Applying for a loan for the civic integration course or exam
Are you a non-EU citizen and wish to live in the Netherlands for an extended period or permanently? Then you are obliged to become officially ingeburgerd (integrated). Do you have to pay for this yourself? Then you may be able to lend money from the government.
Last updated on 1 January 2022
Lees deze informatie in het Nederlands
Taking a mandatory civic integration exam or NT2 language exam
If you are going to live in the Netherlands for an extended period or permanently you must follow a civic integration programme. This means you must complete a course and then take an exam. This could be an integration exam or a state examination in Dutch as a second language (NT2).
Paying for a civic integration course and exam
Do you meet the following 2 conditions? Then the municipality will pay for your civic integration course and exam.
1. You had to start civic integration on 1 January 2022 or later.
2. You are an asylum seeker (refugee).
In the following cases, you will have to pay for your course or exam yourself.
- You started civic integration between 1 January 2013 and 1 January 2022.
- You had to start civic integration on 1 January 2022 or later, and you are not an asylum seeker (refugee). You have received a letter from Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs – DUO. This letter states the starting date of your civic integration course.
Purpose of the loan
You can use the loan from the government to to pay for:
- your civic integration exam;
- your civic integration course;
- a Dutch literacy / language course.
The DUO website provides more information about the types of courses and exams which are eligible for a loan.
Maximum amount of your loan
The maximum amount of your loan depends on your situation. For example, the amount of your income.
Do you want to know how much money you can borrow? Then use inburgeren.nl's calculation tool (in Dutch).
Applying for a loan for the civic integration exam or Dutch language course
You must apply for the loan via DUO’s website.
- Applying for a loan for the civic integration course;
- Applying for a loan for the civic integration exam.
Laws and regulations (in Dutch)
Wet inburgering 2021, artikel 20
Besluit inburgering 2021, artikelen 6.1 t/m 6.5
Regeling inburgering 2021, artikelen 6.1 en 6.2