To Duolingo English Test and Duolingo Leadership,

We respectfully call on Duolingo to reconsider its policy making the Duolingo English Test unavailable in Iran and to users with Iranian identification documents.

For many Iranian students, the Duolingo English Test has been more than simply another language examination. It has been one of the most accessible, affordable, and practical pathways to demonstrate English proficiency when applying to universities and colleges around the world.

Iranian students already face extraordinary barriers in pursuing international education. Limited access to international testing centres, travel restrictions, visa challenges, currency limitations, international payment difficulties, and the high cost of alternative English-language examinations can make the process significantly more difficult than it is for students in many other countries.

The Duolingo English Test helped reduce some of those barriers.

Its online format allowed qualified students to demonstrate their English ability without travelling long distances, paying substantial travel expenses, or depending on limited testing availability. For many applicants, this accessibility made the difference between being able to pursue an educational opportunity and having to abandon it.

The decision to make the test unavailable not only in Iran, but also “for users with Iranian IDs,” may have an even broader impact. Iranian students and applicants living lawfully in other countries may also be affected simply because they hold Iranian identification documents.

We respectfully believe that a person's nationality or identification document should not, by itself, prevent them from demonstrating their academic and linguistic abilities.

Students should be evaluated based on their individual qualifications, identity verification, compliance with testing rules, and academic merit—not solely on the nationality shown on their passport or identification document.

We fully recognize that Duolingo, as an international organization, must comply with applicable laws, regulations, sanctions, security requirements, and payment restrictions. We are not asking Duolingo to disregard any legal obligations.

Instead, we ask Duolingo to explore lawful and practical solutions that preserve access to education while maintaining the integrity and security of the test.

Possible solutions could include enhanced identity verification, alternative payment arrangements where legally permitted, eligibility for Iranian nationals residing outside Iran, additional compliance screening, or other mechanisms that allow legitimate students to take the test without compromising Duolingo's regulatory responsibilities.

Education should build bridges, not create additional barriers.

Iranian students are students, researchers, future professionals, and members of the global academic community. Many have spent years preparing for opportunities to study abroad. Losing access to one of the world's most accessible English proficiency tests can have serious consequences for university admissions, scholarships, application deadlines, and ultimately their educational futures.

A blanket restriction can unintentionally punish ordinary students for circumstances entirely outside their control.

We therefore respectfully ask Duolingo to:

Reconsider the restriction affecting users with Iranian identification documents.
Allow eligible Iranian students residing outside Iran to take the Duolingo English Test where legally permissible.
Explore alternative compliance and identity-verification procedures instead of nationality-based exclusion whenever possible.
Clearly explain the reasons for the restriction and whether it is temporary or permanent.
Engage with universities, students, and the Iranian academic community to develop a fair and legally compliant solution.
Duolingo has built its reputation around making education more accessible to people around the world. We hope the same principle of accessibility can guide the company in reviewing this policy.

We respectfully ask Duolingo to give Iranian students another opportunity to prove themselves based on their abilities—not their nationality.

Please reconsider this policy and restore a fair pathway for Iranian students to access the Duolingo English Test.

Education should be accessible. Opportunity should be based on merit. A passport should not determine a student's future.