The Wet inburgering 2021 is the Dutch civic-integration law in force since 1 January 2022. It sets who must learn Dutch and about Dutch society, at what level, and it now puts your municipality in the lead. For everyone obligated from that date, it replaced the older 2013 law.
This guide explains what the law is, who it applies to, what it asks of you, and how it differs from the old one.
What is the Wet inburgering 2021?
The Wet inburgering 2021 is the law that decides who has to integrate in the Netherlands, how, and at what level. The English name is the Civic Integration Act 2021. According to the Dutch government, it came into force on 1 January 2022, with one main idea: you learn the language and take part in society at the same time, guided by your municipality.
That guidance is the big shift. Under this law you are not left to work it all out alone. Your gemeente helps set the plan and keeps track of it with you.
Who does the Wet inburgering 2021 apply to?
It applies to everyone who first became integration-obligated on or after 1 January 2022. If your obligation started before that date, the older 2013 law applies to you instead.
Not everyone has to integrate. Common exemptions include EU citizens, people under 18, people who lived here for at least eight years during school age, and people with a Dutch-taught qualification. If you are unsure whether the rule applies to you at all, your obligation letter and Mijn Inburgering are the place to check.
What the law asks of you
Under the 2021 law you follow a route set by your gemeente, then complete the parts that belong to it. After your obligation letter, the municipality invites you for a broad intake, an interview and a short test, and then sets your route with you in a personal plan. That plan is the Plan Inburgering en Participatie, or PIP.
There are three routes, set out by Rijksoverheid. The B1-route is the standard one, aimed at level B1 alongside work. The onderwijsroute is mainly for younger people moving into Dutch study, at B1 or higher. The Z-route is for people for whom B1 is out of reach, at a lower level with a focus on taking part. Most people follow the B1-route, so B1 is the usual level. If you are weighing the levels, we cover that in inburgering A2 or B1.
Alongside the language exams you also sit KNM, the knowledge exam about Dutch society, and you complete the PVT, a short trajectory that ends in signing a participation statement. We explain that one in the PVT in inburgering.
How is it different from the old 2013 law?
The current law leads you through the process and aims higher; the old one left you to arrange it yourself at a lower level. The clearest way to see the difference is side by side. The facts below come from DUO.
| Wet 2013 (old) | Wet 2021 (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| In force | Before 2022 | From 1 January 2022 |
| Applies to | Obligated before 2022 | Obligated from 2022 |
| Language level | A2 | B1 (through your route) |
| Who leads it | You arrange it yourself | Your gemeente, with a PIP |
| Who pays | You arrange and pay yourself (DUO loan) | Gemeente pays for asylum status holders; family and other migrants pay themselves (DUO loan) |
The paying line is worth a note. Under the old law you paid for your own course, with a DUO loan if you needed one. Under the 2021 law the gemeente pays for asylum status holders, so they no longer borrow. Family and other migrants still pay themselves and can still borrow from DUO. So how you pay depends both on which law you fall under and on your status, and that is a question for your gemeente.
Which law applies to me?
The date you became integration-obligated decides it. From 1 January 2022 you fall under the 2021 law, with B1 as the standard. Before that date you fall under the 2013 law, with A2. You can see which one applies to you in Mijn Inburgering, and your PIP, if you have one, confirms your route. When you know which law is yours, the rest of the rules fall into place.
The short version
The Wet inburgering 2021 is the current Dutch integration law, in force since 1 January 2022. It applies to people obligated from that date, puts your gemeente in the lead through the PIP, and sets B1 as the standard level via one of three routes. If you were obligated earlier, the 2013 law still applies, with A2 and the old DUO loan. Find out which law is yours in Mijn Inburgering, and the rest of inburgering becomes a lot clearer.