Your official target decides between A2 and B1
A2 is the usual language minimum under the 2013 civic integration rules. The B1-route under the 2021 rules normally requires B1. Check your official exam list and personal plan before choosing. A2 in the B1-route needs municipal approval after at least 600 qualifying lesson hours and sufficient effort, when you cannot reach B1.
Where is your required level written?
For inburgering (civic integration), check your official target before booking an exam. DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) (External site, opens in a new tab) lists your required exams in its portal. Use your file rather than general advice from a school or friend.
- Open Mijn Inburgering (My Civic Integration portal) (External site, opens in a new tab) to check when your inburgeringsplicht (civic integration obligation) started.
- Read the exam list in the portal for the levels you need.
- If you follow the 2021 rules, check your persoonlijk plan inburgering en participatie (PIP, personal integration and participation plan) from your gemeente (municipality).
Your DUO letters also explain which rules apply. For the full range from A1 to B2, read Dutch language levels explained.
DUO normally gives you 3 years to complete integration. Your DUO letter gives the start date. Check your own deadline before planning further study.
How do A2 and B1 compare?
A2 covers short, routine exchanges; B1 covers connected speech and writing on familiar topics. The exam-target row below follows the official guidance. Your exam list and PIP set your individual target.
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| Question | A2 | B1 |
|---|---|---|
| Language use | Basic user | Independent user |
| Integration exam target | A2 or higher under the 2013 rules | Normal target in the 2021 B1-route |
| Daily communication | Short, simple exchanges about familiar needs | Unprepared conversations about familiar topics, plans and opinions |
| Reading and writing | Short notices, simple messages and basic instructions | Clear texts about familiar work or daily topics; simple connected writing |
| Suggested learning goal | A first milestone if Dutch is new or study time is limited | Practice for longer conversations and connected texts |
Which integration rules apply to you?
Your integration rules depend on when your obligation began. Use the start date in your official file. Your obligation may have begun on a different date from your arrival. Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government) (External site, opens in a new tab) explains the change on 1 January 2022:
- Wet inburgering 2013 (Civic Integration Act 2013): if your obligation began before 1 January 2022, the language exams are A2 or higher. Mijn Inburgering shows which language and knowledge exams you need.
- Wet inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Act 2021): if your obligation began on or after 1 January 2022, your PIP sets your learning route and exams.
Under the 2021 rules, your PIP names one of these three routes. The comparison follows DUO’s route guidance (External site, opens in a new tab); your file shows any exemptions.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Route | Language exams | Other parts |
|---|---|---|
| B1-route | Normally B1 | Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij (KNM, knowledge of Dutch society); Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie (MAP, labour market and participation module); participatieverklaringstraject (PVT, participation declaration process) |
| Onderwijsroute (education route) | B1 or B2; your PIP sets the exams | KNM and PVT; study that prepares you for further education |
| Zelfredzaamheidsroute (Z-route, self-reliance route) | A2 exams are optional | MAP and PVT; municipal interview and certificate |
The Z-route is for people for whom the B1-route or onderwijsroute is too difficult. It focuses on practical Dutch and participation.
Which proof do naturalisation and residence applications need?
For naturalisation, the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, Immigration and Naturalisation Service) (External site, opens in a new tab) accepts an inburgeringsdiploma (civic integration diploma) at A2 or higher. A complete Staatsexamen NT2 (state exam in Dutch as a second language) diploma at B1 or B2 also qualifies. Other exemptions and waivers may apply. Check which diploma or other document your municipality needs; see integration proof for naturalisation.
A Z-route certificate alone is not enough for naturalisation. An advies aantoonbaar geleverde inspanningen (advice on demonstrated efforts) from DUO may support a waiver. Check DUO’s conditions for this advice (External site, opens in a new tab) with your municipality.
For residence applications, the IND checks the integration requirement separately (External site, opens in a new tab). An integration diploma, a Z-route certificate or an accepted exemption or waiver may meet that requirement. For choosing a permit route, read Dutch residence permits: choose the right route.
What can you do at A2 and B1?
At A2, you can introduce yourself, make a simple appointment, buy something in a shop and ask a basic question at the pharmacy. You can read a short school message, fill in personal details on a form or write a short note. These tasks need familiar words and short, clear messages.
At B1, you can follow the main points of clear speech about familiar work, school and daily topics. You can describe what happened, give a brief reason for an opinion and write a connected message. You can also join a conversation without preparation when the topic is familiar.
These examples follow the Council of Europe language level descriptions (External site, opens in a new tab) and self-assessment grid (External site, opens in a new tab). They describe language skills, rather than a guarantee that every task will be easy.
Can you take A2 exams if B1 is too difficult?
Within the 2021 B1-route, your gemeente may approve one or more language exams at A2 when you cannot reach B1. You must have attended at least 600 course hours of Nederlands als tweede taal (NT2, Dutch as a second language) at a qualifying provider. The evidence must also show sufficient effort during the lessons. These conditions appear in Besluit inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Decree 2021), article 5.5 (External site, opens in a new tab).
Ask your gemeente whether your provider and hours qualify. The gemeente decides which A2 language components to record in your PIP. Use the level in the updated PIP when booking those exams.
We suggest keeping records of your lesson hours, attendance, progress reports, exam attempts, teacher advice and messages from the gemeente. Take them to your discussion about your effort and progress.
When is B1 useful beyond the minimum?
B1 can be a further learning goal even if A2 meets your official requirement. Consider continuing if you need longer conversations or connected writing and can study within your deadline, health and family circumstances. These are reasons to keep learning, rather than rules that apply to every job or course:
- You want to work or volunteer in Dutch.
- You want to discuss school, childcare, medical care, housing or municipal services with less help.
- You may apply to middelbaar beroepsonderwijs (mbo, secondary vocational education) at level 3 or 4.
- You have passed A2 parts and want to keep learning before naturalisation.
- You want to practise everyday conversations beyond memorised exam answers.
Staatsexamen NT2 Programma I (Programme I) is B1 and is intended for work or study at mbo level 3 or 4.
For work or study at hoger beroepsonderwijs (hbo, higher professional education) or university level, Staatsexamen NT2 Programma II (Programme II) is B2. Each school or university sets its admission requirements. The official NT2 diploma guidance (External site, opens in a new tab) explains the two programmes and the limits of the diploma.
Which level should you check first?
Use this quick check to choose what to read next. It gives general guidance; your official exam list, PIP and application requirements decide your target. The route and study information above remains available without using the tool.
A2 or B1 quick check
Do you have an inburgeringsplicht?
Once you know your target, start with DUO’s official A2 and B1 practice links (External site, opens in a new tab).
What should you do before choosing an exam?
If your file requires A2, prepare for A2 and keep learning toward B1 if your circumstances allow. If your PIP requires B1, prepare for B1 or discuss the A2 option with your gemeente. Book A2 components in that route after the gemeente records its approval in your PIP.
If your goal is naturalisation, a residence permit, work or study, check the proof required for that specific goal. Check your integration deadline when planning further study. Choosing A2 because it feels easier can leave a B1 requirement unfinished.
Choose the page that fits your next task:
- Which Dutch exam do you need? — compare exam families for your goal.
- B1-route guide — check the route and its language exams.
- Free A2 and B1 mock exams — extra practice from Inburgering.org after the official practice.
Official Sources
- Inburgeren.nl (DUO's civic integration website): Welke examens (which exams) (External site, opens in a new tab) - DUO explains that your required exams depend on whether you fall under Wet inburgering 2013 or Wet inburgering 2021.
- Inburgeren.nl: Taalexamens (language exams) (External site, opens in a new tab) - DUO's overview of A2, B1 and B2 language exams and the link between B1 or B2 exams and Staatsexamen NT2.
- Inburgeren.nl: U gaat inburgeren (External site, opens in a new tab) - DUO explains the three-year integration period, learning routes, personal plan and the conditions for taking A2 exams within the B1-route.
- Staatsexamens NT2: Inburgeren met het staatsexamen Nt2 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official explanation of using Staatsexamen NT2 for integration and checking the required exams in the personal plan.
- Staatsexamens NT2: Hoe gebruik je het diploma Nt2? (how to use the NT2 diploma) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Programma I is B1 for work or study at mbo 3 or 4 level; Programma II is B2 for hbo or university. Schools and universities set admission requirements.
- Inburgeren.nl: Naturaliseren (naturalisation) (External site, opens in a new tab) - DUO explains the inburgeringsexamen (civic integration exam) at A2 and the NT2 diploma at B1 or B2 for naturalisation.
- Onze Taal (Dutch language society): Taalniveaus volgens het ERK (language levels in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Supplementary explanation of language levels linked from DUO; the Council of Europe sources below provide the official skill definitions.
- Besluit inburgering 2021: Article 5.5 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Articles 5.5 and 5.3 explain qualifying course hours, providers, sufficient effort and recording A2 language components in the personal plan.
- Council of Europe: language level descriptions (External site, opens in a new tab) - The official basic-user and independent-user categories and what learners can do at A2 and B1.
- Council of Europe: self-assessment grid (External site, opens in a new tab) - Skill descriptions for reading, listening, spoken interaction and writing at A2 and B1.
- Rijksoverheid: Moet ik als nieuwkomer inburgeren? (must I complete civic integration as a newcomer?) (External site, opens in a new tab) - The applicable integration law depends on when the integration obligation began, with the change on 1 January 2022.
- IND: Inburgering voor naturalisatie (civic integration for naturalisation) (External site, opens in a new tab) - A2 integration proof, accepted NT2 diplomas, and exemptions or waivers for naturalisation.
- IND: Inburgering bij sterkere verblijfsvergunning (civic integration for a stronger residence permit) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Integration proof for residence applications is a separate requirement assessed by the IND.
- Inburgeren.nl: Inloggen op Mijn Inburgering (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official portal access for checking required exams and reading DUO letters.
- Inburgeren.nl: Kennisexamens (knowledge exams) (External site, opens in a new tab) - The society, work and participation components; individual requirements appear in the portal and personal plan.
- Inburgeren.nl: Oefenen (practice) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official practice for A2 and links to the B1 and B2 practice environment.
- Council of Europe: English self-assessment grid (PDF, 1 page) (External site, opens in a new tab) - The English skill descriptors used for the A2 and B1 reading, writing, listening and conversation examples.