Apply

If you are enrolled as a student in university, HBO, or MBO, you can apply for student finance. Apply in time, preferably 8 weeks before your student finance is due to start, so you don’t miss out on any money.

Student finance consists of various components. You decide which components to apply for.

Apply for student finance

  1. Apply for a DigiD on digid.nl Link opent externe pagina . With a DigiD you can access online services offered by all Dutch government organisations. You will receive an activation code by letter within 3 working days of your application.
  2. Log in to Mijn DUO to apply for student finance.
  3. Apply for a personal OV-chipkaart Link opent externe pagina . You will need it to load the student travel product conto.

Log in to Mijn DUOwith DigiD

No access to Mijn DUO

If you have no access to Mijn DUO, you can use a form. The processing time of a form is longer than a digital application.

  • For higher professional education (HBO) or university, use the Application student finance higher education form.
  • For secondary vocational education (MBO), use the Application student finance MBO form.
Applying for past months

You can still get student finance for past months, up to the start of the current academic year (1 August for MBO, 1 September for HBO or university). This is called applying retroactively. You cannot apply for a student travel product for past months.

  1. Log in to Mijn DUO.
  2. Go to 'Mijn producten' and then 'Studiefinanciering'.
  3. Click on 'Studiefinanciering' in the top right. Here you find a green button 'Aanvraag studiefinanciering vervroegen', meaning 'moving up your student finance'. The rest is self-explanatory.

Log in to Mijn DUOWith DigiD

Applying for student finance from the Caribbean

Do you live on Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten or in the Dutch Caribbean? Then the application procedure is a bit different.

  1. Apply for student finance with the form 'Application student finance for students from the Caribbean region' form (mbo or higher education). To make sure all information is legible, fill out the form digitally. Apply at least 3 months before your programme starts.
  2. Add all the required documents to your application. The documents are mentioned on the application form.
  3. You will receive an e-mail when your student finance application has been processed. This e-mail states that you'll receive a letter on your (postal) address. In this letter you'll find the amount of your study finance and when the study finance starts.
  4. The Civil Service for Identity Data (RvIG) sends your BSN ('burgerservicenummer') by post. You can also ask DUO for your BSN by phone. The latter is only possible when you've received the e-mail mentioned in step 3.
  5. With your BSN, you can apply for DigiD. DigiD is your digital login code for all government services. You need DigiD to log in to Mijn DUO. The ‘Checklist apply for and activate DigiD’ tells you how to do this.
  6. Inform us about your Dutch bank account number via Mijn DUO.

For a more extensive overview on what to do, see 'Informatieblad studenten uit Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten en Caribisch Nederland Link opent externe pagina ' (in Dutch).

Applied before 1 April

Did you apply for study finance before 1 April? If so, DUO will pass your details to RvIG. As soon as RvIG has processed your data, you'll receive a letter with your BSN.

Public transport compensation

If you don't have a BSN yet, you will receive a monthly financial compensation for public transport ('ov-vergoeding') instead of the student travel product. As soon as we have processed your BSN, you can apply for the student travel product. The compensation will then be stopped.

Application forms and checklist

DUO visiting the Dutch Carribean

DUO will be in the Dutch Caribbean from 2 April up to and including 26 April. On all islands we will organize the information meeting 'Studying in the Netherlands'. We will also open temporary Service Desks. You can visit them for questions about student finance or your citizen service number (BSN). More information about DUO's visit to the Caribbean (in Dutch).

Waiting for exam results or admission

Still waiting for the results of your school exams? Or for a decision about your admission to a programme? Just apply for student finance for the programme you are planning to take.

Failed exams or different programme

Did you fail your school exams? Or did you decide to take a different programme after all? Please let us know as soon as possible in Mijn DUO.