Eligibility

Whether you qualify for student finance depends on your age, course and nationality or residency status.

Age

  • If you are studying at MBO (secondary vocational education), the minimum age for a grant or interest bearing loan is 18. However, if you are under 18 you can still get a student travel product.
  • There is no minimum age for HBO (higher professional education) and university.
  • You must be younger than 30 on the day your student finance starts.

If you already receive student finance, it will continue after your 30th birthday, unless you stop it. You cannot restart it after that. 

Course

  • You are enrolled in 1 of the following courses:
    • MBO: school-based learning pathway (BOL)
    • HBO or university: bachelor, master or associate degree
  • You are enrolled in a full-time or dual course. You will not get student finance for a part-time programme or work-based learning pathway (BBL). Or if you are enrolled as a external student ("extraneus") or exam candidate.
  • You have to be enrolled on the first day of the month. If you're enrolled after the first day of the month, you will be eligible the following month.
  • Your course lasts at least 1 year.
  • Your course must be officially recognised in the Netherlands. Your school or university can tell you if this is the case.

Are you taking a transition year ("schakeljaar") or a premaster programme? You will only get student finance if you are registered as a full time or dual bachelor student.

Sometimes you can get student finance for a programme abroad (link in Dutch).

Home study

You will not get student finance for a programme you are following from home. 

Nationality

  • You have the Dutch nationality or a residence permit type II, III, IV or V.
  • Do you have a residence permit type I? Then you may also qualify for student finance.
  • Do you have the nationality of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom? Or is your partner or parent a citizen of one of these countries? Then you may also qualify for student finance.
Requirements residence permit type I

Use the eligibility assistant to find out if you qualify for student finance.

Permit type I eligibility assistantPermit type I eligibility assistant

Requirements EU/EEA citizens and Swiss

You qualify for student finance if you meet 1 of the following requirements:

  • You have been living in the Netherlands for 5 consecutive years or more.
  • You are a migrant worker. You work in the Netherlands for at least 56 hours a month or you have a monthly income of at least 50% of the . Do you work less than 56 hours per month, or is your monthly income less than 50% of the social security norm? Then DUO will assess your situation separately. Your employment contract must start on the 1st of the month. If your employment contract starts later, you won't be eligible for student finance until the next month.
  • Your non-Dutch parent or partner has the nationality of an EU/EEA country Link opent externe pagina or Switzerland and is, or was, a migrant worker. Your parent or partner works, or has worked, in the Netherlands for at least 56 hours per month. Or your parent or partner has, or had, a monthly income of at least 50% of the . Does, or did, your parent or partner work less than 56 hours per month? Or is, or was, the monthly income less than 50% of the social security norm? Then DUO will assess your situation separately.

You must also meet 1 of these requirements for only the student travel product.

Do you meet 1 of these requirements?

  1. You can apply for student finance via Mijn DUO.
  2. Find out which supporting documents you need to send under 'Documentary evidence for EU/EEA citizens, UK citizens and Swiss' below. You can upload the documents in Mijn DUO after finishing your application.
  3. Within 6 to 8 weeks you'll receive a letter.

Are you unsure whether you meet the requirements? Then contact us.

Requirements UK citizens

You qualify for student finance if you meet 1 of the following requirements:

  • You have a Dutch residence permit Article 50 and you been living in the Netherlands for 5 consecutive years or more.
  • You have a Dutch residence permit Article 50 and you are a migrant worker. You work in the Netherlands for at least 56 hours a month or you have a monthly income of at least 50% of the . Do you work less than 56 hours per month, or is your monthly income less than 50% of the social security norm? Then DUO will assess your situation separately. Your employment contract must start on the 1st of the month. If your employment contract starts later, you won't be eligible for student finance until the next month.
  • Your British parent or partner has a Dutch residence permit Article 50 and is, or was, a migrant worker. Or your non-Dutch parent or partner has the nationality of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and is, or was, a migrant worker. Your parent or partner works, or has worked, in the Netherlands for at least 56 hours per month. Or your parent or partner has, or had, a monthly income of at least 50% of the social security norm. Does, or did, your parent or partner work less than 56 hours per month? Or is, or was, the monthly income less than 50% of the social security norm? Then DUO will assess your situation separately.

You must also meet 1 of these requirements for only the student travel product.

Do you meet 1 one of these requirements?

  1. You can apply for student finance via Mijn DUO.
  2. Find out which supporting documents you need to send under 'Documentary evidence for EU/EEA citizens, UK citizens and Swiss' below. Send these documents to documenten@duo.nl.
  3. Within 6 to 8 weeks you'll receive a letter.

Are you unsure whether you meet the requirements? Then contact us.

Documentary evidence for EU/EEA citizens, UK citizens and Swiss (new application)

If you are not yet receiving student finance, read here what documents to include or upload with your application.

5 consecutive years or more in the Netherlands

We need a copy of your ID card. Are you a citizen of the United Kingdom? Then we also need a copy of the front and back of your Dutch residence permit Article 50.

Working with a contract

Are you working in the Netherlands with a permanent, fixed-term (temporary) or stand-by contract? Then we need the documents below. If you are applying for student finance for months that have already passed, please also include the pay slips for those months.

  • employment contract (signed by both parties) + most recent payslip and matching bank statement
  • ID card
  • If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom: a copy of the front and back of your Dutch residence permit Article 50.

If your Non-Dutch parent has an employment contract:

  • employment contract (signed by both parties) + most recent payslip and matching bank statement
  • your ID card + your parent's ID card
  • If your parent is a citizen of the United Kingdom: a copy of the front and back of your parent's Dutch residence permit Article 50.

If your Non-Dutch has an employment contract:

  • employment contract (signed by both parties) + most recent payslip and matching bank statement
  • your ID card + your partner's ID card
  • your marriage or civil partnership certificate
  • If your partner is a citizen of the United Kingdom: a copy of the front and back of your partner's Dutch residence permit Article 50.

Freelancer or self-employed

Are you a freelancer or self-employed, or is your parent or partner? Please phone us. Then we will explain to you personally which documents we need.

Check hours worked

DUO checks regularly how many hours you, your parent or your partner worked and how much was earned. This also applies if you only have the student travel product.

Documentary evidence for EU/EEA citizens, UK citizens and Swiss (prolongation)

Has your study finance been awarded for a limited period of time, and do you want to apply for prolongation? Read here what documents to include or upload with your application.

Working with a contract

Are you working in the Netherlands with a permanent, fixed-term (temporary) or stand-by contract? Or is your parent or partner? Then we need the following documents:

  • pay slips for the past 6 months showing that you, your parent or your partner worked for at least 56 hours a month
  • bank statements for the past 6 months showing the wages that were paid
  • employment contract(s) for the past 6 months. Employment contracts must be signed by both parties.

If the employment contract ends, send us the new contract as well (signed by both parties). Were you not offered a new contract, and haven't you found a new job yet? If so, register with the UWV Link opent externe pagina as a jobseeker and contact us.

Did your parent or partner work fewer than 56 hours a month? DUO assesses these situations individually.

Freelancer or self-employed

Are you a freelancer or self-employed, or is your parent or partner? Then we need the following documents:

  • any invoices you sent to your customers over the past 6 months
  • bank statements for the past 6 months showing paid invoices
  • hours registration you kept per week or per month for the last 6 months
  • tax returns for your turnover tax for the past 2 quarters
Still waiting for a residence permit

Apply for student finance as soon as you get your residence permit. You can also apply for the months of the study year that have already passed.

If you do not qualify for student finance

If you do not qualify for student finance, you may be eligible for another regulation: