Gemeente meaning: your local government
Gemeente means municipality: the local government of your town or city. In English it is also called the council or the local authority. The gemeente is the office you deal with most often, from the day you arrive.
The gemeente handles:
- registering your address in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, the population register). When you first register, you also get your BSN (citizen service number).
- a move. Report it to the gemeente where you will live, at most 5 days after the move. You can report it up to 4 weeks before.
- your Dutch passport and ID card.
- marriage and registered partnership.
- bijstand (social assistance) and support at home under the Wmo.
- waste collection, local roads and parking permits.
- the leerplichtambtenaar (school attendance officer).
Under the Wet inburgering 2021, the gemeente also has a role in your inburgering. It holds the brede intake (intake interview) and makes your PIP, your personal plan for inburgering and participation.
What DUO does
DUO stands for Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs. It is a national government agency, not part of the gemeente. DUO works for the Ministry of Education, and for inburgering it works for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.
DUO handles:
- the inburgering exams, including KNM, and the Staatsexamens NT2.
- Mijn Inburgering, where you see your exams, results and deadline.
- the loan for an inburgering course, when you can get one.
- studiefinanciering (student finance) and school diplomas.
If you are an inburgeraar, DUO sends you the letter that says you must inburgeren. DUO also checks whether you finish on time.
What the IND does
IND stands for Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (Immigration and Naturalisation Service). It is part of the Ministry of Justice and Security. The IND decides who may live in the Netherlands.
The IND handles:
- residence permits (verblijfsvergunning): applying, extending and changing them.
- asylum applications.
- family reunification: a partner or child who wants to join you.
- residence for work or study.
- naturalisation: the decision whether you become Dutch.
You follow your own application in Mijn IND.
Gemeente, DUO or IND: who does what?
Most KNM questions on this theme link a task to one office. This table shows the most common links.
| Task | Instantie |
|---|---|
| Register your address, get a BSN | gemeente |
| Report a move | gemeente |
| Apply for a passport or ID card | gemeente |
| Brede intake and PIP | gemeente |
| Book an inburgering exam, see your results | DUO |
| Student finance | DUO |
| Extend your residence permit | IND |
| Ask for a partner to join you | IND |
| Decide on naturalisation | IND |
IND, DUO and gemeente: when they work together
Some procedures pass through more than one office. Two are good to know.
Inburgering. DUO tells you that you must inburgeren and sets your deadline. The gemeente holds your intake and makes your plan. DUO runs the exams.
Naturalisation. You hand in your request at the gemeente. The gemeente sends it to the IND, and the IND decides. After a yes, the gemeente invites you to the naturalisation ceremony. You only become Dutch at that ceremony.
DigiD and online safety
Since July 2025 this theme also covers digital citizenship. You log in to the websites of the gemeente, DUO (Mijn Inburgering) and the IND (Mijn IND) with the same DigiD. DigiD is your personal login for the government. Never share it with anyone, not even with someone who offers to help. Check that you are on the real website before you log in. More in our guide to DigiD and the digital government.
How the KNM exam asks about instanties
The DUO KNM exam has 40 questions, each with a picture and three options. You pass with at least 28 correct answers. A question on this theme often names three real offices, and only one fits. Here are three practice-style examples.
Sara verhuist naar een andere stad. Waar moet zij haar nieuwe adres doorgeven?
- A. Bij de gemeente
- B. Bij DUO
- C. Bij de IND
Sara is moving to another city. The answer is A: she reports her new address to the gemeente.
Amir wil zijn verblijfsvergunning verlengen. Bij welke instantie doet hij dat?
- A. Bij de gemeente
- B. Bij DUO
- C. Bij de IND
Amir wants to extend his residence permit. The answer is C: the IND.
Lina wil weten wanneer haar inburgeringstermijn eindigt. Waar kan zij dat zien?
- A. In Mijn IND
- B. In Mijn Inburgering van DUO
- C. Op de website van de gemeente
Lina wants to know when her inburgering period ends. The answer is B: Mijn Inburgering at DUO.
Look for the clue word first: verhuizen or paspoort points to the gemeente, examen or studiefinanciering to DUO, verblijfsvergunning to the IND; for naturalisatie you apply at the gemeente and the IND decides. For the other levels of government, see gemeente, provincie and Rijk in KNM. Then try the KNM practice questions.
