How long you have: the 3-year inburgeringstermijn
The inburgering deadline is the same under both laws: 3 years. DUO calls it the inburgeringstermijn. Which law applies depends on when your inburgeringsplicht (duty to integrate) started. From 1 January 2022 it is the Wet inburgering 2021; before that, the Wet inburgering 2013.
What you must finish in those 3 years differs per law:
- Wet inburgering 2013: the language exams at A2 or higher, plus KNM (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij, knowledge of Dutch society). Depending on your start date, ONA and the PVT are also part of it.
- Wet inburgering 2021: the learning route in your PIP (persoonlijk plan inburgering en participatie). That is usually the B1 route, with language exams at B1, plus KNM, the PVT and the MAP (Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie).
The deadline does not apply if you are not inburgeringsplichtig, for example as an EU, EEA or Swiss national. A vrijstelling (exemption) or ontheffing (dispensation) also changes what you must do, but only once DUO or your gemeente confirms it in writing.
When your inburgeringstermijn starts
Your term does not start when you book an exam or begin lessons. DUO sends a letter once you have a BSN, a residence permit and a registration with the gemeente. Under the 2021 law, the gemeente then holds a broad intake and sets your PIP. After that, DUO sends a second letter with the date from which you must integrate.
Mijn Inburgering, which you open with DigiD on inburgeren.nl, always shows your start date and what you still need to do. Check it there rather than counting from your arrival date.
Under the 2021 law, DUO also writes to you 2 months before your term ends, unless you are an asylum status holder. The letter lists the data DUO holds about you. If a course or exam result is missing, report it straight away.
Verlenging inburgering: reasons DUO accepts
A verlenging (extension of your inburgering deadline) is only possible for reasons on DUO's extra time list. Under the Wet inburgering 2021 these are:
- you first had to learn to read and write, in a literacy course;
- you follow an education in the Netherlands;
- you are ill, or you care for an ill partner, child or parent;
- a family member died;
- you gave birth (16 weeks extra, for a child born during your term);
- you are homeless, or you live in a blijf-van-mijn-lijfhuis (women's shelter);
- you had to wait because the gemeente did not arrange a course in time;
- you could not attend lessons because of problems at the school;
- on the B1 route, you followed many course hours, passed KNM and at least 2 of the 4 language exams, and finished PVT and MAP;
- another reason that was not your fault.
Busy work, stress or simply needing more study time are not on the list.
In February 2025 the government proposed more grounds: a childcare shortage, working 32 hours a week, and a PIP set while living in COA housing. That was only a consultation proposal. These grounds are not on DUO's list, so do not count on them.
Inburgering verlenging aanvragen: how to apply for extra time
Each reason on DUO's list has its own page, form and conditions. In general, it works like this:
- Check the conditions for your reason. For most reasons, your term must have started at least 2.5 years ago. Illness counts only if it lasted more than 3 months and you or your family member saw a doctor.
- Fill in the form for that reason.
- Add proof, such as your medical file from the huisarts or a copy of the birth certificate. Send copies, never originals.
- Send the form and proof to DUO. The form says how.
- DUO decides and lets you know within 8 weeks.
You get extra time only once for the same period. The 6-month extension for many course hours on the B1 route needs no application: DUO gives it automatically if you meet all the conditions. Apply well before your inburgering deadline, because an 8-week decision can run past it.
The inburgering fine if you miss the deadline
If your term ends and you have no right to extra time, DUO can fine you. The DUO fine page gives the maximum amounts:
- Wet inburgering 2021: at most €1,000 for not finishing your learning route in time, plus €340 for a late PVT and €340 for a late MAP.
- Wet inburgering 2013: at most €1,250 for not getting your diploma in time, plus €340 for a late PVT.
DUO never fines asylum status holders, under either law. The amount is not fixed: DUO looks at your course hours at a recognised school, your exam attempts and the parts you already passed. Before a fine, you get a letter called Vooraankondiging termijnoverschrijding. Send DUO any missing course data then.
After the fine: you still have to integrate
A fine does not end your duty. You must still finish, and DUO gives you extra time:
- 2021 law, B1 route or education route: 2 years if you passed no exams, 1.5 years after 1 exam, 1 year after 2 exams, 6 months after 3 or 4 exams.
- 2021 law, Z-route: from 2 years down to 6 months, depending on your course hours.
- 2021 law, late PVT or MAP: 6 months for one, 1 year for both.
- 2013 law: 2 years to get your diploma.
The inburgeringsdiploma also matters beyond the fine. You usually need it for a permanent residence permit, and to naturalise you need the A2 inburgeringsexamen or the staatsexamen NT2 at B1 or B2. A late diploma delays both. The IND handles those applications.
Do not leave your exams for the last months of year three. A2 and KNM results can take as long as 8 weeks, and a failed part needs a new booking. Use DUO's free practice exams to check your level before you book.