Checked 29 September 2026. From the Raad van State rulings of 9 July 2025 and 18 February 2026, DUO news of 27 January and 6 July 2026, DUO fines pages (EN and NL) and Kamerbrief 32824-512 (3 July 2026). The law change for asylum status holders under the 2021 Act is announced, not enacted; parliament debates integration on 16 November 2026.
Since 2025 there has been a lot of talk that "DUO can no longer fine people who do not integrate in time". That is true for asylum status holders, and it is not true for anyone else. The court rulings, DUO's own news and the minister's letter to parliament all say the same: family migrants and other migrants are still fined, and still have to repay DUO loans. If you came to the Netherlands as the partner of a Dutch citizen or a permanent resident, as many Indian spouses do, the deadline on your DUO letter still has teeth. This guide sets out who the rulings cover, what they changed, the fine amounts under the 2013 Act and the 2021 Act separately, the extra time you get after a fine, and a calculator. ProSyllabus is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, DUO, the IND or the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment; every rule below is quoted or summarised from their published pages and regulations, and DUO or the IND decides every individual case.
Raad van State ECLI:NL:RVS:2025:3087; Kamerbrief 32824-512; DUO fines page (EN and NL); DUO integration page.
Who the rulings cover, in three sentences
- The rulings of the Raad van State (9 July 2025 and 18 February 2026) are about asylum status holders, and the 2025 ruling says the Wet inburgering 2021 "valt buiten het bereik van deze uitspraak" (falls outside the scope of this ruling).
- DUO, 27 January 2026: "Gezinsmigrant of overige migrant? Voor u verandert er niets." DUO still fines family and other migrants under the 2013 and the 2021 Act, and loans must be repaid.
- The minister, 3 July 2026: DUO still fines "gezins- en overige migranten, want de rechterlijke uitspraken zien niet op deze groepen" (because the court rulings do not concern these groups).
Sources: ECLI:NL:RVS:2025:3087 (para 2); DUO news 27 January 2026; Kamerbrief 32824-512.
Where other pages get this wrong
DUO no longer fines asylum status holders; family and other migrants are still fined and must repay loans.
Commonly published instead: Our own notice board for this exam says the Raad van State ruled that DUO "may not fine people who take too long" and marks fines as "suspended" for everyone. Many forums repeat the same.
Every official source limits the change to asylum status holders. The 2025 ruling also excludes the 2021 Act from its scope. Where the two disagree, this guide is the one to follow.
Who is fined now
| Group | Law | DUO fine? | Loan | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asylum status holder | 2013 Act | No | Need not be repaid; amounts paid are refunded (repair action) | RvS 9 Jul 2025 and 18 Feb 2026; DUO 27 Jan and 6 Jul 2026 | official |
| Asylum status holder | 2021 Act | None imposed "for now"; the law still provides for them | Asylum status holders cannot borrow under this Act | DUO 27 Jan 2026; Kamerbrief 3 Jul 2026: the minister calls these result fines contrary to EU law and has started a law change (not enacted) | official; change is a plan |
| Family migrant or other migrant | 2013 Act | Yes | Must be repaid | DUO 27 Jan and 6 Jul 2026; Kamerbrief 3 Jul 2026 | official |
| Family migrant or other migrant | 2021 Act | Yes | Must be repaid | DUO 27 Jan 2026; Kamerbrief 3 Jul 2026 | official |
| Anyone, by the municipality | 2013 Act (DUO) and 2021 Act (Kamerbrief) | Not DUO: the municipality can still fine. Under the 2021 Act these are fines for lack of effort, to be imposed carefully and individually | — | DUO 27 Jan 2026 ("Gemeenten kunnen nog wel boetes opleggen"); Kamerbrief 3 Jul 2026 | official |
| Not obliged (kennismigrant, partner of someone here for a temporary purpose, voluntary) | None | No duty, so no deadline fine | — | Wet inburgering 2021 art 3 with Besluit art 2.2 (our reading) | our reading |
Sources as listed in the Basis column. "Other migrant" is DUO's own category for people who are neither asylum status holders nor family migrants.
How it happened: the timeline
| Date | Event | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| February 2025 | The EU Court of Justice (ECLI:EU:C:2025:52) rules that fines for asylum status holders may be imposed only in exceptional cases and that the Dutch loan policy is not in line with EU law. DUO pauses these fines and loan recovery. | Asylum status holders |
| 9 July 2025 | Raad van State (ECLI:NL:RVS:2025:3087) applies the EU ruling to the old Act; the 2021 Act "falls outside the scope". | Asylum status holders, pre-2022 law |
| 27 January 2026 | DUO: no fines for asylum status holders under the 2013 Act; fines imposed on or after 1 February 2023 need not be paid; under the 2021 Act none "for now". For family and other migrants "nothing changes". | Asylum status holders; family migrants explicitly excluded |
| 18 February 2026 | Raad van State (ECLI:NL:RVS:2026:925): a 2019 fine of EUR 1,250 and the loan are revoked for an asylum status holder, even though the decision was final. | Asylum status holders |
| 3 July 2026 | Kamerbrief 32824-512: repair for about 3,300 people; a law change to remove DUO fines for asylum status holders from the 2021 Act is started. | Asylum status holders |
| 6 July 2026 | DUO: asylum status holders under the 2013 Act get paid fines and loans back and open amounts lapse; letters follow in autumn 2026. Family and other migrants: "deze informatie niet voor u". | Asylum status holders |
| 16 November 2026 | Legislative meeting on integration in the Tweede Kamer (was a committee debate on 7 October 2026). | Scheduled |
Sources: Rijksoverheid 9 July 2025; ECLI:NL:RVS:2025:3087; ECLI:NL:RVS:2026:925; DUO news 27 January, 23 February and 6 July 2026; Kamerbrief 32824-512 and its Tweede Kamer page.
| Figure in the Kamerbrief of 3 July 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| People covered by the repair action | About 3,300 |
| Reserved for repayments | About EUR 5.8 million |
| Reserved for statutory interest and costs | About EUR 3.2 million |
| Reserved in total | About EUR 9 million |
| Open amounts forgiven | About EUR 9 million |
Source: Kamerbrief 32824-512 (3 July 2026). All of these concern asylum status holders under the old Act; none concerns family or other migrants.
Conflicts in the official pages
DUO's banner says more than the ruling
- DUO's English fines page carries a banner: the Raad van State decided DUO cannot fine asylum status holders "under the 2013 Act or the 2021 Act"; "Asylum status holder never need to pay a fine".
- The ruling of 9 July 2025 itself says it concerns asylum status holders under the old Act and that the Wet inburgering 2021 falls outside its scope.
- What reconciles them is DUO policy, not the ruling: DUO chooses to impose no 2021-Act fines on asylum status holders "for now", while the Act still provides for them and the minister has only started a law change. The minister's letter goes further than DUO's "for now": it says these result fines are "eveneens in strijd met (hoger) Unierecht" (also contrary to higher EU law) and that he sees no legal room to reintroduce them. That is the government's legal position, not a court ruling, and articles 24 and 25 stay in the Act until the announced change is enacted.
Sources: DUO fines page (EN); ECLI:NL:RVS:2025:3087; DUO news 27 January 2026; Kamerbrief 32824-512. The reconciliation is our reading.
A stale line on the 2013 Act page
- The 2013-Act part of DUO's fines page still says an asylum status holder who was fined must repay the loan.
- DUO's news of 27 January 2026 and 6 July 2026 say the opposite: no repayment, and refunds for what was paid.
- The news items are later and specific, so they govern (our reading). Neither version changes anything for family and other migrants, who repay in both.
Sources: DUO fines page; DUO news 27 January and 6 July 2026.
Fines and extra time under the 2021 Act
For family and other migrants under the 2021 Act, DUO writes to you two months before your term ends, and then sends a "Vooraankondiging termijnoverschrijding" (advance notice that the term is exceeded). The fine for not finishing the learning route is never more than EUR 1,000; DUO sets it per route from tables in the Regeling inburgering 2021 (art 7.1 to 7.3 with Bijlagen 6a, 6b and 6c): on the B1 route from course hours, attempts and exams passed; on the education route from attendance, attempts and exams passed; on the Z route from course hours. Only hours at a school listed on zoekinburgerschool.nl count. A late PVT costs EUR 340, and a late MAP costs EUR 340 where MAP applies (it does not on the education route). After a fine you get extra time, from these tables.
| B1 route or education route: exams already passed | Extra time |
|---|---|
| None | 2 years |
| One | 1.5 years |
| Two | 1 year |
| Three or four | 6 months |
| Z route: course hours followed | Extra time |
|---|---|
| 200 or fewer | 2 years |
| 201 to 400 | 1.5 years |
| 401 to 600 | 1 year |
| 601 to 799 | 6 months |
Sources: Regeling inburgering 2021 art 7.4 (2) and (4), for family and other migrants; DUO, Boete (NL page). PVT or MAP late: 6 months; both late: 1 year (art 7.4(1)). With several fines, the longest period counts (art 7.4(6)). Only hours at a certified school count (art 7.4(5)).
Conflict: DUO's Z-route bands overlap
- The Regeling sets the bands without overlap: 200 hours or fewer, 201 to 400, 401 to 600, 601 to 799.
- DUO's Dutch fines page prints them as "tussen 200 en 400", "tussen 400 en 600" and "tussen 600 en 800", so exactly 200, 400 or 600 hours sits in two bands there.
- The table above follows the Regeling, which is the legal text.
Sources: Regeling inburgering 2021 art 7.4(4); DUO Boete (NL).
Fines under the 2013 Act
| Item | 2013 Act (family and other migrants) | 2021 Act, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Fine for not integrating in time | Never more than EUR 1,250 | Learning route: never more than EUR 1,000 |
| Late participation statement (PVT) | EUR 340, and you can no longer borrow | EUR 340 |
| Late MAP | Not applicable (no MAP) | EUR 340, where MAP applies (not on the education route) |
| Extra time after a fine | 2 more years | 6 months to 2 years, by the tables above |
| DUO loan | Must be repaid | Must be repaid |
Sources: DUO fines page (EN and NL); DUO news 27 January 2026. The 2013 and 2021 amounts are separate systems; do not add one to the other.
Work out your own position
Fine and extra time: what applies to you
Pick your group and your law. For family and other migrants under the 2021 Act, add your route and progress to see DUO's maximum learning-route fine and the extra time its tables give.
From DUO's fines pages (EN and NL tables), DUO news of 27 January and 6 July 2026, and Kamerbrief 32824-512. The actual fine is calculated by DUO under the Regeling inburgering 2021 (art 7.1 to 7.3, with Bijlage 6a for the B1 route, 6b for the O route and 6c for the Z route); the extensions follow art 7.4. The tool shows the ceilings and extensions, not your fine.
What a family migrant should do now
If you are a family or other migrant with a DUO deadline, plan as if the fines were never in question, because for you they were not. Check your end date in Mijn Inburgering. Book KNM and the other exams early enough to have results before the end of the term: DUO says a seat "may take more than 6 weeks" and KNM results come within 8 weeks (see the booking guide in this series for a planner). For Speaking A2 and Writing A2, DUO said on 31 July 2026 that marking now takes up to 16 weeks, and that someone near the end of the term who is waiting for one of those results gets 6 months' extension. If you have been in the Netherlands for 10 years and worked for 5, or have followed 600 hours of course under the 2013 Act, look at the exemptions guide before the deadline rather than after. And if your DUO letter or the fine you received concerns a period when you were an asylum status holder, the repair action may apply: DUO says it will write in the autumn of 2026.
What we could not confirm: whether the 2021-Act law change will be adopted, and when; and whether parliament's meeting on 16 November 2026 will extend any of this to other groups. Nothing we read proposes that. We will update this page if it changes.
Did the Raad van State abolish integration fines?
No. The rulings of 9 July 2025 and 18 February 2026 concern asylum status holders. The 2025 ruling says the Wet inburgering 2021 falls outside its scope.
I am a family migrant. Can DUO still fine me?
Yes. DUO and the minister both say the rulings do not concern family or other migrants. DUO still fines under the 2013 and 2021 Acts, and loans must be repaid.
What is the maximum fine under the 2021 Act?
For the learning route, never more than EUR 1,000. A late PVT costs EUR 340 and a late MAP EUR 340.
What is the maximum fine under the 2013 Act?
Never more than EUR 1,250. A late PVT costs EUR 340 and ends further borrowing. After a fine you get 2 more years.
How much extra time do I get after a fine under the 2021 Act?
On the B1 or education route: 2 years with no exams passed, 1.5 with one, 1 with two, 6 months with three or four. On the Z route it depends on course hours, from 2 years (200 or fewer) to 6 months (601 to 799).
Are asylum status holders under the 2021 Act protected by law?
Not yet in the text of the law. DUO imposes no fines on them for now. The minister says such result fines are also contrary to EU law and has started a law change to remove them; until it is enacted, articles 24 and 25 stay in the Act. Municipal fines for lack of effort remain possible.
Will asylum status holders get money back?
Under the 2013 Act, yes: DUO announced on 6 July 2026 that paid fines and loans are refunded and open amounts lapse, with letters in the autumn of 2026.
Can the municipality still fine me?
Yes. DUO's news of 27 January 2026 says municipalities can still impose fines, and the minister's letter says municipal fines under the 2021 Act, which concern effort, can still be imposed if done carefully and individually.
I am a kennismigrant. Can I be fined?
Usually not: work as a kennismigrant is a temporary purpose for the integration duty, so there is no deadline to miss (our reading of the Besluit inburgering 2021 art 2.2). If DUO has written to you that you are obliged, that letter governs. The diploma is usually still needed later for permanent residence or naturalisation, unless you are exempt.
Sources
- official — Raad van State, ECLI:NL:RVS:2025:3087 (9 July 2025)
- official — Raad van State, ECLI:NL:RVS:2026:925 (18 February 2026)
- official — DUO news — No fines for asylum status holders under the 2013 Act (27 January 2026)
- official — DUO news — Ruling of 18 February 2026 (23 February 2026)
- official — DUO news — Repayments to asylum status holders (6 July 2026)
- official — DUO news — Court ruling on the 2013 Act (9 July 2025)
- official — Kamerbrief 32824-512, Minister for Work and Participation (3 July 2026)
- official — Rijksoverheid (SZW) — Uitspraak Raad van State in zaak boetes en leningen inburgering (9 July 2025)
- official — DUO — Fines (EN page, with the asylum status holder banner)
- official — DUO — Boete (NL page, with the extension tables for the 2021 Act)
- official — DUO news — Uitslag Spreken A2 en Schrijven A2 duurt langer (31 July 2026)
- official — DUO — Integration in the Netherlands: term, PIP, routes, voluntary integration
- official — Wet inburgering 2021 (BWBR0044770), art 3, 6-8, 24-25
- official — Regeling inburgering 2021 (BWBR0045574), art 3.4-3.8 and the explanatory annex on the exams
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
