Civic integration examination abroad

What is the civic integration examination?
Who is required to take the civic integration examination?
Where can I take the exam?
How do I register for the exam?
How can I prepare for the exam?

What is the civic integration examination?

The civil integration exam is an oral test designed to assess basic knowledge of the Dutch language and Dutch society. It is administered, in Dutch, at Dutch embassies and consulates-general and must be taken before departing for the Netherlands.

The exam is in two parts. Part 1 tests knowledge of Dutch society. With the help of an illustrated booklet, the examinee will answer a number of questions about the Netherlands’ history and political system by phone. Part 2, which tests knowledge of the Dutch language, consists of repeating sentences and answering brief questions.

Who is required to take the civic integration examination?

The exam must be taken by foreign nationals between the ages of 18 and 65 from countries whose residents require an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV) if they wish to remain in the Netherlands for longer than three months. In most cases these are individuals who are coming to the country to form a family with someone already living here, or people wishing to join their family in the Netherlands. The exam also must be taken by clergy, such as imams or ministers, who intend to work in the Netherlands. You can find detailed information about the civic integration examination and the conditions for exemption on the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) (www.ind.nl).

Where can I take the exam?

In principle you can only take the exam in the country of which you are a legal resident. The registration form contains the field ‘Choose embassy or consulate-general’, which allows you to select from a list of all the Dutch missions where the exam is given.

If there is no Dutch mission in your country that administers the exam, you can take it at the Dutch mission of your choice in the region. You may find that an embassy is temporarily closed, owing to political instability or other emergencies. You can find more information about this on the embassy’s own website, or you can call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (+31 (0)70 348 7575).

How do I register for the exam?

You will need to do the following:

open the registration form (available in Dutch or English);
using the drop-down menu at the top of the form, you can select the embassy/consulate-general where you intend to take the exam;
complete the form and send it off;
you will receive a confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explaining how to pay the €350 examination fee;
after you have received a confirmation of payment from the Ministry, you can make an appointment with your embassy or consulate-general. You can find the relevant contact information on the website of Dutch missions abroad

How can I prepare for the exam?

If you take time to prepare, you will pass the exam. You are free to choose your own method of study. The embassy does not provide study aids, though you are welcome to purchase an information kit that will help you on the section ‘knowledge of Dutch society’ (kennis van de Nederlandse samenleving). The kit, which is available at Dutch bookshops and online, also contains three special telephone access codes for practicing the language test. You can find more information about preparing for the exam at www.naarnederland.nl.