The A2 language exams and KNM cost €50 each, so €250 for all five under the 2021 law. The B1 state exam costs €50 a part, or €200 for all four parts. Who pays depends on who you are. Under the 2021 law the municipality (gemeente) pays the course and two attempts at each exam for asylum status holders. Family migrants and other migrants pay for themselves or borrow from DUO, up to €10,000.
The rules differ by law and by situation, so read the part that fits you, and check your own case with DUO or your municipality.
What the exams cost
These are the fees for 2026.
| Exam | Fee |
|---|---|
| One A2 language exam (Lezen, Luisteren, Schrijven or Spreken) | €50 |
| KNM | €50 |
| All five (four language exams and KNM), 2021 law | €250 |
| State exam NT2, B1 or B2 | €50 a part, €200 for a complete exam |
| PVT and MAP, 2021 law | free; you do them with your municipality |
The state exam costs the same for both programmes, B1 (Programma I) and B2 (Programma II). The state exam fee can be adjusted by ministerial regulation, so check DUO's page when you book.
Under the older law the exams cost the same €50 each, and the ONA costs €40 more. For someone who takes all five exams and the ONA, that makes €290. Not everyone has to take the ONA: it applies if your obligation began on or after 1 January 2015. Where the PVT applies, it is free for asylum status holders and costs €150 for everyone else.
Under the 2021 law: who pays
| Your situation | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Asylum status holder | The municipality pays your course and your first two attempts at each exam. You cannot borrow from DUO. |
| Family migrant or other migrant | You pay yourself, or you borrow from DUO. |
Family migrants and other migrants still get guidance from the municipality: an intake and a route. They arrange and pay for that route themselves.
Under the older law
Under the older law an asylum status holder could borrow up to €10,000. Other people borrow an amount that depends on their income. You can borrow for as long as you must integrate.
The Council of State (Raad van State) has ruled on loans and fines for asylum status holders. DUO may no longer reclaim an integration loan from them, and it may no longer fine them for going over the term. DUO's news item of 6 July 2026 says asylum status holders under the older law who already paid are due refunds. Read it for the details.
Borrowing from DUO
The loan covers an approved course, a language bridging course (taalschakeltraject), a literacy course, or the exam itself. You can borrow up to €10,000, and how much depends on your income. DUO says family migrants and other migrants under the 2021 law can almost always borrow.
A person who has reached pension age (the AOW age) no longer has to integrate and cannot take the loan.
Repayment works like this, according to DUO:
- It starts six months after you finish.
- It runs over ten years, with a fixed amount each month.
- The interest rate is 2.29% in 2026 (it was 2.21% in 2025), fixed for periods of five years.
- Some loans are written off, in whole or in part. Check DUO's repayment page for when that applies.
- Asylum status holders never repay.
For the state exam, a person who must integrate can pay from the loan, if they can borrow, or use a free attempt, if they have one. Otherwise you pay by iDEAL or on an invoice.
Retakes, cancelling and other costs
A failed A2 or KNM part is booked and paid for again, so a retake costs €50 for each part you need to redo, unless you still have a free attempt. For the state exam you can sit a failed part again, but you can only register for a new sitting after you have received the result.
If you cancel an A2 or KNM booking up to seven days before the exam, you get a refund. You can still delete a registration up to one day before, but then there is no refund and a free attempt is used up. The ONA is never refunded.
One other cost is not an exam fee. A request for medical dispensation (ontheffing) costs €225. It cannot be borrowed, and you get the money back if it is granted. The article on exemptions and dispensation explains it.
What this means for how you prepare
Every failed part costs another €50, or uses a free attempt. That is the best reason to prepare before you book, not after.
- Use the free practice exams. DUO publishes practice exams for the A2 parts and for KNM, and the state exam has its own free practice exams online. Do them before you pay.
- Book when you are ready, not when you are hopeful. A date you cancel late can cost you the fee or a free attempt.
- Keep an eye on your term. It has an end date. Plan your exam dates backwards from it, and leave room for a retake.
inburgeringcoach is an independent course. It is not part of DUO or any municipality, and it cannot tell you what you owe. What it does is help you prepare for each part. The page about the inburgering exam shows how each part is practised, and how to book the exam explains the steps.