The Dutch civic integration exam abroad: parts, rules and how to prepare
Everything about the basic civic integration exam (Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland) on one page: the three parts, booking and results, and a clear path to prepare for it.
If you want to move to the Netherlands to live with your partner or a family member, you will usually have to pass the Dutch civic integration exam abroad before you can apply for an MVV visa. Its official name is Basisexamen Inburgering Buitenland ("basic civic integration exam abroad"). You take it on a computer at a Dutch embassy or consulate, usually in your own country. The exam is at level A1, the most basic level of Dutch.
This guide explains how the exam works, what kind of questions to expect and how to use Dutch Daily Online for structured inburgering exam practice. The facts come from official sources. Because rules and fees can change, you will find the official links at the end of the page.
Who has to take the exam?
You must pass it if you apply for an MVV (Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf, the entry visa for a longer stay) to live in the Netherlands with a partner or family member. Spiritual counsellors coming to the Netherlands also take it.
Some people are exempt. According to the IND (the Dutch immigration service), these include people under 18 or at state pension age, citizens of the EU/EEA, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and a few other countries, and holders of certain Dutch diplomas. If illness or a disability makes it impossible for you to take the exam, you can ask for an exemption (ontheffing); a medical examination is required. Always check your own situation on the IND website.
The three parts at a glance
The exam has three separate parts. Their Dutch names appear on your booking and on the exam screen, so we use them too.
On exam day the order is KNS first, then Lezen, then Spreken, with short breaks in between and an instruction screen before each part. In total it takes about two hours. You don't have to do all three parts on the same day.
Our detailed guides for each part:
Booking, fee and results
Registering and paying
You first register and pay through DUO, the Dutch agency that runs the exam. Your payment confirmation usually arrives by email within a few working days. With it, you make an appointment at the embassy or consulate where you will take the exam. How you book depends on the country: some embassies use an online booking system, others work by email.
Fee
At the time of writing, the full exam costs €150. If you need to retake one part, you only pay for that part. Fees can change, so always check the current amount on the official registration page on naarnederland.nl.
What to bring on exam day
Your appointment confirmation, a valid passport and a recent colour passport photo. At the counter your passport is checked and your fingerprints are taken. Some embassies ask for extra documents, so read your appointment email carefully. We describe the whole exam day step by step on our Real Exam Simulation page.
Results and grading
You receive your result from DUO by email or letter within about 8 weeks. Each part gets a grade from 1 to 10, and you pass if you score at least a 6 on all three parts. If you fail a part, you only register and pay again for that part.
After passing all three parts, you must apply for the MVV within one year. Official sources describe the validity of the result in slightly different ways, so check the IND page once you have your result.
Official study material: the zelfstudiepakket and the photo book
The Dutch government publishes a self-study package for the exam: the zelfstudiepakket "Naar Nederland". It contains a film, a photo book (fotoboek), a workbook, a guide with a word list and an e-learning part. All KNS questions and answers are in this photo book. The package is sold in many languages. naarnederland.nl also offers free official practice exams for each part.
The official package shows you what will be asked; Dutch Daily Online helps you understand, review and practise under exam conditions. The two work well together.
Prepare in four steps
What works best for this exam is to understand first, then review, and finally practise against the clock. The platform is built around that order.
1. Topic Lessons: understand
In Topic Lessons you study the KNS topics (health, education, work, history, rules…), reading strategies and speaking patterns, with explanations in your own language. Every question shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong. Explanations are available in five languages; the Dutch questions and answers always stay in Dutch.
2. All Questions: review
All Questions shows the full question bank with answers: about 100 KNS questions, more than 90 reading texts and over 500 speaking questions. You can hide the answers to test yourself, listen to the Dutch pronunciation and mark the questions you've studied.
3. Practice Exams: one part at a time
Practice Exams let you practise each part in the real exam format. There are more than twenty practice exams each for KNS and Lezen and forty for Spreken. After each one you see your right and wrong answers with an explanation for every question. In speaking practice exams your answers are recorded; you can listen back and, if you like, ask an instructor to review them.
4. Real Exam Simulation: the final rehearsal
A few days before your exam, use the Real Exam Simulation to take all three parts back to back as on exam day: Dutch-only screens, time limits, no hints. That way nothing on the day will surprise you.
If you feel your vocabulary is weak, the word games help you practise basic Dutch words in between.
What is free and what needs a membership?
You can start without paying:
- Topic Lessons: the topic lessons and the first explanations of each topic are open to everyone.
- All Questions: the first questions of each section are free.
- Practice Exams: a free account unlocks the first practice exam of each part.
- Word games: you can play a round for free.
A membership unlocks all explanations, the full question bank, every practice exam, the Real Exam Simulation and progress tracking. If you get stuck, visit the help centre.
Please note: Dutch Daily Online is not an official body and cannot guarantee that you pass. Our aim is to make regular practice in the official exam format easier.
Sources
How many parts does the basic civic integration exam have?
The exam abroad has three parts: KNS (Knowledge of Dutch Society), Lezen (reading) and Spreken (speaking). All three are taken on a computer at the embassy and together take about two hours. You need at least a 6 out of 10 for each part to pass.
How much does the Dutch civic integration exam abroad cost?
At the time of writing the full exam costs €150. If you retake one part, you only pay for that part. Fees can change, so check the current amount on the registration page of naarnederland.nl.
When do I get my result?
You receive it from DUO by email or letter within about 8 weeks after the exam. The embassy does not give results on the day. You use the result document for your MVV application.
Is the A1 Dutch exam difficult?
A1 is the most basic level of Dutch: short questions, simple sentences and everyday topics. Most of the difficulty comes from not knowing the exam format rather than from the language itself. Getting to know the question types and practising against the clock removes much of that stress.
Are the KNS questions published in advance?
Yes. The photo book in the official zelfstudiepakket contains all KNS questions and answers. Still, understanding the topics is safer than memorising answers, and that is exactly what Topic Lessons are for.
Is this the same as the inburgering exam in the Netherlands?
No. The exam abroad is at A1 level and comes before your MVV application. After you move, you take separate exams as part of the civic integration (inburgering) requirement in the Netherlands, usually at B1 level (A2 in some cases) and with more parts.
What do I do after passing?
After passing all three parts, you apply for the MVV within one year. You or your sponsor in the Netherlands (your partner or family member) submits the application to the IND. Check the IND website for the current conditions.