Overview
Have you fallen behind in repaying your student debt or tuition fees? Or were you fined for unauthorized use of your student travel product? In many cases you can arrange a repayment plan with us. This avoids additional costs, such as bailiff's fees.
DUO notifications
If you fall into arrears, DUO sends you a series of notifications informing you of the situation. You can find these in Mijn DUO, under ‘Mijn berichten’.
Make sure DUO has your correct email address. If you have opted to receive messages digitally but are not receiving email notifications from us, check in Mijn DUO if we still have your correct email address.
If you move abroad, or move house while living abroad, always let us know your foreign address.
Make sure your debt does not increase
Make sure that your debt with DUO does not increase any further. Apply immediately for a reduction in your monthly instalments. If that still does not ease the burden enough, you can request a payment free period. If you have received a fine from DUO for unauthorized use of your student travel product, cancel the product immediately.
Repayment plan
Do you need repay a debt to DUO? As long as your overdue debt has not yet been transferred to the CJIB, a bailiff, or an international collection agency, you can often still opt for a repayment plan. Below you will find more information about the options for each type of debt.
If you have more than 1 type of debt, you need to apply for a separate repayment plan for each debt. If you cannot stick to the repayment plans simultaneously, please contact us. We will go over the options with you.
Travel product fine
If you have been fined for unauthorized use of a student travel product and cannot settle the full amount in 1 payment, you can apply for a repayment plan. Contact us if this is no longer possible.
Course fees
If you want to pay your course fees For MBO or VAVO in instalments, you can also apply for a repayment plan. Contact us if this is no longer possible or if your repayment plan has been cancelled.
Student debt
If you have fallen into arrears paying off your student loan and you meet the conditions, you can apply for a repayment plan using the ‘Aanvraag betalingsregeling achterstand studieschuld’ form.
Statutory interest is charged on these arrears. At the moment, the statutory interest is 7% per year. Therefore, DUO will charge 7% statutory interest per year until 1 August 2024.
Due to a policy change, we will no longer charge interest on instalment plans from 1 August 2024 up to and including December 2026. Whether the interest rate will remain 0% after that, depends on a change in law. As soon as we have more information, you will read about it here.
Conditions for a repayment plan:
- Your payment arrears are less than €1,200.
- The collection has not yet been transferred to the CJIB.
- You can pay your arrears within 24 months.
- The minimum installment is €15 per month.
If you do not meet the conditions, please contact us. We will go over the options with you to see if a payment arrangement is still possible.
Collaboration with the municipality of Amsterdam
DUO works together with the municipality of Amsterdam to prevent its residents' debts from increasing. The law stipulates that agencies that collect fixed charges, provide data on arrears to the municipality. Emergency services from the municipality can contact the resident to see if help is needed. DUO adheres to privacy legislation when processing your personal data. More information about the 'Early Signaling' project can be found on the website of the municipality of Amsterdam Link opent externe pagina
Debt assistance and relief
If you have a lot of debts, you can seek help from a debt counselling agency. Go to Debt assistance and relief for more information.