Moving from COA to a municipality

These figures cover asylum migrants required to complete inburgering (civic integration) under the 2021 law. A statushouder (asylum residence permit holder) has received an asylum residence permit. COA assigns status holders to a gemeente (External site, opens in a new tab). This assignment is called koppeling (matching to a municipality). The gemeente arranges housing and guides integration from the assignment.

While you wait for housing, you may remain in reception and move between locations. The gemeente can start the brede intake (broad intake assessment) and prepare your PIP (personal integration and participation plan) during reception. These steps can also happen after you move into municipal housing.

CBS counts family members who join asylum status holders within its asylum-migrant group. Its separate gezins- en overige migranten (family and other migrants) group settles directly with a referent (sponsor), without first entering COA reception. A family member joining an asylum status holder can enter reception if the sponsor has no suitable housing.

The Wet inburgering 2021 overview explains the municipal role and learning routes. For the wider population, see the demographics of people starting civic integration.

CBS counts moves between reception locations before municipal housing. This chart includes people already housed and people still in reception at the end of 2025. It covers about 67,600 asylum migrants and uses preliminary figures through December 2025.

The reception-moves chart excludes people registered with COA but living elsewhere, and people who never had a COA reception agreement.

About 58,700 of these 67,600 people had moved at least once: about 87%. More than 40% had moved 3 or more times, and about 22% had moved 4 or more times. People still in reception could move again after the reporting period.

CBS measures the distance between your reception location and your assigned gemeente at the time of koppeling. This table covers about 61,500 asylum migrants. It uses preliminary figures through December 2025.

The largest group, about 30%, was assigned a gemeente 20 to 60 km away. About 15% were assigned one at a distance of 0 km. About 31% were assigned one within 20 km, including the 0 km group. Roughly 40% were assigned one 60 km away or more. The figures describe distance at assignment, rather than the address of the eventual home. CBS excludes people whose assignment was unknown at the end of 2025, people registered with COA but living elsewhere, and people without a reception agreement.

CBS measures the time from the start of the inburgeringsplicht (integration obligation) to settling in a gemeente. The table covers about 71,200 asylum migrants. It uses preliminary figures through December 2025.

About 32,400 people were recorded as settled within 6 months after the obligation began: roughly 45% of this table’s group. This excludes the 23% recorded as already settled. About 11% took 12 months or more. About 89% were recorded as already settled when the obligation started or as settling less than 12 months afterwards.

CBS uses the end of the COA reception agreement as the settlement date. It records some people as settled on the day their obligation starts: people who never stayed in reception, people registered with COA but living elsewhere, and people whose reception agreement ended before 2022. These cases are included in the 23% row.

For this settlement chart, CBS excludes people whose obligation was waived, exempted or ended, unless they have both a recorded intake start and a PIP. It includes people who completed integration. Recent groups have had less time to settle, so comparisons between years need care.

The CBS starting point differs from your inburgeringstermijn (period to complete civic integration). Under the 2021 law, that period starts the day after the date on your initial PIP. DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) explains the start-date letter and personal dates (External site, opens in a new tab). Check your letter or Mijn Inburgering (DUO’s online civic integration portal) for your own dates.

You can start integration activities during reception. COA offers voorinburgering (preparation for civic integration): Dutch lessons and lessons about Dutch society and work. Taking part in voorinburgering is voluntary (External site, opens in a new tab). Ask COA and your gemeente which lessons you can attend while waiting for housing.

CBS records whether the intake or voorinburgering started, or a PIP was set, during the opvangovereenkomst (reception agreement). This chart covers people living in COA reception when their integration obligation began. It excludes people registered with COA but living elsewhere, people who had already left reception, and people without a reception agreement.

The published counts and percentages give an estimated total of about 68,100 asylum migrants for this table. It uses preliminary figures through December 2025. For voorinburgering, a person needs a COA reception agreement and must live in a COA reception location.

About 55% had at least one of these activities recorded during reception. Voorinburgering was the most common, at about 45%. People can appear in both an intake category and the voorinburgering row. The bottom row counts each person once. Do not add the rows together.

CBS records instemming (consent) as yes, no or niet gevraagd (not asked). Among people asked, about 3 agreed for every person who declined. This table uses preliminary figures through December 2025.

Consent records willingness to take part. These figures do not show how many lessons each person attended.

CBS counted about 2,630 asylum migrants assigned a gemeente more than once. About 62% of these people were in CBS’s ‘before the start of the brede intake’ category. These are preliminary figures through December 2025.

The CBS dashboard (External site, opens in a new tab) covers everyone who became subject to the 2021 integration law, including people later granted an exemption or waiver. This article uses only its asylum-migrant figures. Each chart covers a different group, so the totals differ. None gives a moving date for someone still waiting.

CBS rounds counts to the nearest 5. We calculate approximate totals and percentages from those rounded counts. Percentages may therefore not add up to 100%. The activity categories overlap; only the “at least one” row counts each person once. The 45% housed within 6 months excludes those housed before the obligation began.

The analysis uses six chart CSV (spreadsheet data) downloads. The Dutch titles below help you find the charts on the dashboard; each is followed by an English gloss.

• Aantal tussentijdse verhuizingen voor huisvesting in de gemeente.
• Afstand (op moment van koppeling) tussen opvanglocatie en de gekoppelde gemeente.
• Asielmigrant tijd tussen start inburgeringsplicht en vestiging in gemeente.
• Inburgeringsactiviteiten tijdens periode van de opvangovereenkomst (integration activities during the reception agreement).
• Instemming Voorinburgering door inburgeringsplichtigen (consent to preparation for civic integration).
• Aantal asielmigranten dat meerdere keren aan een gemeente is gekoppeld (asylum migrants assigned a municipality more than once).

Inburgering.org summarises and analyses these official statistics. CBS produces the data; COA, your gemeente and DUO handle your housing and integration arrangements. This article explains group statistics and gives no individual legal or immigration advice. For related figures, see language levels reached by people in civic integration.

If you are still in reception, ask COA about voorinburgering and ask your assigned gemeente when your intake can begin. If you already have a PIP, ask the gemeente which lessons you can start. An intake or plan can be ready before you receive housing.

Use the figures to understand the process, then check your own arrangements. Ask your gemeente about housing. Check your DUO letter for your integration dates. The 6-month housing figure is a group result, not a deadline for your move. If you are moving, the guide below explains how to report the address and keep your integration arrangements on schedule.

These pages explain PIP timing, reporting a move and the integration routes:

• PIP timing by municipality
• Moving house during inburgering
• Wet inburgering 2021: routes and requirements