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Inburgering in the Netherlands – the B1 route, exam costs, free courses and the A2 citizenship test

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

Some newcomers must learn Dutch by law, most may choose to, and everyone who wants a Dutch passport has to prove a level. Here is how inburgering (civic integration) works under the 2021 Act, what the exams cost, where the free courses are – and why naturalisation still asks for A2, not B1.

Young woman with headphones studying with a book and laptop in a library
Photo: fizkes/Adobe Stock

If you came to join family or as a refugee, a letter from DUO (the Education Executive Agency, which runs civic integration) is on its way: the Wet inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Act), in force since 1 January 2022, gives you 3 years to reach Dutch at level B1 – a higher bar than the A2 of the old 2013 Act. Others get no letter, but naturalisation still requires a language exam – and the government wants to raise that level too.

Who must do inburgering – and who is exempt?

The duty is national and depends on your residence purpose.

GroupCivic integration duty?
Citizens of EU countries, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and SwitzerlandNo – voluntary integration is possible
Kennismigranten (highly skilled migrants), EU Blue Card holders, researchers, students, orientation-year graduates, the self-employed – and their partnersNo: temporary purposes under the Act
Partners and family of Dutch citizens or permanent residentsYes – and they pay for their own course
Asylum status holdersYes – the municipality pays the course
Under 18, at state pension age, 8 years of Dutch schooling between 5 and 16, or a Dutch-taught diplomaExempt

Source: Rijksoverheid and the IND, read 24 September 2026.

Partners who need an MVV (the long-stay entry visa) first pass the basisexamen inburgering at the Dutch embassy; DUO sends the result within 8 weeks and it is valid for 1 year. Nationals of EU/EEA countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, the UK, the USA, South Korea and Switzerland are exempt from that exam.

DUO writes automatically once you have a BSN (burgerservicenummer – citizen service number), a residence permit and BRP (Basisregistratie Personen – population register) registration – up to 8 weeks after those are in place. Your gemeente (municipality) then holds a broad intake, an interview plus a leerbaarheidstoets (learnability test), and draws up a personal integration and participation plan (PIP) fixing your route and exams.

The B1 route, the education route and the Z-route

RouteLanguage levelWho it is for
B1 routeExams at B1 within 3 years, combined with paid or voluntary workMost adults
Education route (onderwijsroute)B1 or higherMainly young people heading for MBO, HBO or university
Self-reliance route (Z-route)Lessons at A1; A2 exams optionalPeople for whom B1 is out of reach

Source: Rijksoverheid and DUO, read 24 September 2026.

Kennis van de Nederlandse maatschappij (KNM – knowledge of Dutch society) is part of every route. The Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie (MAP – labour market and participation, B1 and Z routes) and the participatieverklaringstraject (PVT – participation statement) come on top. After at least 600 hours of lessons and still no pass at B1, you can ask the municipality to scale the exams down to A2. The Z-route alone is not enough for Dutch citizenship.

The B1 exams are the Staatsexamen NT2 (state exam in Dutch as a second language), run by DUO: Programme I is B1, Programme II is B2, each with four computer-based parts. The A2 exam tests the same skills: speaking 35 minutes, listening 45, reading 65, writing 40 minutes on paper. Register in Mijn Inburgering early – it can take more than 6 weeks before you can sit.

What does inburgering cost, and who pays?

ItemCost
Each exam part under the 2021 Act (reading, listening, writing, speaking, KNM)€50 – €250 in total
MAP module and PVT (2021 Act)Free
NT2 state exam, per part / complete€50 / €200
Exams under the 2013 Act (including ONA at €40)€290 in total; PVT €150 for non-asylum migrants
Fine for missing the route deadline (non-asylum)At most €1,000
Fine for not completing the PVT or the MAP in time€340 each
Interest on a DUO integration loan2.29% in 2026 (2.21% in 2025)

Source: DUO, read 24 September 2026.

Asylum status holders do not pay for the course – the municipality does – and their first 2 attempts at each exam are free; extra attempts must be paid for and cannot be borrowed. After a Raad van State (Council of State) ruling, they are never fined or made to repay a loan. Family and other migrants pay themselves but can borrow from DUO for a course at A2, B1 or B2, a literacy course and the exams, at a school on DUO's approved list; the amount depends on income. Those not obliged – EU citizens included – can borrow until 3 years after first registering with a municipality.

Two extras: parents on an approved course, or doing the MAP, PVT or Z-route hours, can qualify for kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare benefit), and IDW (International credential evaluation) assesses a foreign diploma free of charge for most people who are integrating.

Where can you learn Dutch for free?

Nationally, municipalities receive about €85 million a year under the Wet educatie en beroepsonderwijs (WEB) for residents' basic-skills courses. Many public libraries run Dutch courses that are often free or ask a small fee, plus free walk-in advice, and the Informatiepunt Digitale Overheid in libraries helps free of charge with forms from the gemeente, UWV and the Belastingdienst (Tax Administration). City courses are a municipal choice.

WhereWhatCost
Public libraries (national)Dutch and basic-skills courses, walk-in adviceOften free, sometimes a small fee
City of Amsterdam courses (municipal)Dutch and settling-in courses – not everyone is eligiblePrimarily free
Taalwijzer, AmsterdamWalk-in information points per neighbourhoodFree advice
OBA public library, Amsterdam: Leef en Leer and TaalcafésPractice with volunteers and native speakersFree
DUO integration helpdesk050 599 96 00, Monday–Friday 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00; service points in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Groningen, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Utrecht and ZwolleHave your BSN ready

Source: Rijksoverheid, IN Amsterdam and DUO, read 24 September 2026.

What does naturalisation require: A2 or B1?

Today: A2. To naturalise you must pass the civic integration exam at least at A2 – the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) calls it the naturalisation test – or hold an exempting diploma: the NT2 state exam I or II, a Wi2013 or Wi2021 integration diploma at A2 or above, a Dutch diploma above primary level taught in Dutch, or 8 years in the Netherlands between the ages of 5 and 16. The same A2 exam is required for a permanent residence permit. The IND page, updated 28 August 2026, still says A2.

Two changes are on the table; neither is in force. A draft Besluit naturalisatietoets would raise the level to B1: the government said on 1 October 2025 it was being finalised for consultation, and such a decree takes effect no earlier than 4 weeks after publication in the Staatsblad – no date exists. Separately, a bill to extend the residence term from 5 to 10 years was in consultation from 30 September to 1 December 2025 (3,227 reactions) and still has to pass the Council of State and parliament. Until then it is 5 years and A2, and the fee is €1,139 for one person in 2026.

If the exams prove impossible after at least 600 course hours and 3 attempts at every exam, a DUO advice on demonstrable effort can replace them. The term can also be shorter: Anna, who came to live with her Dutch partner, can apply after 3 years of living together in the Kingdom, married or registered, with the same partner – and keeps her original nationality because she is married to a Dutch citizen. Part 15 covers citizenship in full.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Find your group in the first tableBefore you arrive
2Partners who need an MVV: pass the basisexamen inburgering abroadBefore applying – the result is valid 1 year
3Attend the broad intake at the gemeente after DUO's letterUp to 8 weeks after BSN, permit and BRP registration
4Pick a school on DUO's approved list; apply for a loan if you pay yourselfRight after the PIP
5Register for exams in Mijn InburgeringMore than 6 weeks before you want to sit
6Not obliged? Join a library course and aim for A2 or NT2DUO lends until 3 years after first registration

Source: DUO and Rijksoverheid, read 24 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 24 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.