Basisexamen · level A1 · taken abroad
The civic integration exam abroad (MVV): the A1 test
Last updated · official information checked at naarnederland.nl
The civic integration exam abroad (basisexamen inburgering buitenland) is an A1 Dutch exam taken at a Dutch embassy or consulate before the move. You must pass it if you need a provisional residence permit (MVV) to join a partner here, or to work here as a religious minister. It has 3 parts: Knowledge of Dutch Society, Reading and Speaking.
I did not take the exam abroad myself. I learned Dutch in the Netherlands and prepared for the A2 inburgering exam here.
Naarnederland.nl calls it the Basic Civic Integration Examination (BIB), so you will also see it called the basic civic integration exam abroad. It is the A1 Dutch exam you take before you move. Already living in the Netherlands? Then you need the inburgering exam, which is a different exam.
Who it is for
Who has to take the exam abroad?
You have to pass the civic integration exam abroad if you need an MVV. That is the case if you move to live with your partner, or come to work as a religious minister. An MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf) is the visa that lets you enter the Netherlands. These are the situations:
- The partner of a Dutch national, who needs an MVV.
- Someone moving to join a partner in the Netherlands, or moving here together with a partner, who needs an MVV.
- A religious minister, such as an imam or a pastor, who is coming to work here and needs an MVV.
Whether you need an MVV is explained on ind.nl. If your partner already lives in the Netherlands, they wait until you have passed, and then apply to the IND for your MVV.
Since 1 January 2022 the exam also applies to Turkish nationals. They now follow the same rules as people from most other countries.
Whether you must do inburgering after you arrive is a separate question. See who must do inburgering.
Exemption and dispensation
Who does not have to take it?
Some people need an MVV but are exempt from the exam, which means they do not have to take it. These are some of the situations:
- Under 18, or at the Dutch state pension (AOW) age.
- A national of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland. The same goes for Australia, Canada, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vatican City.
- An EU long-term resident in another EU country.
- Lived in the Netherlands for 8 years or more while of compulsory school age.
- Surinamese nationality, with at least primary school finished in Dutch, in Suriname or the Netherlands.
- Already holding an inburgering diploma or a Staatsexamen NT2 diploma (programme I or II). A Dutch diploma from a course taught in Dutch also counts, such as vmbo, havo, mbo from level 2, hbo or university. More diplomas count: ind.nl has the full list.
- Applying for a residence permit with a temporary purpose of stay, or joining a family member who holds an asylum permit.
You ask the IND for an exemption from the civic integration exam, not the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO). Fill in the IND’s annex for the exam abroad and send it with your proof and the MVV application. Send a copy of a diploma, never the original.
Someone who cannot pass the exam, for example because of an illness or a disability, can ask for a dispensation. That also goes through the annex, with the MVV application. For a medical reason, tell the embassy or consulate first. They send you to a doctor for a check, and you pay for it. The IND decides.
The full rules are on ind.nl.
The parts
What is in the exam?
The exam has 3 parts: Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS), Reading at level A1 and Speaking at level A1. A1 means simple Dutch. KNS covers how people in the Netherlands treat each other and what the rules are.
| Part | Questions | Time | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNS) | 30 questions | 30 minutes | Photos on screen. Each question is read aloud slowly, with 2 answers to choose from. |
| Reading (A1) | 19 questions | 35 minutes | A short text, then questions about it. |
| Speaking (A1) | 22 questions | 30 minutes | Short questions to answer and sentences to finish, spoken into a microphone. |
A computer marks KNS and Reading. Examiners mark Speaking, using DUO’s assessment model for Speaking. Each part gets a mark from 1 to 10, and you pass with at least a 6 on all 3.
Booking and exam day
Booking the A1 Dutch exam at the embassy
You take the exam at a Dutch embassy or consulate. In some countries an external service provider runs it. You register with the Education Executive Agency (DUO) first, then book the appointment yourself.
1.Register with DUO
OnlineRegister online through naarnederland.nl, and pick the embassy or consulate there too. A paper form also works, but it can take up to 10 weeks.
2.Pay
After registeringThe fee is per part. With a Dutch bank account, iDEAL or Wero works. Otherwise payment is by bank transfer, after a payment request by email.
3.Confirmation
Within 5 working daysDUO sends a confirmation by email or post. It has the candidate number and says how to book.
4.Book an appointment
Self-arrangedYou book the appointment with the embassy or consulate yourself. Netherlandsworldwide.nl shows how this works in each country.
5.Take the exam
About 2 hoursThe exam is on a computer. All 3 parts on one day take about 2 hours. They can also be spread over different days.
6.Result
Within 8 weeksDUO sends an email or a letter. If the sponsor's email address was given at registration, the sponsor gets the result too.
The current fee is on naarnederland.nl. We leave the amount out here because it can change.
No Dutch embassy or consulate in the country where you live? Choose the nearest one; you may need a visa to go there. Whether you can sit the exam in your country, and how to book there, is on netherlandsworldwide.nl.
You can change the date once and the place once, up to 24 hours before the exam. You can also cancel. Do it at least 24 hours ahead and you get your money back.
Bring to the exam
- The appointment confirmation.
- A valid passport.
- A recent colour passport photo.
- For anyone who is not a national of the country where the exam takes place: proof of the right to stay there, such as a residence permit or visa.
At the desk you show your passport and your fingerprints are taken.
Result and MVV
You passed: how long is the result valid?
You hear from DUO within 8 weeks, often sooner. You receive an email with a PDF, and that PDF goes with the MVV application.
A passed part stays valid. A failed part is retaken on its own, with a new registration and a new fee.
Once you have passed all 3 parts, you have 1 year to apply for the MVV. Usually your sponsor does this at the IND. Your sponsor is the person you will live with in the Netherlands. The MVV is applied for together with the residence permit. Wait longer than a year and you take the whole exam again.
After you move
In the Netherlands, inburgering starts
With the MVV you travel to the Netherlands, and civic integration continues there under the Civic Integration Act 2021 (Wet inburgering 2021). A letter from DUO comes first. Then the municipality sends an invitation to an interview and a test. The interview is compulsory.
After it, the municipality makes a plan with you, the PIP. It sets the learning route and the exams. On the B1-route the language exams are at B1. If B1 does not work out after at least 600 hours of lessons, you can talk to your municipality about scaling down to A2. You have 3 years to integrate. Family migrants pay for their inburgering themselves, at least in part.
| Exam abroad | Inburgering in the Netherlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | The home country or one nearby, at an embassy or consulate | In the Netherlands |
| When | Before the MVV application | After the move, within 3 years |
| Language level | A1 | Set by the learning route in the PIP: B1, B1 or B2, or A1 on the Z-route |
| Parts | KNS, Reading and Speaking | Language exams and knowledge exams, as the PIP says |
What those exams involve is on the inburgering exam page. KNS is not the same as KNM, although both names translate as knowledge of Dutch society. KNM (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij) is a separate knowledge exam in the Netherlands, and your PIP will say whether you take it. See the KNM exam.
How to prepare
How do you prepare?
Start with the official ‘Naar Nederland’ self-study package, which comes in many languages and which you can download free or buy. It includes a film, a photo book and a workbook. The photo book prints every KNS question with its answer.
Naarnederland.nl also has practice exams for all 3 parts. You need a computer with internet, and a microphone for Speaking. The KNS practice exam has 5 questions. The Reading and Speaking practice exams match the real exam in questions and time; only the questions differ. The Speaking practice exam has 10 questions to answer and 12 sentences to finish. Every Speaking question and sentence is published in a document on the same site.
inburgeringprep.com has no practice exams for this A1 exam, and we sell nothing for it. You can practise words and pronunciation with us for free:
- Vocabulary: every word list is free. They are built for A2 and B1, a step beyond this exam.
- Pronunciation: hear how Dutch words and names are said.
- Speaking practice: say a sentence out loud and get a score.
Once you live in the Netherlands, the exams there are the ones that matter. For those we do have practice questions and mock exams.
Common questions
Is the inburgering exam abroad the same as the inburgering exam in the Netherlands?
No, the exam abroad is at A1 and you take it in your home country, before the MVV application. The inburgering exam comes later, after the move to the Netherlands. Its level depends on the learning route, for example B1 on the B1-route.
How much does the civic integration exam abroad cost?
DUO charges per part, and the current amount is on naarnederland.nl, on the page about registering for the exam. If you fail a part, you pay for it again. Cancel at least 24 hours before the exam and you get your money back. The self-study package is a free download.
How long is the result valid?
A passed part stays valid, but once all 3 parts are passed there is 1 year to apply for the MVV. After that year, the whole exam has to be taken again.
What if I fail one part?
You retake only the part you failed, and you register and pay for that part again. Each part gets a mark from 1 to 10, and a pass needs at least a 6 on all 3.
Can I take the exam in another country?
Yes, when you register you pick the embassy or consulate, in your home country or a country nearby. If your country has no Dutch embassy or consulate, pick the nearest one; you may need a visa to go there. People who live outside the EU cannot take the exam inside the EU; people who live in the EU must show that they do.
Is there a writing or listening part?
No, the exam has only 3 parts: Knowledge of Dutch Society, Reading and Speaking, so there is no writing or listening part. The self-study package is also meant for people who cannot yet read or write.
Can I change the date or place of my exam?
Yes, the date can be changed once and the place once, up to 24 hours before the exam. For a new date, contact the embassy or consulate. For a new place, first ask the other embassy or consulate whether it is possible, then reply to DUO's confirmation email.
Is the practice material on naarnederland.nl official?
Yes, the 'Naar Nederland' self-study package and the practice exams are on naarnederland.nl, the government site for this exam. Note that the real exam looks different from the practice exam. inburgeringprep.com has no practice exams for this A1 exam.
Do I still have to do inburgering after I move?
Yes, the MVV is only the way in, and civic integration continues in the Netherlands after arrival. The municipality invites you to a compulsory interview and then makes a plan with you, the PIP. It sets the learning route and the exams.
inburgeringprep.com is independent and not part of DUO, the IND or the Dutch government. Registration, payment, results and the MVV always go through DUO, the embassy and the IND, and the rules change. The facts on this page come from these official sources:
- Basic Civic Integration Examination (BIB): what you need to do
- Who needs to take the exam
- Learning for the exam
- Taking practice exams
- Self-study package
- Registering for the exam (and costs)
- Taking the exam
- After the exam
- Civic Integration Exam Abroad (IND)
- Provisional residence permit, MVV (IND)
- Civic integration exam abroad, by country (Netherlands Worldwide)
- Integration in the Netherlands (inburgeren.nl)
- Starting inburgering in your country of origin (Rijksoverheid, in Dutch)
- Inburgering for Turkish nationals (Rijksoverheid, in Dutch)
You arrange the exam abroad with DUO and the embassy. Start learning words now. It helps later too, with the exams in the Netherlands.