What is the language proficiency level required for the Dutch integration exam in 2024?
Jan 4, 2024

If you are not sure what the language level of the inburgering exams will bee for you in 2024 this article will clarify that for you. 

Broadly speaking, there are two groups of people who take the exams:

1. Refugees and family immigrants(you are here on a relationship visa). If you fall under this group you are inburgeringsplichtig (legally required to integrate) and you must have passed the inburgering exams within 3 years. 
    
2. People who want to voluntarily apply for permanent residence(PR) or Dutch passport. If you fall under this group you are allowed to apply for PR or a passport (normally) after having lived in The Netherlands for 5 years. 

The reason why we explained these two groups above is because the rules about the required language level of the exams are different for both groups:

Language level for refugees and family immigrants (legally required to integrate): 
If you are in the Netherlands with a residence permit based on being a refugee or being in a relationship with a Dutch resident you received a letter in which this permit was granted to you and in which is also says that you are inburgeringsplichtig as of the date of the letter. If you received this letter before January 2022, the A2 exams will still be enough for you. However, if you received the letter after January 2022, you will normally have to take the B1 exams. 
(Whether you indeed have to take this B1 exam is decided based on your intake with the municipality. Normally, they decide that you need to take the B1 exams. However, they can make exceptions based on big lack of education and/or severe personal circumstances.)

Language level for people voluntarily applying for permanent residence(PR) or Dutch passport:
If you fall under this group you are able to apply (normally) after having lived here for at least 5 years. If you are able to apply for PR or passport this year, so in 2024, this is still possible with A2 level exams. If you apply after 2024 it has not yet been decided whether A2 level will still be possible to apply for PR or passport. As the government intends to increase the level to B1, also for this group, B1 might be required in 2025. However, as mentioned this is yet to be decided. 

For the latest news regarding the exam level in the future we recommend checking the news pages of IND and DUO:
- https://www.inburgeren.nl/en/news-items/index.jsp
- https://ind.nl/en/news