If you must apply for a provisional residence permit (an MVV) to join a partner in the Netherlands, you usually have to pass the civic integration exam abroad before you travel. It is called the basisexamen inburgering buitenland. It has three parts at A1 level: reading, speaking and knowledge of Dutch society. You take it on a computer at a Dutch embassy or consulate. It costs €50 a part, or €150 for all three, and you pass a part with a grade of 6 or higher.
This is a different exam from the ones people take once they live in the Netherlands. This article explains only the exam abroad.
Who has to take it
The exam is for people who must have an MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf) as the partner of someone in the Netherlands, and for spiritual counsellors. You take it abroad, before you travel to the Netherlands.
Some people do not have to take it. The IND gives examples: people under 18, people who have reached state-pension age, people with EU or EEA nationality (and some other nationalities), and people who have had at least 8 years of compulsory schooling in the Netherlands. Whether the exam applies to you depends on your own case, and the IND decides on your MVV application. Check the IND page on the exam, or ask the IND.
What the exam contains
The exam is at A1, the first level of the European scale: simple words, short texts and everyday questions. All three parts are done on a computer.
| Part | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lezen (reading) | Read 6 texts and answer 2 or 3 multiple-choice questions on each | 35 minutes |
| Spreken (speaking) | Answer 10 questions and complete 12 sentences; people assess your answers | 30 minutes |
| KNS | Answer picture questions with two possible answers, on 7 topics | 30 minutes |
KNS stands for Kennis van de Nederlandse Samenleving, knowledge of Dutch society. The exams in the Netherlands have a similar part, called KNM. The official description of the three parts, the programme, is published on wetten.overheid.nl and is listed in the sources below.
Fees, booking and results
The fee is €50 for each part, or €150 for all three. You pay it to DUO.
You register with DUO by form, and then make an appointment at the Dutch embassy or consulate, in your own country or in a neighbouring one. DUO sends your result by e-mail as a PDF, within 8 weeks.
Passing, retaking and how long it lasts
Each part is graded from 1 to 10. You pass a part with a 6 or higher, and you need to pass all three parts to pass the exam.
If you fail a part, you can retake it at any time. Parts you have passed stay valid until you have passed the whole exam, so you do not have to do them again. After a fourth fail, you can ask for a re-assessment of the speaking part.
Once you have passed, the result is valid for one year for your MVV application.
Exemptions and dispensation
Besides the examples above, the IND lists these as reasons you may not have to take the exam:
- you have a Dutch state exam diploma (NT2);
- you have an inburgering diploma;
- you have another Dutch-language diploma (check the IND page for which ones).
People who cannot take the exam for medical or personal reasons can ask the IND for dispensation (ontheffing). The IND page covers exemptions and dispensation. Read it for your own situation, because only the IND can say whether one applies to you.
What this means for how you prepare
This course prepares you for the inburgering exams in the Netherlands: A2 and B1 language exams, and KNM. It is an independent course, not connected to DUO or the IND, and it does not prepare you for the exam abroad. If you are starting Dutch from zero, though, the basics you need here are the same ones every later exam builds on: everyday words, short sentences, reading a simple text and answering a question out loud.
A few things follow from the rules above:
- Practise speaking aloud. People assess your speaking part, so say full sentences out loud, and record yourself.
- Read short texts against the clock. You have 35 minutes for 6 texts, a little under six minutes for each.
- Read the programme. It is the official description of the three parts, including the seven KNS topics, and it is listed in the sources.
If you want to start from the very first words, see learn Dutch for inburgering from zero. If you will take the integration exams after you arrive, what the inburgering exam looks like shows each part of those.