Dutch exam for Netherlands residency and citizenship
Under the 2021 Civic Integration Act most newcomers follow the B1 route: B1 speaking and writing within three years. That rule was read on rijksoverheid.nl on 19 October 2026. The level for naturalisation is commonly cited as A2, which we could not confirm, and DUO has no public exam calendar: you book your own date.
- Verified read on an official page on 2026-10-19
- Secondary source blog, press or search snippet only
- Not confirmed we could not confirm it on an official page
Level you need, by purpose
| Purpose | Level | Exam | Legal reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civic integration (Wet inburgering 2021) | B1 route (B1 speaking and writing within 3 years); education route; Z-route (A1)Verified | Inburgeringsexamen (DUO): reading, listening, writing, speaking, KNM, ONA/MAP | Rijksoverheid: new Civic Integration Act |
| Citizenship (naturalisation) | A2 commonly cited, not confirmedNot confirmed | Inburgeringsexamen, Staatsexamen NT2 or a diploma | — |
| Permanent residence | Not confirmedNot confirmed | — | — |
Next exam sessions
There is no fixed calendar: you book an individual exam date with DUO. We could not confirm the booking steps on an official page as of 2026-10-19 (the exam pages returned errors).
Fee, format and results
- Fee€250 for the full set of exams (2021-era sources)Secondary source
- FormatReading, listening, writing, speaking, KNM (+ ONA/MAP)Secondary source
- Resultsinburgeren.nl said on 19 Oct 2026 that Spreken A2 and Schrijven A2 results currently take longerVerified source
- ResultsUsual waiting time not confirmedNot confirmed
Official prep resources
- Inburgeren.nl (DUO): book, practise, resultsVerified Official, home page opened 2026-10-19; practice sub-pages not confirmed
- Rijksoverheid: new Civic Integration ActVerified Official, opened 2026-10-19
- Inburgeren.nl (DUO): book, practise, resultsVerified Official, home page opened 2026-10-19; practice sub-pages not confirmed
What is verified
Checked on 2026-10-19. Deadlines move and exam centres add or cancel sessions: always confirm on the official link before you pay or book.
Verified On an official page
- B1 route, education route and Z-route under the 2021 Act · official page · checked 2026-10-19
- Spreken A2 and Schrijven A2 results currently take longer · official page · checked 2026-10-19
Secondary source Secondary source only
- €250 for the full set of exams · from 2021-era secondary sources
Not confirmed Not confirmed
We could not confirm these on an official page as of 2026-10-19:
- Usual results waiting time
- The language level for naturalisation
- How DUO booking works today
- Any language rule for permanent residence
Practise speaking before the exam
Other countries: Spain · Portugal · Germany · France · Italy
How it works
- Check the level you need and the next exam date here. Always confirm on the official link.
- Open Meet & Mint: events and people near you on one map.
- Join an event alone and chat with the group before you go.
- Meet at the event. Many events from our sites are in the app too.