ONA stands for Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt. It is the part of the inburgeringsexamen about work and looking for work in the Netherlands. You only do it under the old law.
Who still does ONA?
ONA belongs to the Wet inburgering 2013, one of the two laws for inburgering in the Netherlands. You do it if you fall under that law, or if you integrate voluntarily. Voluntarily means you take the exams without being required to.
If you became inburgeringsplichtig on or after 1 January 2022, you fall under the Wet inburgering 2021. Then ONA does not apply to you. For most people who arrive now, there is no ONA.
Not sure which law you fall under? Log in to Mijn Inburgering with DigiD. Your file shows the law, your start date and which exams you still have to do.
ONA and the MAP
Both are about work. That is why people often mix them up, even though they belong to different laws.
| ONA | MAP | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt | Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie |
| Law | Wet inburgering 2013 | Wet inburgering 2021 |
| Where | Through DUO | At your gemeente |
| Cost | €40 | Free |
| What you do | A portfolio, then lessons or a final interview | Work activities, then a final conversation |
You only do one of the two.
Many people search for ONA and then find out it does not apply to them. If you fall under the 2021 law, the part you are looking for is the MAP. Your gemeente (municipality) explains it during the brede intake, your first long meeting there.
What does ONA involve?
According to Inburgeren.nl, ONA has two parts.
The first part is a portfolio. You work through assignments on 8 result cards. For some cards you also have to show a 'bewijs': proof of what you did. The cards and the proof together are the portfolio. The cards cover:
| Result card | What it is about |
|---|---|
| Beroepenoriëntatie | Which jobs exist and which suit you |
| Realistisch beroepsbeeld | What that work is really like |
| Je eigenschappen kennen | Knowing your own qualities |
| Beroepskansen | Where your chances are |
| Beroepscompetenties | The skills a job asks for |
| Netwerk opbouwen | Building a network |
| Werk vinden | Finding and applying for work |
| Werkcultuur | What working in a Dutch workplace is like |
For the second part, you choose between 64 hours of ONA lessons and a final interview. You take the lessons at a school listed on Zoekinburgerschool.nl. Ask the school if they teach the ONA course.
The final interview is called the eindgesprek. You talk with 2 people from DUO about your result cards. The eindgesprek takes around 30 minutes. If you pass it, you have passed ONA. You get the result by post within 8 weeks. You also see it in Mijn Inburgering. If you do not pass, you send in your portfolio again, pay again and do a new eindgesprek.
Start early. Checking your portfolio can take 6 weeks. After you sign up, you wait about 6 more weeks for the eindgesprek. DUO does not help you fill in the cards and has no example portfolios.
Who is exempt from ONA?
According to Inburgeren.nl and the DUO page on the ONA exemption, you do not have to do ONA in these cases:
- You had to start integrating before 1 January 2015
- You fall under the Wet inburgering 2021
- You finished the MAP
- You have a Dutch-language diploma from an entreeopleiding (mbo level 1)
- You were employed for at least 6 of the past 12 months, at least 48 hours a month
If you finished the MAP, the exemption is automatic: DUO sends you a letter within 8 weeks. You apply for the work exemption yourself in Mijn Inburgering. DUO decides within 8 weeks. If you already paid for ONA, you do not get the money back.
What does ONA cost?
ONA costs €40. You register for it in Mijn Inburgering: you hand in your result cards, choose how to pay (iDEAL/Wero or your DUO loan) and choose between the lessons and the final interview. The MAP that replaced it is free. For the cost of the whole process, including the language exams and KNM, see our breakdown of inburgering costs.
How ready are you for the other exams?
Besides ONA, you take four language exams and KNM. A practice exam shows how ready you are for them.
Free inburgering practice exams