The Dutch inburgering exam and Belgian nationality: levels, parts, fees and FAQ

What the Dutch civic integration exam asks of you, the language level for Dutch and Belgian nationality, fees and deadlines — and the questions people ask most, answered from official sources.

Updated October 3, 2026 · 8 min read

Two countries, one language, two different systems. In the Netherlands, newcomers go through inburgering (civic integration) under the Civic Integration Act 2021, and Dutch nationality has its own language requirement. In Belgium, nationality needs A2 in one of the three national languages, and Flanders runs its own integration pathway. This guide covers both, from official sources, as of October 2026.

The Netherlands: inburgering under the 2021 law

The Civic Integration Act 2021 (Wet inburgering 2021) took effect on 1 January 2022. Whether you must integrate depends on your nationality and residence status; DUO writes to you once you have a BSN, a residence permit and a municipal registration. Your municipality then holds an intake with a learnability test and draws up your personal plan (PIP) with you. From then on you have 3 years to complete your route.

If B1 turns out to be out of reach, the municipality can lower your target to A2 after at least 600 hours of lessons at a school with the Blik op Werk quality mark (DUO). Some people are exempt altogether — for example with a Dutch, Belgian or Surinamese diploma taught in Dutch, after 10 years in the Netherlands of which 5 working, or for serious illness — see inburgeren.nl.

Exam parts, fees and booking

That is €250 for the five exams (inburgeren.nl); asylum status holders get their first two attempts at each exam free. Most other people can borrow from DUO for courses and exams at approved schools (DUO loan). Book early: it can take more than six weeks before you can sit an exam (inburgeren.nl). The B1 language exams are the Staatsexamen NT2, programme I — more on that below.

Missing the deadline

If you do not finish your route in time, the fine under the 2021 law can reach €1,000, plus €340 each for an unfinished participation statement or MAP. You then get extra time — the fewer exams you have passed, the more (inburgeren.nl).

Dutch nationality: what the IND asks today

• Residence: normally 5 consecutive years with a valid residence permit (IND). There are exceptions — for example no residence period when you have been married to, or the registered partner of, a Dutch citizen and living together for 3 years (IND exceptions).
• Language: A2. You must pass the civic integration exam at A2 or higher, or show an accepted equivalent such as a Staatsexamen NT2 diploma (IND). For naturalisation the A2 exam covers reading, writing, speaking, listening and KNM (inburgeren.nl).
• Fee: the IND's current table lists €1,139 for a single applicant and €1,454 with a partner; fees change every 1 January (IND fees).
• Timing: the IND decides within 12 months; you become Dutch at the naturalisation ceremony, within a year of a positive decision. As a rule you must give up your current nationality, with exceptions.

The Staatsexamen NT2

The national exam of Dutch as a second language: programme I is B1, programme II is B2 (Staatsexamens NT2). It has four computer-based parts — reading, listening, writing and speaking — each costing €50 (DUO), and you need a score of at least 500 on every part (scoring). It counts for both inburgering and naturalisation.

Belgium: the language requirement for nationality

The Belgian Nationality Code requires A2 in Dutch, French or German — only oral A2 for people classed as illiterate. You can prove it with, among others (Royal Decree of 14 January 2013):

• an upper-secondary diploma taught in a national language (or an equivalent EU diploma);
• at least 400 hours of recognised vocational training;
• a completed integration pathway (inburgeringstraject, parcours d'accueil or parcours d'intégration);
• 5 years of uninterrupted work;
• a language certificate from a Community-recognised institution, a SELOR certificate, or one from VDAB, Forem or Actiris/Bruxelles Formation.

The usual route is a declaration after 5 years of legal residence, with the language, proof of social integration and economic participation — for example 468 days of work in the last 5 years (FPS Justice). Another route needs 10 years of residence plus the language and proof of taking part in your local community. The registration duty is €1,030, paid before you apply and not refunded if you are refused (FPS Finance); the public prosecutor then has 4 months to object.

Flanders: the A2 Dutch test and the integration pathway

The Flemish Agency for Integration and Civic Integration runs an A2 Dutch test for nationality applications: reading and listening on day one, speaking and writing on day two if you pass day one. It costs €180, and results come within 3 weeks (integratie-inburgering.be).

The Flemish inburgering pathway has four parts: a social orientation course, Dutch as a second language, a path to work and a participation path of at least 40 hours (integratie-inburgering.be). The inburgeringsattest requires A2 Dutch; if you became obliged to integrate on or after 1 March 2022, you must also prove spoken B1 within 24 months. Since 1 September 2023 the social orientation course and the Dutch course each cost up to €180 (costs); the social orientation course is offered in 38 languages, including English (course).

In Brussels the welcome pathway has been compulsory and free since June 2022 for first-time registrants aged 18–65 who have been in Belgium for less than 3 years, in French or Dutch (City of Brussels). In Wallonia non-EU newcomers follow a free parcours d'intégration within 18 months, with at least 400 hours of French where needed (wallonie.be).

How to prepare

1. Use the free official practice exams: inburgeren.nl has A2 practice exams in every part (including KNM) and B1/B2 practice; the Flemish agency has A1–B2 practice tests.
2. Build vocabulary daily, in small doses. At A2 and B1 the exams test whether you can follow and say everyday things — and that is mostly a question of words you can recall without thinking.
3. Speak out loud every day, even alone: the speaking parts reward fluency, not perfection.
4. Practise real situations — the doctor, the municipality, the landlord, the bank. These come up in the exams and in your first months anyway.