Register and pay before booking your appointment
If you need the exam, register through Naar Nederland (External site, opens in a new tab) (To the Netherlands), then pay DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service). In 2026, the full exam costs €150 and each part costs €50. DUO emails confirmation within 5 working days after payment. Postal confirmation takes longer. Use the confirmation to book with the embassy, consulate or listed provider.
Check the IND (External site, opens in a new tab) (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, the Dutch immigration service) rules before paying to see whether you need this exam.
Who needs this exam?
You must pass this exam before applying for a machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf (MVV, provisional residence permit) to join your partner. The same rule applies to work as a geestelijk bedienaar (spiritual counsellor). A vrijstelling (exemption) or ontheffing (waiver) may apply.
The exam abroad belongs to the MVV application process. Inburgering (civic integration) after arrival follows separate rules.
Check the IND exam and exemption rules (External site, opens in a new tab) before paying. IND lists exemptions based on age, nationality, residence purpose, previous Dutch education or an accepted diploma.
Submit the exemption or waiver appendix and evidence with your MVV application. For a medical waiver, first contact the Dutch embassy or consulate to arrange an examination by an assigned doctor. You pay for this medical examination. See the basisexamen exemptions and dispensation guide for these different cases.
If you are moving to join family, the family reunification and MVV guide explains the wider residence application.
Where can you take the exam?
Choose your exam country on NederlandWereldwijd (External site, opens in a new tab) (Netherlands Worldwide). The country instructions name the embassy, consulate or external provider and explain how to book. European exam locations are busy, so your preferred location may be unavailable.
If your country has no Dutch embassy or consulate for the exam, check the nearest available location. You may need a visa to travel there. Contact an embassy of the country where you want to take the exam to check its visa rules before booking.
How do you register?
If you register online, complete these steps in order:
- Open the official exam registration page (External site, opens in a new tab) and start the digital form.
- Choose Kennis van de Nederlandse Samenleving (KNS, knowledge of Dutch society), Lezen (reading), Spreken (speaking), or all three parts.
- Choose your exam country or location.
- Pay DUO using the payment option you selected.
- Wait for DUO confirmation with your candidate number.
- Follow the confirmation and country instructions to book your exam appointment.
What does the exam cost and how do you pay?
The official fees (External site, opens in a new tab) in 2026 are €150 for all three parts or €50 per separate part. For example, if you passed KNS and Lezen but failed Spreken, register and pay €50 for Spreken.
Keep your payment confirmation, DUO confirmation and candidate number together for booking or changing the appointment.
With digital registration and a Dutch bank account, you can pay through iDEAL/Wero (online bank payment). Naar Nederland says you can use this option only once. It does not explain whether this means once per registration or once per person. You can also pay by bank transfer after DUO emails a payment request. If you need to pay again or cannot use iDEAL/Wero, follow DUO’s bank-transfer request or ask DUO which payment option applies.
If you need a paper form, request one by phone on +31 50 599 96 00. DUO sends the payment request by post. Processing a paper application can take up to 10 weeks, so use the digital form if you can.
What do you bring and what happens at the appointment?
Bring all three documents listed in the official exam-day instructions (External site, opens in a new tab):
- Your appointment confirmation.
- A valid passport.
- A recent colour passport photo.
Your passport photo must meet the Dutch passport-photo rules (External site, opens in a new tab).
If your confirmation shows a separate candidate number or DUO reference, keep it with your documents. Check the country instructions for any extra documents. For example, the instructions for India (External site, opens in a new tab) require valid proof of stay, such as a visa or residence permit, if you take the exam outside your country of nationality.
At the appointment, staff check your passport. They take your fingerprints and enter your details into the computer. You take the exam on a computer. Taking all three parts on one day takes about 2 hours. You can also take the parts on different days.
How do you change or cancel your appointment?
You can change the date once and the location once. Request a change or cancellation at least 24 hours before the exam. See official change and cancellation rules (External site, opens in a new tab).
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Request | Who to contact | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Change the date | Embassy or consulate | Ask whether another appointment is available. |
| Change the location | New embassy or consulate, then DUO | Ask whether you can take the exam there. If it agrees, reply to your DUO confirmation email or payment confirmation. |
| Cancel and request a refund | DUO | Reply to your DUO confirmation email or payment confirmation. Include your name and candidate number. Write that you want to withdraw your registration and receive a refund. |
DUO refunds the money within 6 weeks to the account used to pay.
When do you get your result and how do you retake a part?
DUO sends your result within 8 weeks, often sooner.
If you fail one part, register and pay again only for that part. Passed parts remain valid until you have passed the whole exam. See the official results and resit rules (External site, opens in a new tab).
When should you apply for the MVV?
Once you pass all three parts, your full result is valid for 1 year. Send the result PDF (digital document) with your MVV application within 1 year after passing. If you miss that window, you must pass the whole exam again. The IND result-validity rules (External site, opens in a new tab) explain this deadline.
Practice after booking
Plan practice around KNS, Lezen and Spreken. Start with the official DUO practice exams (External site, opens in a new tab). For extra free practice, use our A1 practice resources. The basisexamen abroad guide explains the three parts and A1 level.
What should you do before the next deadline?
If you are booking your first attempt, check whether you need the exam before paying. Wait for DUO confirmation before arranging your appointment.
If you need to change or cancel an appointment, act at least 24 hours before the exam.
Once you pass all three parts, submit your MVV application within 1 year to keep using that result.
Official Sources
- Naar Nederland: Aanmelden voor het examen (register for the exam) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Registration, 2026 fees, payment, confirmation, appointment changes, cancellation and refunds.
- Naar Nederland: Examen doen (take the exam) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Documents to bring, computer exam, two-hour visit, scoring, result timing and resits.
- IND: Civic Integration Exam Abroad (External site, opens in a new tab) - Exam requirement, exemptions, dispensations, result document and one-year MVV application window.
- Examenreglement basisexamen inburgering (External site, opens in a new tab) - Legal rules for registration, payment, appointment changes, identification, results and resits.
- NederlandWereldwijd: Basisexamen inburgering buitenland (External site, opens in a new tab) - Select your exam country to check locations and appointment instructions.
- IND: Basisexamen inburgering in het buitenland (External site, opens in a new tab) - Dutch source for exemptions, dispensation applications, passed-part validity and the one-year MVV deadline.
- Naar Nederland: Oefenexamens maken (take practice exams) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official practice for KNS, reading and speaking.
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government): passport-photo rules (External site, opens in a new tab) - Dutch requirements for passport photos.
- NederlandWereldwijd: exam appointment in India (External site, opens in a new tab) - Example of country-specific appointment instructions and the conditional requirement for proof of lawful stay.
- Council of Europe: A1 language-level description (External site, opens in a new tab) - A1 describes a basic level of language use.