DUO Student Finance 2026: Can International Students Get It?

Short answer: it depends on your nationality. Students from an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom who are enrolled in an accredited Dutch programme can get the full studiefinanciering package (basisbeurs of EUR 324.52 per month uitwonend or EUR 130.21 living with parents, aanvullende beurs, student travel product and loan), but only if they meet an extra condition: they have lived in the Netherlands for 5 or more consecutive years, or they (or a parent or partner) work at least 32 hours a month in the Netherlands or earn at least EUR 700.75 net a month (DUO, 2026 figures, checked 1 October 2026). For non-EU students it depends on the residence permit type: types II to V meet the nationality condition; with type I you may qualify, which DUO’s eligibility assistant shows.

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What is DUO?

DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) is the Dutch government agency that carries out student finance. It handles, among other things:

• Studiefinanciering (student financial support)
• Tuition fee loans (collegegeldkrediet)
• Supplementary grants (aanvullende beurs)
• The student travel product (OV-studentenkaart)

You apply via Mijn DUO, DUO’s online portal, where you log in with DigiD.

For practical registration steps before you can access Dutch government services, including DUO, read our BSN registration guide first.

Can International Students Get DUO Finance?

The answer depends on your nationality or residence status, and for EU students on residence or work.

EU/EEA, Swiss and UK Students: Yes, If You Meet One Extra Condition

Nationals of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom must first meet the conditions for age and course that apply to every student. On top of that, DUO requires one of these:

• You have lived in the Netherlands for 5 or more consecutive years, or
• You are a migrant worker with paid work in the Netherlands of at least 32 hours per month. A monthly income of at least 50% of the bijstandsnorm (social assistance standard) is also sufficient: EUR 700.75 net a month in 2026, or EUR 173 a month if you are younger than 21. Or
• Your partner or one of your parents is such a migrant worker and a national of one of these countries.

UK nationals also need a Dutch Article 50 TEU residence document (or their parent or partner needs one).

Key points on the work condition:

• If you work an average of 32 hours a month, you can skip 1 month per calendar year without it counting towards the average
• If you, your parent or your partner has worked for 6 months or more, an average of 24 hours a month is also sufficient; if you work between 24 and 32 hours a month, you need to work every month for the first 6 months, and DUO assesses whether you are eligible
• Below an average of 24 hours a month you are not entitled, unless you can prove you are a migrant worker
• Only paid hours count
• If your employment contract starts after the first of the month, your student finance starts the following month
• Self-employed students must meet the same turnover and hours conditions; DUO also checks whether you are sufficiently economically active, for example whether you are registered with the KvK
• As an hbo or university student you cannot also receive student finance from a foreign authority

DUO checks the hours worked afterwards and can ask for payslips and bank statements. If it is not shown that you worked enough, you must repay your student finance and an amount for travel with your student travel product (DUO, checked 1 October 2026).

Non-EU Students: It Depends on Your Permit Type

For non-EU/EEA citizens, DUO looks at the type of residence permit (checked 1 October 2026):

• Type II, III, IV or V permit: you meet the nationality condition
• Type I permit: you may qualify; DUO’s permit type I eligibility assistant on duo.nl shows whether you do
• Still waiting for your permit: apply anyway; DUO rejects the application but awards student finance retroactively if you contact DUO within 6 weeks of receiving the permit and meet the other conditions

Students covered by the Temporary Protection Directive for Ukraine do not qualify. Do not assume that having a residence permit automatically gives you DUO money. Check the assistant before you count on it.

For the full picture on your visa and residency status as a student, our student expat guide covers the residence permit requirements in detail.

Components of Dutch Studiefinanciering

1. Basisbeurs (Basic Grant)

The basisbeurs is a monthly performance-related grant: it becomes a gift if you obtain your diploma within 10 years. The 2026 amounts for hbo and university are:

Source: DUO, maximum amounts for hbo and university, January–December 2026, checked 1 October 2026.

You are “uitwonend” if you are registered with the municipality at a different address from your parents and you actually live at the address where you are registered. You change your living situation yourself in Mijn DUO; DUO receives your address from the municipality. DUO checks the uitwonend status in several ways: a monthly data exchange with the municipality, random requests for supporting documents such as a rental contract, and random home visits. If DUO concludes you are not uitwonend, the uitwonend grant can be withdrawn and you repay what you received too much.

These amounts are set per calendar year. Check DUO.nl for the current figures before applying.

2. Aanvullende Beurs (Supplementary Grant)

The aanvullende beurs is an additional grant that depends on your parents’ income and on the number of siblings you have. The maximum supplementary grant for hbo and university in 2026 is EUR 491.08 per month, for students living at home and away from home alike (DUO, checked 1 October 2026). DUO advises always applying for it; you only need to do this once, and DUO calculates every year whether you are entitled.

DUO calculates the supplementary grant based on your parents’ income from 2 years earlier: for 2026, their income for 2024. If you apply as an EU student, you upload proof of your parents’ income with your application.

For non-EU students the permit-type rules above apply.

3. OV-Studentenkaart (Student Travel Product)

The student travel product lets you travel for free or at a reduced rate by train, tram, bus and metro throughout the Netherlands. On trains you travel second class.

You choose one of two subscriptions:

• Weekday subscription: free travel from Monday 04:00 to Saturday 04:00, reduced rate at the weekend
• Weekend subscription: free travel from Friday 12:00 to Monday 04:00; at other times a reduced rate, except full fare from 04:00 to 09:00 on Tuesday to Friday

You need a personal OV-chipkaart, on which you load the subscription after linking it via studentenreisproduct.nl. Foreign students can get the travel product; the nationality conditions for student finance apply to it as well. For hbo and university it is part of the performance-related grant: once you have collected the subscription at a pick-up machine DUO adds EUR 110.95 per month in 2026 to your performance-related grant, whether or not you travel, and that becomes a gift only if you graduate within 10 years. When you are no longer eligible, you must stop the travel product yourself; unauthorised use costs EUR 96.09 per half calendar month for the first month and EUR 192.21 per half month after that (2026).

The OV-chipkaart system is explained in detail in our OV-chipkaart guide, which covers how to use it, how to top up, and how to handle common problems.

4. Collegegeldkrediet (Tuition Fee Loan)

If you cannot pay your tuition fees upfront, DUO offers a tuition fee loan (collegegeldkrediet). It is separate from the regular loan and pays towards your tuition. The statutory tuition fee (wettelijk collegegeld) for the 2026–2027 academic year is EUR 2,694; from September 2026 DUO lends up to EUR 224.50 a month for it. If you pay an institutional fee (instellingscollegegeld), which each institution sets itself and which is never lower than the statutory fee, you can borrow up to EUR 1,122.50 a month, but never more than your actual fee. EU/EEA and Swiss students who are not eligible for student finance can still get the collegegeldkrediet under DUO’s conditions (under 30, full-time or dual hbo or university, programme of at least a year).

5. Student Loan (Lening)

Beyond the basisbeurs and any supplementary grant, you can borrow from DUO each month. Maximum amounts for hbo and university from September 2026 (DUO, checked 1 October 2026):

The maximum total for an uitwonend student from September 2026, with the full supplementary grant and the statutory-fee collegegeldkrediet, is EUR 1,355.27 a month: 324.52 + 491.08 + 315.17 + 224.50. You do not have to borrow the maximum, and you can change the amount in Mijn DUO. A loan is always repaid with interest.

The 10-Year Rule

For hbo and university, the basisbeurs, the aanvullende beurs and the student travel product are a performance-related grant (prestatiebeurs). They become a gift only if you obtain your diploma within 10 years. If you do not, you repay all three, including interest. The interest-bearing loan and the collegegeldkrediet are always repaid.

What this means in practice:

• The performance-related grant carries interest from the first month; if you graduate in time, the interest becomes a gift as well
• The number of years that becomes a gift depends on the official duration of the programme for which you obtain your diploma (for example 4 years of grant plus the travel product in full for an hbo bachelor’s degree)
• You can choose to have less performance-related grant paid out, so there is less to repay if you do not graduate in time; if you do graduate in time, DUO pays the rest afterwards

If you stop without a diploma, the supplementary grant you received in your first 5 months of student finance for hbo or university is not repaid (DUO). Mijn DUO shows your personal situation. If you plan to change programmes or take a break, check the consequences there or ask DUO before you do.

Repayment: How It Works

Most current students fall under the SF35 rules. They apply if you first received student finance in or after the 2023–2024 academic year, or if you first received student finance for hbo or university in or after 2015–2016. Mijn DUO shows which rules apply to you.

Grace Period and Repayment Phase

When your student finance stops, a 2-year grace period (aanloopfase) starts on 1 January of the following year. After that, the repayment phase (aflosfase) starts on 1 January and lasts at most 35 years under SF35.

Repayment Threshold and Rate

Under SF35 you never pay more than 4% of your income above the exempt amount (draagkrachtvrije voet). That amount is 100% of the statutory minimum wage if you are single without children, and 143% in all other cases. Your partner’s income always counts in the calculation. If your repayment capacity is EUR 5 a month or less, you do not have to pay. For example, with an income EUR 8,600 above the exempt amount:

• Income above the exempt amount: EUR 8,600
• Maximum annual repayment: 4% × EUR 8,600 = EUR 344
• Monthly: EUR 28.67

Interest

DUO student debt carries interest. For students under the 35-year rules, the rate for 2026 is 2.33% (2025: 2.57%). While you study, the rate is fixed for one year at a time; from the start of the grace period it is fixed for 5 years at a time.

After 35 Years

Debt that remains when the repayment phase ends is written off automatically, except for any overdue monthly instalments.

How to Apply via Mijn DUO

The application is online through Mijn DUO. You need:

1. BSN (burgerservicenummer): see our BSN registration guide.
2. DigiD or eIDAS: you apply for DigiD at digid.nl; DUO notes that the activation code arrives by letter within 3 working days.
3. Enrolment: you must be enrolled on the first day of the month; if you enrol later in the month, you are eligible from the following month.
4. Supporting documents (EU students): for work, an employment contract signed by both parties and your latest payslip with the matching bank statement; if you work fewer than 32 hours a month, payslips and bank statements for the last 6 months. Self-employed students upload their VAT identification letter and KvK number.
5. Bank account details: entered in Mijn DUO.

Step-by-Step Application

1. Go to mijn.duo.nl and log in with DigiD or eIDAS
2. Apply for studiefinanciering
3. Enter your programme details
4. Choose which components you want (basisbeurs, aanvullende beurs, loan, collegegeldkrediet, travel product)
5. For the travel product: choose the weekday or weekend subscription
6. Upload the supporting documents and submit

DUO advises applying in time, preferably 8 weeks before your student finance should start. You can still apply for past months up to the start of the current academic year (1 September for hbo and university), but not for the student travel product. DUO publishes current processing times on its website.

Getting a Dutch Bank Account

Our best Dutch banks for students guide compares the main options for students, and our best bank account for expats guide covers broader options.

Once you are receiving DUO payments and potentially sending money home, a multi-currency account can simplify transfers between currencies.

Manage your DUO payments with Wise →

Common Mistakes International Students Make with DUO

1. Assuming EU Status Alone is Enough

EU citizenship is necessary but not sufficient. Without 5 years of residence, you need the work condition (32 hours a month, or the income alternative), and you need to be able to prove it. DUO checks the hours afterwards; if you cannot show them, you repay the student finance plus an amount for the travel product.

2. Applying Too Late

Apply preferably 8 weeks before your student finance should start. Student finance can be granted retroactively only up to the start of the current academic year, and the travel product never retroactively.

3. Choosing the Wrong OV Subscription

The weekday or weekend choice matters. If you travel mainly to your university on weekdays, the weekday subscription fits; if you live close to your institution and travel mostly at weekends, the weekend subscription may serve you better. You can switch up to twice a year in Mijn DUO, but not between 1 May and 25 August.

4. Not Understanding the Uitwonend Requirement

The uitwonend grant requires that you are registered at a different address from your parents and actually live there. DUO exchanges data with the municipality every month and carries out random checks, including home visits. If you are found not to be uitwonend, you repay what you received too much.

5. Ignoring Tax Obligations

Working 32+ hours a month means you have wage income. For how student finance and study costs are treated in your tax return, check the Belastingdienst. See our Dutch tax system guide for how student income is treated.

6. Not Tracking the 10-Year Window

Changing programmes without understanding the diploma deadline can lead to expensive surprises. Check your situation in Mijn DUO and plan your academic path accordingly.

Budgeting as a Student in the Netherlands

DUO finance covers part of your costs; what you need in total depends on your city, your housing and your lifestyle.

What DUO can provide at most per month from September 2026 (hbo and university, uitwonend):

The two grants together come to at most EUR 815.60 a month; the rest is loan. Put these amounts next to your own costs for rent, food, health insurance where required, phone and study materials. Use our Cost of Living Calculator to build a personalised budget estimate for your chosen Dutch city.

Housing is often the biggest challenge. Read our finding housing in the Netherlands guide for strategies in the current market.

Health insurance: whether you need Dutch health insurance as an international student depends on your country of origin and what you do alongside your studies. If you work in the Netherlands, which EU students on DUO finance do, you must take out Dutch health insurance. Check your situation on the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) website. See our Dutch health insurance guide for the options available to students.

DUO and the Salary Checker

Once you graduate and start working in the Netherlands, your DUO repayments depend on your income. Use our Salary Checker to estimate your gross and net income, which feeds into how much you will repay on your DUO loan each month.

Managing Your Finances as an International Student

Beyond DUO finance, these are the practical points for day-to-day finances in the Netherlands.

Bank account: requirements for opening an account differ per bank, so check each bank’s own conditions. Bunq and ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank are among the options our student banking guide compares. For transferring money from your home country, compare the total cost of a transfer, including the exchange rate, with a provider such as Wise.

Part-time work: EU/EEA students do not need a work permit. Non-EU students with a study residence permit may work at most 16 hours per week, or full-time in June, July and August, and the employer needs a work permit (TWV) from UWV unless your residence document states “Arbeid vrij toegestaan” (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie, checked 1 October 2026). Check the Belastingdienst for how your wages are taxed and whether you can claim a refund.

Health insurance: whether you need Dutch health insurance depends on your situation; if you work in the Netherlands, you must take out Dutch health insurance. Students with Dutch health insurance and a low income may qualify for zorgtoeslag (health insurance allowance). Check your situation on the SVB website.

Accommodation: ask your university what housing information it offers incoming international students. Register with student housing providers as soon as you receive your acceptance, and see our housing guide for the private market.

Transport: if you qualify, the student travel product gives free or reduced-rate public transport, which lowers what you spend on travel.