learnability test), or a full vrijstelling. Apply within the 6-month period. DUO must grant the dispensation or exemption for this route to qualify. The decision may come later. For a granted dispensation or exemption, the application date determines the timing.

These are the conditional partial-forgiveness percentages. The period starts when your original or officially extended deadline ends. Special circumstances can increase the percentage for someone with 2 unfinished parts.

Example: a qualifying family member has a €10,000 loan and 1 unfinished part at the deadline. They pass that part 2 months later and complete their integration duty. At 90% forgiveness, €9,000 is cancelled and €1,000 remains, before any interest. If you pass the remaining part 4 months after the deadline, DUO forgives 60% of the loan. DUO cancels €6,000. You still owe €4,000.

For a learnability dispensation or full exemption, the rules use timing alone to set the percentage: 90% within 3 months or 60% after 3 and within 6 months. In special circumstances, DUO can depart from the conditions or percentages, or cancel the whole repayment duty. These percentages do not limit the July 2026 cancellation for Wi2013 asylum-status holders.

Wi2013 asylum-status holders need no application for the July 2026 cancellation or refund. DUO says it will send letters in autumn 2026. Wait for your letter; DUO can then help you using its information.

For eligible family members, DUO assesses ordinary partial forgiveness using the information it already has. Your repayment letter explains the decision. The automatic-assessment rules (External site, opens in a new tab) cover people who were still borrowers on 1 January 2018 or later. Older cases can require an application.

If DUO lacks information about special circumstances, you need to provide it yourself. Explain any pregnancy and birth, stay in a shelter, death of a close family member, long illness, school problems or several circumstances together that affected your integration. Give the dates and evidence. DUO decides whether those circumstances justify an exception.

For a request based on special circumstances, follow these steps:

1. Log in through Mijn Inburgering (your integration portal) (External site, opens in a new tab). DUO’s digital-channel list (External site, opens in a new tab) names this portal for Aanvraag gedeeltelijke kwijtschelding (application for partial loan forgiveness).
2. Complete the application with the dates and circumstances that affected you.
3. Submit the application with the evidence it asks for.
4. Keep a copy of your application and evidence.

For help with logging in, read our Mijn Inburgering guide.

DUO must decide within 12 weeks after receiving your partial-forgiveness application. Check your letter for the decision and the amount you still owe.

DUO sends a letter stating how much you must repay. Under the ordinary repayment rules (External site, opens in a new tab), repayment starts 6 months after you finish integrating. It can also start 6 months after your right to borrow ends. You have 10 years to repay. You pay interest and a fixed monthly amount, which DUO collects from your bank account.

If your income falls, you can ask DUO for a lower monthly payment. DUO decides whether to reduce it. For help with several debts or repayments you cannot afford, see debt help in the Netherlands.

For exam and course costs, see the integration costs, loans and fees guide.

If you are a Wi2013 asylum-status holder, wait for DUO’s autumn 2026 letter about cancellation and refunds. Continue integrating while your duty remains.

If you are a qualifying family member, check your deadline and completed parts against the conditional rules. For partial forgiveness, check what happened within 6 months after your original or officially extended exam deadline.

If DUO is missing evidence, submit it with your application.

If you are another family migrant or other migrant, follow your repayment letter. Check which group DUO records for you. The asylum cancellation covers Wi2013 asylum-status holders.

Read these pages for your next step:

• DUO integration loans: who can borrow and what they cover
• Integration deadlines and extra time
• Integration fines: when they apply and what to do