A2 exam fees per part
DUO charges per exam part, not one price for the whole exam. Every DUO exam part has the same fee, listed on DUO's costs page:
- Lezen (reading): €50
- Luisteren (listening): €50
- Schrijven (writing): €50
- Spreken (speaking): €50
- KNM (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij, knowledge of Dutch society): €50
That makes €250 for the five parts. Under the Wet inburgering 2013 you may also need ONA (Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt). It costs €40, which brings the total to €290.
Under the Wet inburgering 2021, most people follow the B1 route, so their language exams are at B1 level. DUO's price table for that law still lists €50 per exam. Mijn Inburgering shows which exams you must take.
Inburgeringscursus kosten and other costs
The exam fee is only part of the bill. Most people also take an inburgering course, and the inburgeringscursus kosten differ per school. DUO says to ask the school directly. To borrow from DUO, the course must be at an approved school.
The participatieverklaringstraject (PVT) is free under the Wet inburgering 2021. Under the Wet inburgering 2013 it is free for asylum status holders and costs €150 for everyone else. The MAP (Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie) belongs to the 2021 law. You do it at the gemeente, and it is free.
Do your children go to childcare while you follow an approved course, the PVT or the MAP? Then you may get kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare benefit) from the Dienst Toeslagen.
Who pays for inburgering
Who pays depends on your status and the law you integrate under:
- Asylum status holders, 2021 law: the gemeente pays the course and the first 2 attempts at each exam. You pay for extra attempts yourself, and you cannot borrow from DUO. The free attempts do not apply to an exam at a lower level than your PIP sets.
- Asylum status holders, 2013 law: you can borrow up to €10,000 from DUO and never have to repay it.
- Family migrants and others: you pay the course and exams yourself, or borrow from DUO. DUO sets the amount from your income.
A DUO loan is paid straight to the school or the exam, so you never get the money yourself. Are you not an asylum status holder? Then you repay the loan with interest over up to 10 years. Repayment starts 6 months after you finish, unless DUO forgives part of it. Our DUO loan guide explains the details.
Why retakes drive the real cost
A failed part costs €50 again for each new attempt. Two failed parts with one retake each add €100 to the €250. If you borrow, that money becomes debt.
Timing can cost money too. You can cancel an exam up to 1 week before the date and get your fee back. After that, the fee is lost (DUO on booking).
The cheapest plan is to book a part only when you are ready for it. DUO's free practice exams show the level of each part before you pay.
An example: what two retakes cost
Say you are a family migrant and pass Lezen, Luisteren and KNM on the first try. You fail Schrijven and Spreken once each and pass both on the second try. Your exam bill is €250 for the first round plus €100 for the two retakes, so €350 in total. The course comes on top, and so does ONA if you integrate under the Wet inburgering 2013.
An asylum status holder under the 2021 law pays nothing for the same two retakes, because the gemeente covers the first 2 attempts at each exam. A third attempt at one part would be paid by the candidate.
Before you book an exam
A short check can save you a fee:
- Open Mijn Inburgering and see which exams you must take.
- Book a part only when your practice results show you are ready.
- Keep the 1-week cancellation limit in mind when you pick a date.
- Ask your school what the course costs and whether DUO approves it for a loan.
- Write down your deadline, so a late finish does not turn into a fine.
What a late finish costs on top
You have 3 years to complete inburgering. If you miss that deadline without a reason DUO accepts, DUO can fine you:
- Wet inburgering 2021: at most €1,000 for your learning route, plus €340 for a late PVT and €340 for a late MAP;
- Wet inburgering 2013: at most €1,250, plus €340 for a late PVT.
Asylum status holders are never fined (DUO fine page). After a fine you still have to finish, with extra time. Illness, a literacy course and giving birth are among the accepted reasons for extra time. The full list is on DUO's extra time page.