Many newcomers to the Netherlands must learn Dutch to a set standard as part of a legal process called civic integration (“inburgering”). The rules changed on 1 January 2022, and the level of Dutch required now depends on which learning route a person is placed on. This article summarises the Dutch government’s explanations on Government.nl and the integration site Inburgeren.nl that Government.nl points newcomers to. DUO, the education implementation service, sends the letters that start the process. It covers the Netherlands only and describes rules as those sources state them. It is general information, not immigration advice. Language levels are those of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which the site explains in its guide to CEFR levels A1 to C2.
Who has to integrate
According to Government.nl, the programme is not mandatory for everyone who is new to the Netherlands; it depends on citizenship and other factors. The requirement does not apply to citizens of European Union countries, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland. Other exempt groups are children under 18, people who have lived in the Netherlands for at least eight years and were of compulsory school age during that time, people with qualifications taught in Dutch at an institution in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, people who have reached retirement age, and people coming temporarily for work, study or an exchange. Anyone who is subject to the requirement receives a letter from DUO. Inburgeren.nl adds that people can also integrate voluntarily, for instance to naturalise or apply for a stronger residence permit.
Three years to complete
Newcomers have three years to complete the process, which Inburgeren.nl calls the integration period. Under the 2021 Act, the DUO letter is sent only when a person has a citizen service number (BSN), a residence permit and a municipal registration, and it can take another eight weeks to arrive. The municipality then holds a “broad intake”, an interview plus a test of learning ability, and drafts a personal integration and participation plan (PIP). The PIP says which learning track applies and which exams must be taken. A second DUO letter gives the start date. The 2013 Act still applies to people who were already subject to the requirement before 1 January 2022.
The three learning tracks and their language levels
- B1 track. Aimed at paid or voluntary work. Within three years the participant learns to speak and write Dutch at B1, and sits language exams at that level, also known as the Dutch as a second language state exam (Nt2), together with knowledge exams. Inburgeren.nl says anyone who has followed at least 600 hours of lessons and still cannot pass at B1 should talk to the municipality about scaling down to A2.
- Education track. Designed for young people, preparing them for secondary vocational education (MBO), higher vocational education (HBO) or university. It requires Dutch at B1 or higher, and the knowledge exams are the Participation Statement Process and Knowledge of Dutch Society.
- Self-reliance track. For those for whom the other tracks are too challenging. Participants learn Dutch at A1 and learn to take part in society. A2 language exams are available but not compulsory, while the compulsory knowledge exams are the Participation Statement Process and the Labour Market and Participation module. The track ends with an interview with the municipality and a certificate.
Government.nl notes that Knowledge of Dutch Society is a standard module in all three pathways, and that the combination of language learning and taking part in society, for example through work placements or volunteering, plays a major role in the system.
Who pays
Government.nl says the government bears the cost of civic integration for asylum holders. Family migrants and other migrants must pay for their own civic integration, and municipalities provide them with assistance. Municipalities are also responsible for offering asylum holders a full programme of a learning pathway, the Labour Market and Participation module and the participation statement process. Those modules are open to family and other migrants, but such migrants arrange and finance their own learning pathway. Cost questions for exams are handled on Inburgeren.nl.
Exams under the older 2013 rules
Inburgeren.nl explains that people who are subject to the 2013 Act need language exams at A2 or higher across reading, listening, writing and speaking, plus Knowledge of Dutch Society and, depending on the date from which integration was required, the Orientation on the Dutch Labour Market and the participation statement process. Anyone unsure which law applies can check the Mijn Inburgering portal.
Start before arriving
Government.nl says that people coming to live with a family member can begin the civic integration process while still outside the Netherlands. The Government.nl page also says people can learn in a classroom or independently, and must sit an exam at the end.
Common questions
Is A2 or B1 the standard?
It depends on the Act and track. Under the 2021 Act the B1 and education tracks aim for B1 or higher and the self-reliance track for A1. The 2013 Act requires A2.
Can a person avoid the requirement?
Only if one of the exemptions in the Government.nl list applies, for example EU nationality or retirement age.
The bottom line
Dutch civic integration under the 2021 Act sets three routes with different language targets, B1 for the main work-focused route and A1 for the self-reliance route, all to be completed within three years of the requirement starting. Exemptions depend on nationality and circumstances, and costs differ for asylum holders and other migrants. Because rules differ between the 2013 and 2021 Acts, anyone affected should check the DUO letter and Mijn Inburgering for their own position.
Sources
- Government.nl, “New Civic Integration Act 2021”
- Government.nl, “Civic integration (inburgering) in the Netherlands”
- Inburgeren.nl, “Overview: Integration in the Netherlands”
- Inburgeren.nl, “Which exams: Taking the integration exam”