Every year, thousands of international students arrive in the Netherlands, excited to start their studies and new life abroad. But there’s one hurdle that quickly causes stress: DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) – the Dutch organisation responsible for student finance, loans, and the student travel product (OV-chipkaart).

It sounds straightforward… but for many internationals, DUO turns into one of the biggest challenges. Why?

• Most of the application is only available in Dutch.

• The forms are packed with official jargon that’s hard to understand.

• Even small mistakes can delay your support for months.

• Many students don’t even realise they are eligible for financial aid.

The result? More than 30% of international students never apply, even though they could. That’s missing out on €250–€350 every month – money that could make student life a lot easier.

And it’s not “just paperwork.” The impact is real:

• Apply too late, and you can lose hundreds of euros.

• Make a mistake, and your request might be rejected.

• Forget one document, and your application could be stuck in the system for months.

Sadly, many students only realise how much money they’ve lost when it’s already too late.