What ONA is and why you still read about it
ONA stands for Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt (orientation to the Dutch labour market). It belongs to the older inburgering system, so you still see the term because some people are still inburgeringsplichtig under the Wet inburgering 2007 or 2013.
That older group has not disappeared. Divosa says some people are still under Wi2007 and Wi2013, and municipalities report that part of this group has fallen out of view. That is why information about ONA still exists alongside newer information about the Wet inburgering 2021. DUO also still uses the term on its exam registration page: if you need KNM, ONA or an A2 language exam, you log in to Mijn Inburgering and choose a date and place there.
This matters because many readers see mixed information online and think ONA is still a standard part for everyone. It is not. The law that applies depends on when your inburgeringsplicht started. Rijksoverheid says everyone who became inburgeringsplichtig from 1 January 2022 falls under the Wet inburgering 2021. If your duty started before that, you may still be in an older system where ONA can appear in your required parts.
Check your DUO letter or Mijn Inburgering first. DUO states there which parts you must do and at what level, and that is the safest way to see whether ONA belongs to your own route: DUO's inburgering site.
Who ONA still binds and who it does not
ONA still binds people whose inburgeringsplicht runs under the older laws, especially the Wet inburgering 2013 and in some cases the Wet inburgering 2007. It does not belong to the standard structure of the Wet inburgering 2021.
The key rule is simple. If your inburgeringsplicht started on or after 1 January 2022, Rijksoverheid says you fall under the Wet inburgering 2021. Under that law, the municipality has a central role, with a brede intake (broad intake) and a Persoonlijk Plan Inburgering en Participatie or PIP. In that newer system, the labour-market element is not called ONA.
So who should still pay attention to ONA? People who started earlier and are still finishing duties from Wi2013 or Wi2007. Divosa says a number of people are still in those groups. That includes some people who have been hard to reach, and some who come back into the process because of residence or naturalisation questions. If that is your situation, older terms can still appear in DUO communication.
Who does not need to treat ONA as their current route? Newcomers covered by the 2021 law. That includes people whose inburgeringsplicht began from 2022 onward, whether they are statushouders or gezinsmigranten under that law. For them, the municipality guides the process, and the labour-market and participation part is organised differently.
If you are unsure which law applies, start with your personal DUO account rather than a forum post or an old school handout. DUO says you can see there which exams you must do: Mijn Inburgering.
What ONA covers: work and taking part in Dutch society
ONA is about the Dutch labour market, but the underlying theme is broader than finding a job title. It sits in the same practical area as work, participation, and learning how to take part in society.
The official pages on the newer law help show that broader purpose clearly. Divosa says the goal of the Wet inburgering 2021 is that inburgeringsplichtigen take part in Dutch society as fast as possible, preferably through paid work. The participation page adds that Dutch develops faster when you use the language directly, for example in work, volunteer work, an internship, or another form of participation. That tells you what this policy area is about even when the old label ONA is used: not theory alone, but functioning in daily Dutch work and social life.
Under the 2021 law, participation and work are tied closely to language learning. A dual track can combine learning and working. For people in the Z-route this is required, and for people in the B1-route it is encouraged. The focus is on getting to know Dutch work culture and joining society in practice.
So if you still have ONA in your own file, read it as part of that older work-and-participation logic. If you do not, you still need the same kind of real-life knowledge for living in the Netherlands: how work fits into inburgering, how participation supports language growth, and how Dutch institutions expect you to join in.
That is one reason the KNM study material overlaps with daily life. You are not only memorising words. You are learning the procedures and expectations you meet outside the classroom.
What replaced ONA under the 2021 law
Under the Wet inburgering 2021, ONA was replaced by Module Arbeidsmarkt & Participatie (MAP) and by stronger participation inside the whole route. The system changed from one older labour-market component to a wider municipality-led approach.
Rijksoverheid says municipalities guide newcomers who must inburgeren from 1 January 2022 onward. Everyone gets a route based on a brede intake and a PIP. The law aims at quick participation in the Netherlands and, alongside that, quick access to work. In that setup, MAP is the named module for labour market and participation.
Divosa states this directly: MAP lets inburgeringsplichtigen in the B1-route and Z-route get to know and prepare for taking part in the Dutch labour market. The same page says the Participatieverklaringstraject (PVT) introduces key values and basic principles of Dutch society. Rijksoverheid also says municipalities are responsible for an offer for statushouders that includes one of the three leerroutes, MAP for the B1- and Z-route, and PVT. Gezinsmigranten and other migrants can also use MAP and PVT, but they must arrange and pay for their own learning route themselves.
Two exclusions matter here. First, ONA is not the right term for people under the 2021 law. Second, MAP is not described as applying to every route in the same way: the official text names it for the B1- and Z-route, not as a general part for all routes without distinction.
If you are booking old-law parts, DUO still lists ONA on the registration page. If you are under the new law, your municipality and PIP are the place to look first, not old ONA instructions.
Where to check the rules for your own situation
Your own situation depends first on which law applies to you. The safest place to check that is DUO, because DUO shows in Mijn Inburgering which parts you must do and what level or route is recorded for you.
Use these checks in order:
- Check your DUO letter or Mijn Inburgering to see which parts you must do.
- If your duty started from 1 January 2022, read the Wet inburgering 2021 information from Rijksoverheid.
- If you are still under Wi2007 or Wi2013, read Divosa's page on the Wet inburgering 2007 en 2013.
- If you need to understand the participation side under the new law, read Divosa's page on participatie.
One more split matters. Under the 2021 law, municipalities have a guiding role, including the broad intake and PIP. Rijksoverheid says this applies to statushouders and also to gezinsmigranten, although the tasks differ and gezinsmigranten pay their inburgering themselves. Divosa's page on gezinsmigranten explains that difference and shows why two people can both be inburgeringsplichtig but still not follow the same practical path.
For exam-related administration, DUO's registration page also still shows where ONA appears for old-law cases and where PVT and MAP belong under the municipality: Aanmelden examen. And if you are preparing for KNM, this logistics point matters for study too: the test expects you to recognise which procedure belongs to your situation, not to mix old-law terms with the 2021 system.