Inburgering is the Dutch word for civic integration. You learn Dutch. You also learn how life in the Netherlands works. Do you have a nationality from outside the EU and will you live here for a long time? Then you usually have to do inburgering. You get 3 years for it. Your route and the law that applies to you decide which exams you take. They also decide the level.
What applies to you?
Question 1 of 3
Answer two or three questions. Then you see which law, which level and which exams apply to you.
Who has to do inburgering?
You usually have to do inburgering if you do not have the nationality of an EU country and you are going to stay here for a long time. DUO, the government office for inburgering, sends you a letter about this. You only get that letter when you have a residence permit and a BSN (citizen service number). You also need to be registered with the gemeente, your local council.
You do not have to do inburgering if:
- you have the nationality of an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
- you are a family member of someone with one of those nationalities
- you are under 18 or have reached the Dutch state pension age (AOW)
- you are in the Netherlands for a temporary purpose, for example to study or work
- you lived in the Netherlands for at least 8 years at an age when you had to go to school
Do you have a Dutch diploma? Then you can ask DUO for an exemption. Other reasons for an exemption are in our article on vrijstelling inburgering.
You can also choose to do inburgering if it is not required for you. This is called voluntary inburgering. People do this, for example, because they want to become Dutch citizens.
Which law applies to you?
There are two laws. The law that applies to you depends on the date you became required to do inburgering.
| Wet inburgering 2013 | Wet inburgering 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | You became required to do inburgering before 1 January 2022 | You became required to do inburgering on or after 1 January 2022 |
| Language level | A2 | Usually B1. This depends on your route. |
| Who arranges it | You arrange it yourself | The gemeente. You get a personal plan. |
| Who pays | You pay for it yourself. You can borrow from DUO. | For asylum status holders the gemeente pays. Others pay for it themselves and can borrow from DUO. |
| Parts | Language, KNM, ONA and PVT | Language, KNM, MAP and PVT. Which ones you do depends on your route. |
KNM, ONA, MAP and PVT are explained in the section on the parts of inburgering below.
Mijn Inburgering is DUO's website for your own inburgering. There you can see which law applies to you. You log in with DigiD, your Dutch government login. Our article on the Wet inburgering 2021 explains the current law. Are you not sure which level you need? Read our article on inburgering A2 or B1.
The three routes
Does the 2021 law apply to you? Then the gemeente decides your route. There are three.
| Route | Who it is for | Language level | What else you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 route | Most people. It prepares you for paid work or volunteering. | B1 | KNM, MAP and PVT |
| Education route | Mostly young people who want to study at mbo (vocational school), hbo (university of applied sciences) or university | B1 or B2 | KNM and PVT |
| Z route | People for whom the other routes are too hard | You get lessons at A1. You may take exams at A2, but you do not have to. | MAP and PVT. You finish with a talk at the gemeente. |
At B1 and B2 you take the Staatsexamen NT2, the state exam for Dutch as a second language. Is B1 too hard for you, even after at least 600 hours of lessons? Then you can ask the gemeente if you may take your exams at A2. The page on the inburgering exam B1 explains how to prepare.
What are the parts of inburgering?
Inburgering is not one exam. It has these parts:
| Part | What it is | Which law |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Four exams: reading, listening, writing and speaking | Both |
| KNM | Knowledge of Dutch society: work, health care, housing, education and the rules in the Netherlands | Both |
| PVT | The participation statement course. You learn what the Netherlands finds important. At the end you sign a statement. | Both |
| MAP | The labour market and participation module. You do it at the gemeente. | 2021 |
| ONA | Orientation on the Dutch labour market | 2013 |
Our article on the KNM exam explains what you need to know. We also have articles on the PVT, the MAP and ONA.
For the language exams and KNM you can take an inburgering practice exam. The practice exams look like the real ones.
The PIP: your plan with the gemeente
Does the 2021 law apply to you? Then the gemeente invites you for a talk and a test after you get the letter from DUO. This is called the brede intake. After that, the gemeente makes a plan together with you. The plan is called the PIP (Persoonlijk plan Inburgering en Participatie).
The PIP says which route you follow and which exams you take. The gemeente has 10 weeks to make the plan. The PIP is an official decision. If it is wrong, you can file an official objection (bezwaar). Our article on the PIP inburgering explains how.
Under the 2013 law there is no PIP. You decide yourself how you prepare.
How much time do you have?
You have 3 years to finish inburgering. This is called the inburgering term. Under the 2021 law it starts the day after the gemeente officially confirms your PIP. DUO then sends you a letter with the start date. Under the 2013 law the start date is in the first letter from DUO.
Sometimes you can get extra time. This is possible, for example, when you are ill, have a baby or are studying. Did you first have to learn to read and write? Then you can also ask for more time. You ask DUO for this.
Right now DUO needs more time to check Speaking A2 and Writing A2. Is the end of your term close and are you still waiting for one of those results? Then DUO gives you 6 extra months. You do not need to ask. Our article on inburgering exam results explains how long you wait.
What happens if you do not finish on time?
Then DUO can give you a fine. After that you still have to finish inburgering. You do get extra time for it.
| 2013 law | 2021 law | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma or route not finished on time | Up to €1,250 | Up to €1,000 |
| PVT not finished on time | €340 | €340 |
| MAP not finished on time | Does not exist | €340 |
Asylum status holders do not get a fine. The Raad van State, the highest Dutch court for these cases, has also ruled that DUO may not ask them to pay back an inburgering loan.
What does inburgering cost?
Each exam costs €50. The four language exams and KNM cost €250 together. Under the 2013 law you also pay €40 for ONA. Under that law you also pay €150 for the PVT, unless you are an asylum status holder. Do you want to take a course? Then you pay for that as well. The course is usually the biggest cost.
Who pays depends on the law and on your situation. Under the 2021 law the gemeente pays for asylum status holders. It pays for the course and for two attempts at each exam. Family migrants and others pay for it themselves. They can borrow from DUO. How much you can borrow depends on your income. All the amounts are in our article on the costs of inburgeren.
Inburgering for a Dutch passport or a stronger residence permit
Do you want to become a Dutch citizen? Then you first need to pass the inburgering exam at A2. The Staatsexamen NT2 at B1 or B2 also counts. The pages on the inburgering exam A2 and the Staatsexamen NT2 explain how to prepare.
Do you have an exemption (vrijstelling) or a dispensation (ontheffing)? That is not always enough to become a Dutch citizen. Did you get an ontheffing under the 2021 law because of special personal circumstances? Then it does not count. A Z route certificate alone is also not enough to become a Dutch citizen.
Do you want a permanent residence permit? Then you usually need the inburgering diploma. With a Z route certificate you can apply for this permit.
Is the exam too hard for you, even after many lessons? Then you can ask DUO for an official assessment (advies). You need at least 600 hours of lessons for this. You also need to have taken each exam 3 times or more. For a stronger residence permit this is only possible under the 2013 law.
Inburgering abroad
Are you moving to the Netherlands to live with your partner? Then you usually take an exam in your own country first: the basisexamen inburgering. It is at level A1 and costs €150. You need it to apply for an mvv, the provisional residence permit. The basisexamen is separate from the inburgering exam in the Netherlands. We have an article just about the basisexamen inburgering.
How to prepare
First check Mijn Inburgering or your PIP. See which exams you need to take and at which level. Then you know your goal.
Then practise each exam in its real format. DUO has free practice exams for this. You find them on our page about DUO practice exams. The exams have the same structure every time. When you have learned it, you know what to expect. Also look at the end date of your term and plan from there. There are often a few weeks between signing up and the exam. For Speaking A2 and Writing A2 you now wait up to 16 weeks for the result.
Our article on how to prepare for the inburgering exam helps you make a plan. In our inburgering course you practise the language exams and KNM, at A2 and B1.
