Which adaptations are possible for an illness or disability
Sitting a standard civic integration test at a busy testing facility can be impossible if you have a physical disability, sensory impairment, or chronic illness.
DUO can adapt the exam so that you can still sit it. Which adaptation you get follows from the doctor's advice; DUO decides and confirms it in a letter. DUO publishes no fixed list of adaptations for the A2 exams; for the Staatsexamen NT2 at B1 or B2 it names extra time as an example.
These modifications apply specifically to the civic integration exams governed by the Wet inburgering 2013 and the Wet inburgering 2021. If you are following the standard civic route, you can request adjustments for Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij (KNM, Knowledge of Dutch Society) and the A2-level language exams covering reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
Physical accessibility is guaranteed across all official testing facilities. Testing takes place at designated centres across six Dutch cities: Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Zwolle. Every official testing location accommodates wheelchairs and mobility aids. However, DUO does not provide private parking at its exam centres, meaning you must arrange drop-off assistance or use public transit when travelling to your appointment.
These accommodations do not apply to every integration candidate. If your municipality (gemeente) enrolled you in the Z-route (zelfredzaamheidsroute) under the 2021 law, the A2 language exams are allowed but not required. Candidates aiming for higher language levels also face different procedures on the official inburgeren.nl portal.
How to apply for an adapted KNM exam or A2 language exam
You request an adapted exam by submitting a formal advice form to DUO well before you attempt to book any exam dates.
The standard online booking calendar does not allow you to select testing accommodations on your own. Instead, you must log into Mijn Inburgering using your DigiD credentials. Navigate to the digital forms section and open the form titled Aanvraag advies aangepast examen (Application for advice on an adapted exam). Complete the questions explaining what physical or psychological condition hinders your ability to take a regular exam and what specific adjustments you require.
If you cannot log into the portal, you can obtain a paper copy of the request form. Download the document titled Aanvraag advies voor een aangepast examen bij ziekte of beperking from the official inburgeren.nl page on illness or disability. Fill it out clearly, sign it, and send it by post to DUO's Servicecentrum Inburgering in Groningen.
Do not delay.
Processing medical requests requires several administrative stages, and standard exam dates often fill up more than six weeks in advance. If your three-year integration term is nearing its end, submitting your request late could put you at risk of missing statutory deadlines.
Do not send medical files with this form.
Only the Argonaut doctor needs your medical papers, not DUO. Keep specialist letters and notes from your huisarts (GP) for the medical assessment in the next stage.
The Argonaut assessment and DUO's letter
After DUO receives and registers your application form, they pass your contact details to an independent medical advisory organisation called Argonaut.
You receive an invitation from Argonaut, and its doctor examines you.
You must take all relevant medical evidence directly to the Argonaut doctor:
- Recent treatment reports from your medical specialist or clinical psychologist
- Prescriptions and formal diagnostic letters from your Dutch huisarts (GP)
The doctor looks at how your condition affects you during the exam and then writes a letter to DUO stating whether you may sit an adapted exam.
DUO decides on the basis of that advice and sends you a letter. It states whether you may sit an adapted exam and which adaptations DUO arranges.
Keep this letter safe.
Registering for the adapted exam and what differs on the day
Receiving DUO's approval letter confirms your right to accommodations, but it does not reserve your testing date or location.
A widespread mistake among newcomers is logging into the online portal to schedule their test after getting their approval. You cannot book an adapted exam inside Mijn Inburgering. Instead, you must submit a physical paper form called Aanmelding inburgeringsexamen (Civic Integration Exam Registration) by regular post. DUO processes the paper registration and arranges the adaptations from its letter.
DUO charges a standard registration fee for each individual exam component, and you must pay that fee again whenever you retake an unpassed part. Within three weeks after you have paid, DUO sends a letter with the place, date and time. You can review all testing regulations on DUO's exam rules guide before you travel.
On the day of your examination, you must strictly observe location rules:
- You must attend completely alone (kom alleen), as relatives, translators, and children are barred from the testing room
- You must carry a valid and undamaged identity document, such as a Dutch residence permit, Dutch passport, or foreign passport
- You must sign a confidentiality form promising to keep test questions completely secret
- You must bring an empty drinking cup if you wish to drink water during your session
Plan your journey carefully. All exam locations, from Amsterdam to Zwolle, offer full wheelchair access, but parking is not provided on site. If an unexpected emergency occurs, you can reschedule or cancel your A2 exam up to one week before the appointed date without forfeiting your exam fee.
Other options: extra time, an ontheffing and the adapted Staatsexamen NT2
Modifying the test format is not the only legal remedy available if severe illness or medical impairment prevents you from fulfilling your integration duties.
When a medical condition is temporary rather than permanent, asking for an adapted exam might not be the most practical solution. DUO grants extensions to your statutory three-year integration deadline (inburgeringstermijn) for long illnesses affecting you, your partner, or a first-degree relative under the official integration regulations. Requesting extra preparation time due to illness is completely free of charge. This route requires medical proof. You can check the rules for fewer or postponed tests directly on DUO's exemption overview.
For candidates with severe, permanent disabilities that make taking any test impossible, the law offers an ontheffing (dispensation). An ontheffing completely releases you from sitting civic integration exams. Applying for an ontheffing on medical grounds costs €225, which you must pay out of pocket because integration loans cannot cover this charge. If the Argonaut medical doctor concludes during your clinical assessment that your condition prevents you from ever reaching the required integration level, DUO will grant you a medical ontheffing and refund the application fee in full. If the doctor determines you can complete integration within five years, DUO rejects your request and keeps the €225.
Candidates following the B1 or B2 language tracks do not use the A2 adaptation procedure. If your integration plan (PIP) directs you toward the Staatsexamen NT2, you request accommodations during your registration on Mijn DUO. You can ask for extended time or personal accommodations directly on the registration form, after which DUO will send you specific written instructions regarding supporting evidence.