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Civic integration for naturalisation

Do you want to become a Dutch citizen through naturalisation? If so, you have to meet the civic integration requirement. This usually means that you must hold a civic integration diploma. Read more about the civic integration requirement and the exemptions and dispensations.

What is the civic integration requirement?

If you want to become a Dutch citizen through naturalisation, you must have completed the civic integration process. This means that you speak, read, write and understand Dutch fairly well. You must also be able to get by in Dutch society. To demonstrate this, you must pass the civic integration exam at language level A2. This is also known as the naturalisation test. You must register for this exam with the Education Executive Agency (DUO) at inburgeren.nl. If you pass this exam, you will be granted the digital civic integration diploma. With this diploma, you can apply for naturalisation.

No civic integration exam if following the option procedure

In some cases, you can become a Dutch citizen via the option procedure. This is an easier and quicker way to obtain Dutch nationality. The municipality assesses this request. If you meet the requirements for the option procedure, you do not need to take the civic integration exam.
 

What does the civic integration exam involve?

You take the civic integration exam at DUO. The civic integration exam consists of the following tests:

  1. Verbal and writing skills in the Dutch language:
    a. reading skills;
    b. listening skills;
    c. writing skills;
    d. speaking skills.
  2. Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS):
    a. knowledge of Dutch society (KNM);
    b. orientation on the Dutch labour market (ONA) (Wi2013) / Job Market and Participation Module (MAP)
    (Wi2021). 
  3. Participation Statement Process (PVT).

     

Exemption: when are you not required to take the civic integration exam?

Sometimes you are not required to take the civic integration exam in order to naturalise. We call this an exemption. You are exempt if one of the following situations apply to you:

  • You are a Moluccan and are covered by the Status of Moluccans Act of 9 September 1976 (as evidenced by your registration with the municipality).
  • You have a Dutch diploma or certificate (awarded under Dutch legislation governing education at a level higher than primary education). And you followed the educational programme in Dutch.
  • You have a diploma from the Dutch as a Second Language State Exam (NT2), programme I or II.
  • You have a WIN certificate. You must provide a certificate from the school confirming a minimum language level of A2 in all components, and a satisfactory level for the Social Orientation component (85 percent if taken before or on 31 August 2001, and 80 percent if taken from 1 September 2001 onwards).
  • You have an original exemption/dispensation decision issued by the municipal executive of your municipality, which shows that one of the following situations applies:
    • that you are not required to undertake a civic integration programme, as you already have sufficient knowledge (under Article 5(2) of the Civic Integration (Newcomers) Act (WIN)).
    • that you are not required to undertake a civic integration programme, as you have passed a test as referred to in Article 5(4) of the Civic Integration (Newcomers) Act (WIN).
    • that, for medical reasons, you are exempt from the civic integration obligation (in Dutch: inburgeringsplicht) for an indefinite period (under Article 3(3)(a) of the Civic Integration (Newcomers) Act (WIN)).
  • You have a civic integration diploma under the Civic Integration Act 2013, at level A2 or above.
  • You have a civic integration diploma under the Civic Integration Act 2021, at level A2 or above.
  • You have a ‘Short Exemption Test’ document at level B1. You took this test before 1 January 2013.
  • You lived in the Netherlands for at least 8 years while you were of school age (between 5 and 16 years old).
  • You have a Belgian diploma or certificate. The education must have been provided in Dutch. The diploma or certificate must have been awarded under Belgian legislation governing education at a level higher than primary education. And it must have an apostille.
  • You hold a Surinamese diploma or certificate of completion of a course of study in academic higher education (university), higher education, general secondary education, vocational education or apprenticeship training. The education must have been provided in Dutch. The diploma or certificate must have been awarded in accordance with a Surinamese law governing education. And it must have an apostille.
  • You hold a European Baccalaureate from the European School. You took Dutch as a first or second language and achieved a pass for the Dutch language subject.
  • You hold an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Certificate, an International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSE) or an International Baccalaureate, having achieved a pass for the Dutch language subject. For the IGCSE Certificate, grades A to G are considered a pass for the Dutch language subject.
  • You hold a Naturalisation Test Certificate (as it was known before 1 April 2007). This shows that you have passed the following five modules: knowledge of politics and society; speaking, listening, writing and reading skills.

Partial exemption: when are you required to take only part of the civic integration exam?

Sometimes you are not required to take all components of the civic integration exam in order to naturalise. This is called a partial exemption.

In the following situations, you only need to pass the ‘Knowledge of Dutch Society’ component:

  • You have an Oldcomers Integration Certificate. You have achieved level 2 in all language components.
  • You have a Newcomers Integration Certificate (WIN certificate) with all language components at level 2 or above, accompanied by a statement from the school.
  • You have an Education Statement from the ROC and, following an assessment, have achieved at least level 2 in all language components.
  • You hold a Certificate Dutch as a Foreign Language (CNaVT) at level A2 or above.
     

In the following situations, you are exempt from the ‘Knowledge of Dutch Society’ component, but you must still take the other components:

  • You have passed part I of the naturalisation test: knowledge of politics and society (taken before 1 April 2007). 
  • You have a Newcomers Integration Certificate (WIN certificate) for social orientation at KSE level 2, accompanied by a statement from the educational institution. The minimum pass mark for certificates issued up to and including 1 September 2001 is 85%. From 31 August 2001, that mark is 80%.


     

In the following situations, you are exempt from the participation statement process (PVT), but you must still take the other components:

  • You are not subject to a civic integration obligation, but you must obtain the civic integration diploma in order to naturalise. 
  • You have an exemption from the participation statement process (PVT) by virtue of the discretionary powers of the Minister for Social Affairs and Employment. 
     

In the following situations, you are exempt from the component Orientation on the Dutch labour market, but you must still take the other components:

  • You have reached retirement age.
  • You are fully retired before reaching the state pension age.
  • You are completely and permanently unable to work.
  • You registered with DUO before 1 January 2015 for the
    civic integration exam or a component thereof. And you paid the exam fee before 1 February 2015.
  • In the 12 months before your application for exemption, you worked as an employee in the Netherlands for at least 48 hours per month in at least 6 of those months.
  • In the 12 months before your application for exemption, you made a profit from your business. You must have made a minimum amount of profit. You can calculate this minimum amount using the following formula: (L / 40) * 48 * 6. L = minimum wage. This is set out in Article 8(1)(b) of the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act. Article 15 of that Act states, including the holiday allowance;
  • In the 12 months before your application for exemption, you received social assistance for at least 6 months under Article 2(1) or (2) of the Social Assistance (Self-Employed Persons) Decree 2004.

Dispensation: what must you do if you are unable to pass the civic integration exam?

In some cases, you may be granted a dispensation from the civic integration requirement for naturalisation on medical or other grounds. In that case, you will not have to take the civic integration exam.

Do you have any serious, long-term physical disabilities (such as deafness, blindness or deaf-muteness)? Or serious mental health problems? In that case, there are 3 ways you can prove that you have a dispensation from the civic integration requirement for naturalisation:

  1. Medical Advice from Argonaut
    Is there a high likelihood that you will be unable to take the civic integration exam within the next five years because you are seriously ill? Or because you have a disability? In that case, you can apply for a dispensation. To do this, you will need a medical exam and advice from Argonaut. Argonaut is the medical adviser appointed by the Minister for Social Affairs and Employment. The medical exam costs money. You will have to pay for this yourself. Following the exam, you will receive a letter from Argonaut. This letter states if you can take the civic integration exam. For further information, please visit: Argonaut Advice - Civic Integration.
    The medical advice must not be more than 6 months old at the time you submit your application for naturalisation. 
  2. DUO Decision (under Article 6(1) of the Civic Integration Act 2013)
    This is a decision from DUO. This states that the Minister for Social Affairs and Employment has granted you dispensation from the civic integration obligation. Because you have demonstrated that, due to a mental or physical condition, or an intellectual disability, you will never be able to pass the civic integration exam. 
    The decision must not be more than 3 months old at the time you submit your application for naturalisation.
  3. Decision of the municipal executive (under to Article 6(1) of the Civic Integration Act as this read until 1 January 2013)
    It may be the case that you still have a decision that was issued by the municipal executive. This decision states that the municipal executive has granted you dispensation from the civic integration obligation. Because you have demonstrated that, due to a mental or physical condition, or an intellectual disability, you will never be able to pass the civic integration exam. 
    The decision must not be more than 3 months old at the time you submit your application for naturalisation. Check with your municipality if the decision is sufficient to grant dispensation from the civic integration exam.
     

Do you want to apply for dispensation from the civic integration requirement on nonmedical grounds? In that case, you must prove that you did your best to pass the civic integration exam. There are 5 ways you can prove that you tried to pass the exam:

  1. With a dispensation decision from DUO - subject to a civic integration obligation from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2017 inclusive
    You received this decision from the Minister for Social Affairs and Employment. The decision states that you have been granted dispensation from the civic integration obligation on the grounds of demonstrable effort, under Article 6(2) of the Civic Integration Act 2013.
    DUO issues this decision only to people who became subject to a civic integration obligation between 1 January 2013 and 30 September 2017 inclusive.
  2. With a dispensation decision from DUO - subject to a civic integration obligation from 1 October 2017 to 31 December 2021 inclusive
    You received this decision from the Minister for Social Affairs and Employment. The decision states that you are not required to take the components of the civic integration exam and the verbal and written skills exam, under Article 6(2) of the Civic Integration Act 2013.
    DUO will only issue this dispensation decision to you if you became subject to the civic integration obligation during the period from 1 October 2017 to 31 December 2021 inclusive. 
    In addition to the dispensation decision, you must also present a letter from DUO confirming that you have completed the participation statement process (PVT).
  3. With a dispensation decision from the Municipal Executive 
    You have a dispensation decision which was issued by the Municipal Executive. The decision was issued under to the Civic Integration Act 2007 and Article 6(3) of the Naturalisation Test Regulation. The decision states that you have demonstrated that you did your best to pass the exam. This decision entitles you to a dispensation; you do not need to take the civic integration exam.
  4. With recommendation from DUO – not subject to a civic integration obligation 
    Are you not subject to a civic integration obligation according to DUO, and are you unable to achieve the required level of civic integration? In that case, you can request a recommendation from DUO. This recommendation shows that you will not be able to pass the civic integration exam, even though you have done your best.
    You cannot pass the exam for the following reasons:
    • You have taken components of the naturalisation test at least three times. And you did not pass those components. Of these, a maximum of two of the exam attempts are components of the Dutch as a Second Language State Exam (NT2). You must also have spent at least 600 hours at a training provider with the ‘Blik op Werk’ quality mark, taking part in:
      • a civic integration course;
      • a combination of a literacy course and a civic integration course, with at least 200 hours devoted to the civic integration course;
      • a course in Dutch as a second language; or
      • a combination of a civic integration course and a Dutch as a second language course.
    • You have spent at least 600 hours in a literacy course at a training provider with the ‘Blik op Werk’ quality mark. Or a combination of up to 300 hours of literacy classes and at least 300 hours of civic integration classes. And you demonstrate that you do not have the learning ability to pass the civic integration exam. You demonstrate this by taking a learning aptitude test at DUO.
  5. With recommendation from DUO – subject to a civic integration obligation
    Were you subject to a civic integration obligation under the Civic Integration Act 2021? And did you follow the self-reliance route (Z route)? In that case, you can request a recommendation from DUO. The recommendation states that the IND cannot expect you to have integrated, despite the demonstrable efforts you have made.
    Simply following the Z route is not enough to become a Dutch citizen. You must also have a recommendation from DUO showing that you are unable to pass the civic integration exam.

Are you ineligible for a dispensation from the civic integration exam on medical or other grounds? In very rare cases, it is still possible that DUO may issue a recommendation for a dispensation from the civic integration exam. There must also be very exceptional personal circumstances preventing you from passing the civic integration exam. You must, in that case, also have put in a great deal of effort to pass the civic integration exam. 

How do you apply for an exemption, partial exemption or dispensation?

  1. Find out if you are eligible for an exemption, partial exemption or dispensation.
  2. Gather as many of the original documents as possible that are required to apply for an exemption or dispensation. Such as a diploma, certificate, medical report or other document.
  3. Present these documents to the municipality where you are applying for naturalisation. 
  4. The municipality checks the original documents, not copies. And it advises you on if or not you need to take the civic integration exam.

     

Civic integration and naturalisation: who does what?

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) deals with naturalisation, while the Education Executive Agency (DUO) is responsible for the civic integration exam. Find out more about what the IND and DUO do.

IND 

The IND is responsible for the following: 

  • The IND receives your application for naturalisation from the municipality and processes it. 
  • The IND checks if you meet all the requirements for becoming a Dutch citizen. One requirement is that you meet the civic integration requirement. This means that you must have passed the DUO civic integration exams at language level A2 or above. 
  • The IND checks if you are exempt from the civic integration requirement for naturalisation or if you are granted a dispensation from it. This means that, in some cases, you do not first need to pass the civic integration exam as a requirement for naturalisation. 
  • The IND takes a decision on your application for naturalisation. And sends you a letter setting out the decision on your application. 
     

DUO 

DUO, together with municipalities, is responsible for the following:

  • DUO informs you that you are required to complete a civic integration programme. This is called the civic integration obligation. The municipality is responsible for drawing up and implementing the Personal Integration and Participation Plan (PIP) in consultation with you. Do you want information about voluntary civic integration? You can find this on inburgeren.nl . You can also contact DUO.
  • DUO will provide you with a personalised portal containing all the information about civic integration. This is ‘Mijn Inburgering’. You can log in using DigiD via inburgeren.nl. 
  • You register with DUO for the various exams. To fulfil the civic integration obligation, you must take various components of the civic integration exam. 
  • DUO offers a range of practice exams on inburgeren.nl. You can take these for free to practise for the civic integration exam.  
  • You will receive your digital civic integration diploma from DUO once you have successfully completed all components of the civic integration programme. You can download the digital diploma via ‘Mijn Inburgering’.

More information is available at www.inburgeren.nl . You can also contact the Civic Integration Customer Service.

Naturalisation from abroad

Do you want to become a Dutch citizen through naturalisation while living abroad? In that case, you must first pass the civic integration exam. This is also referred to as the naturalisation test.

The civic integration exam for naturalisation consists of the following components:

  1. Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNM)
  2. Speaking A2
  3. Reading A2
  4. Listening A2 
  5. Writing A2

You register for the exam at the Dutch representation (embassy or consulate) abroad.

You can also take the exam in the Netherlands. In that case, you will need to register for the exam with DUO via inburgeren.nl. And you also have to pass the Orientation on the Dutch labour market (ONA) component. If you pass this exam, you receive the civic integration diploma. With this diploma, you can apply for naturalisation.
 

Exemption or partial exemption: when you are not required to take the civic integration exam, or a part thereof.

If you want to apply for naturalisation and believe you may be eligible for an exemption or partial exemption, you must discuss this with the Dutch embassy or consulate general. You must demonstrate with original documents. The Dutch embassy or consulate-general will review the document and advise you on if or not you need to take the exam. 
Has the Dutch embassy or consulate-general advised that you must take part or parts of the exam? In that case, you must contact DUO viainburgeren.nl with this recommendation so that you can take the exam components that you are required to take.


Dispensation: what must you do if you are unable to pass the civic integration exam

You may be eligible for a dispensation from the civic integration exam for naturalisation abroad for the following reasons: 

  • On medical grounds. 
    Is there a high likelihood that you will be unable to take the exam within the next five years because you have a mental or physical health problem? Or because you have an intellectual disability? In that case, you can apply for a dispensation. To do this, you will need a statement from a doctor or expert setting out the reasons. The statement from the doctor or expert must not be more than 6 months old at the time you submit your application for naturalisation. The statement must bear a stamp from the doctor’s or expert’s practice. 
  • On non-medical grounds (effort expended). 
    An application for dispensation from the civic integration exam on the grounds of demonstrable efforts will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Do you have any questions about naturalisation from abroad? For more information, please contact the 24/7 BZ Contact Centre or the Dutch Embassy or Consulate-General.