This is what you need to arrange if you want to take an MBO course
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If you want to take an MBO course in the Netherlands, you must meet certain requirements. You will have to deal with costs such as tuition fees and admission requirements. In this article you can read how and where to register, what you have to arrange and what you have to pay for. And what financial assistance you can get.
Registration
If you will be attending
Some training courses have additional requirements before you can enroll. Such as dance courses or sports courses. Check the course's website for more information.
You pay study costs in the second half of your academic year
The costs of an MBO education are called tuition fees. For the 2025-2026 academic year, tuition fees are €1,458.
You have to pay in the second half of September. You can pay the whole amount at once, but you can also pay in 9 instalments. You pay via DUO. You do not have to arrange anything for this. When you log in with your
Financial assistance is available
Status holder
If you are a status holder and are going to study, you have to pay tuition fees. Studying in the Netherlands is not free.
Do you have your own money or a job? Then you can pay for your studies yourself. Do you not have any money or a job? Then you can borrow money via
You can borrow money not only for your studies, but also for expenses such as rent, books and transportation. This is called
You can get this support if you are between the ages of 18 and 30 and are in
If you are over the age of 30, you are not entitled to study financing.
You are entitled to study financing until the age of 30. If you want to take a
If you are between ages 30 and 57 and cannot pay your tuition fees yourself, you can apply for a lifelong learning loan from DUO. Read more about this on the DUO website.
Find out more about financial assistance from the government in
Asylum seeker or Ukrainian
Are you an asylum seeker or Ukrainian? Then you are not entitled to study financing. You must pay your tuition fees and other costs yourself.
Are you not able to do this and do you not have a job? Then you can apply for a waiver for your study costs from DUO. However, a few conditions apply. You can find these conditions on the
Language level B1 is required to study at MBO level
If you want to take a course in Dutch, you must prove that your language level is good enough.
For a course at MBO 3 or MBO 4 level, you need language level B1. Usually, MBO schools want you to have passed the
Please note: schools may determine the language requirements for themselves.
Do you want to take a course? Then contact the school and ask what requirements there are. Requirements may vary from school to school.