ONA Portfolio and Result Cards: How to Fill Them In

The ONA portfolio is the part of Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt where you show DUO that you understand work and job search in the Netherlands. You fill in 8 official resultaatkaarten, or result cards, and add evidence where the cards ask for it. After you send the portfolio, DUO checks it. If it is approved, you finish ONA through a 64-hour ONA course or a final interview.

• The portfolio is not only a form. The 8 result cards and the requested evidence together show your work orientation.
• Use the official DUO cards. Download the current result cards, explanation and word list from the official ONA page.
• DUO does not fill the cards in for you. DUO also says it does not provide example portfolios.
• Keep it realistic. Choose a job direction that fits your language level, diplomas, experience and next steps.
• Submit online if you can. Mijn Inburgering is the normal route. If you submit by post, DUO says you cannot use the 64-hour ONA course route.
• Plan time for checking. DUO says portfolio checking can take 6 weeks. If it is rejected, the corrected portfolio can take another 6 weeks.

Use this article if ONA is listed in Mijn Inburgering or in a DUO letter and you need help understanding the portfolio. If you are not sure whether you need ONA, MAP or PVT, first read the MAP, ONA and PVT guide. For the whole ONA process, use the main ONA guide.

Each card looks at one part of work in the Netherlands. Keep the same job direction through the cards so your portfolio tells one clear story.

Evidence is proof that supports what you wrote on a card. It does not need to be fancy. It does need to match the card. If your card says you researched childcare jobs, evidence about a completely different job can confuse the portfolio.

• Vacancies or screenshots that show job tasks and requirements.
• Notes from a conversation with a teacher, employer, volunteer coordinator or job coach.
• A course, diploma, certificate or credential evaluation that connects to your work direction.
• A CV step, application email, volunteer contact or registration confirmation.
• A small overview of people or organisations in your network.

• Start with the official DUO explanation, result cards and word list. Do not use old files from a random website.
• Choose one work direction first. The cards become much easier when they all point to the same realistic goal.
• Write short, clear Dutch sentences. A simple true answer is better than a complicated copied answer.
• After every answer, ask: can I explain this in my own words if DUO asks me?
• Add evidence while you work on each card, not at the end.
• Before sending, check names, dates, attachments and whether every card that asks for evidence has evidence.

If you can log in, DUO says you send the result cards and evidence through Mijn Inburgering. Choose ONA, send the cards and evidence, choose how you pay, and choose whether you continue with the 64-hour ONA course or the final interview.

If you cannot log in to Mijn Inburgering, DUO provides forms and the result cards for postal submission. In that postal route, DUO says you cannot use the 64-hour ONA course route. If the portfolio is approved, you receive a form for the final interview.

• Copying someone else's portfolio. The interview, if you choose it, is about your own cards.
• Choosing a job that does not fit your situation and then giving weak evidence.
• Sending evidence that does not match the answer on the card.
• Waiting until the last week to collect proof, especially if you need help from a school or employer.
• Forgetting that a rejected portfolio must be corrected and checked again.
• Paying for ONA before checking whether an ONA exemption might apply.

• Check Mijn Inburgering first to make sure ONA is still one of your required exams.
• Download the current result cards and official explanation from DUO.
• Create one folder for the cards and one folder for evidence.
• Plan the portfolio in small sessions: one card, then the matching evidence.
• Before paying, check whether work, MAP, incapacity or retirement could give you an ONA exemption.
• If you choose the interview route, practise explaining each card in simple Dutch.

For related help, read the ONA exemption guide, the registration guide and the costs and loans guide.