Inburgering in Flanders: the integration pathway and A2 Dutch

In Flanders inburgering is a pathway with four pillars — a course on life in Belgium in your own language, Dutch to A2, a path to work and a participation path — with a counsellor beside you. How it works, how to skip the Dutch lessons if you already speak it, and when oral B1 comes into play.

Updated November 3, 2026 · 4 min read

اقرأ هذا الدليل بالعربية

Bu rehberi Türkçe okuyun

The Graslei in Ghent, Flanders — Photo: Martinvl, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized.

The Flemish inburgeringstraject is run by the Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering (the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration). It is not the Dutch system: there is no DUO, no Staatsexamen NT2 requirement and no three-year B1 route. For the Netherlands, see the inburgering exam in the Netherlands.

In short: you sign an integration contract, then follow four pillars — social orientation (MO), Dutch to A2, a path to work with VDAB or Actiris, and a participation path — with a personal counsellor. Already A2? A free exemption test can spare you the Dutch lessons (integratie-inburgering.be).

The four pillars

Pillar	What it is
Maatschappelijke oriëntatie (MO)	a course on life in Belgium, taught in your mother tongue or a contact language you know well; mostly online, by day, evening or weekend
Nederlands (NT2)	Dutch as a second language, with A2 as the goal (with an exception for people who cannot read or write); if you already know enough, you can take a test straight away
Traject naar werk	registration with VDAB (or Actiris in Brussels) for everyone aged 18–65 not yet working, to work out a job goal and look for work
Participatietraject	building a social network: a buddy project, an internship, volunteering, a language placement, a club — searchable on ikdoemee.be

From the start, a trajectbegeleider (pathway counsellor) guides you — in your language or one you know, or with an interpreter. It does not matter if you do not speak Dutch yet.

The social orientation course and its values

MO answers practical questions — how to find a job, where to go for medical help, which childcare and schools exist, how public transport works — and works through rights, duties and freedoms. The agency names seven core values at its heart: the separation of powers, the neutrality of government, equality of men and women, the separation of church and state, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, and respect for sexual diversity (integratie-inburgering.be).

Dutch: A2, or the exemption test

If your Dutch is already A2 or higher, you can prove it with a test and you do not have to follow the lessons. The exemption test is free if you have not yet signed an integration contract and have not taken it before. It has four parts at A2 — reading, listening, speaking, writing — over at most two half-days: reading and listening first, then speaking and writing if you pass. The result comes within 3 weeks (integratie-inburgering.be).

Oral B1 later. In some cases you must show oral B1 within 24 months of receiving your inburgeringsattest — with a paid test. Your counsellor tells you whether this applies to you.

The same agency runs the A2 Dutch test for Belgian nationality (€180) — see Belgian nationality and the Dutch test. A completed integration pathway also counts as proof of social integration — and with it language knowledge — for nationality (FPS Justice).

A2 in practice

Ik heb een afspraak bij de VDAB op dinsdag om tien uur.

Literally: I have an appointment at the VDAB on Tuesday at ten o'clock.

Meaning: hebben + een afspraak (afspreken).

Ik zoek werk als kok. Ik heb vijf jaar in een restaurant gewerkt.

Literally: I'm looking for work as a cook. I worked in a restaurant for five years.

Meaning: zoeken, and the perfect of werken: ik heb gewerkt. Jobs without an article: als kok.

Mag ik iets vragen? Waar kan ik me inschrijven voor de les?

Literally: May I ask something? Where can I register for the class?

Meaning: mogen, vragen, kunnen; zich inschrijven = to register.

How to get ready

Contact a contact point of the agency — they explain your pathway and book tests.
Check your level with our free level test before an exemption test.
Do the agency's practice tests (reading and listening, A1–A2 and B1–B2).
Learn the words of your first months: the municipality, work, school, the doctor. Our inburgering path has 40 sets — Flemish and Netherlands Dutch share them.
Learn the core verbs in all forms: zijn, hebben, gaan, komen, willen, moeten, wonen, leren.

Dutch from your own language

16Word teaches Dutch from 36 languages — Arabic, Turkish, French, Tigrinya, Somali, Pashto and more — 16 words at a time, with a game of Blocks between answers. Free to start.

Keep learning

All our Dutch exam guides

Frequently asked questions

What is the inburgeringstraject in Flanders?

The Flemish integration pathway: after signing an integration contract you follow a social orientation course, Dutch lessons to A2, a path to work with VDAB or Actiris, and a participation path, with a personal counsellor.

What Dutch level do I need for Flemish inburgering?

A2, with an exception for people who cannot read or write. In some cases you must also prove oral B1 within 24 months of receiving your inburgeringsattest.

Can I skip the Dutch lessons?

Yes, if you pass an exemption test at A2 or higher. It is free if you have not yet signed the integration contract and have not taken the test before.

In which language is the social orientation course?

In your mother tongue or a contact language you know well. Most lessons are online, by day, in the evening or at the weekend.

Does the integration pathway count for Belgian nationality?

Yes. A completed integration course counts as proof of social integration, and with it of language knowledge, for the five-year nationality route.