Whether you have ADHD, dyslexia, need a wheelchair or have another kind of special need, studying is still possible. All research universities and universities of applied science have facilities available for you. It is best to discuss your needs with the university. Together you can decide what is necessary for you to be able to study.
Month: January 2018
What is the inburgeringsexamen and who has to take it?
The inburgeringsexamen (civic integration exam) can be taken out before coming to the Netherlands or once you start living here:
- The basisexamen inburgering buitenland (basic civic integration examination abroad) that is taken in your country of origin or habitual residence before you travel to the Netherlands if you require an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV)
- The inburgeringsexamen (civic integration examination) that is taken in the Netherlands. This is necessary if you want to become a permanent resident in the Netherlands or a Dutch citizen
Basic civic integration examination abroad
This is a test designed to assess basic knowledge of the Dutch language and Dutch society. You take the exam in Dutch, at Dutch embassies and consulates-general in your country of origin or habitual residence, i.e. the country in which you are entitled to reside for longer than three months, for instance on the basis of a residence permit. You have to take the exam before you travel to the Netherlands. The exam must be taken by foreign nationals between the ages of 18 and 65 wishing to remain in the Netherlands if they come from countries whose residents require an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV). Check what applies to your personal situation on the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst – IND) website: ind.nl/en/Pages/basic-civic-integration-examination-abroad.
There is a specific website ‘Naar Nederland’ (to the Netherlands) that you can consult, which provides information for people who wish to prepare to take the basic civic integration examination abroad. Information pages are provided in English as well as Dutch. On this website are sample questions for the exam, there is also study material that you can buy for more examples and learning.
As the law is amended on a regular basis, you should always check the latest information on the IND’s website links mentioned on this section. The Dutch government website can also provide you with further information: www.government.nl/topics/new-in-the-netherlands.
Civic integration examination
If you were not born in the Netherlands, already possess a residence permit and you want to stay in the Netherlands for an extended period of time or permanently (i.e. you may wish to become a Dutch national), you may need to prove that you have integrated in Dutch society by taking the civic integration exam. If you need to go through this process, you will have to register with the Education Executive Agency – DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs).
Once registered, you will receive a letter from DUO that tells you the start date of your integration period. You then have three years to complete the integration process. Within this period, you must pass several tests which comprises the overall integration exam. After taking each test, you will receive the results within eight weeks. If you are successful in passing all of the tests, you will receive a confirmation letter from DUO. This letter will specify where and when you can pick up your diploma. If you fail any of the tests, you will be allowed to take it again. However, you will be asked to pay again for the test.
You can find examples of tests as well as exercises on www.naarnederland.nl/, a government website about inburgeren.
You are usually exempted from taking the civic integration exam if you:
- are younger than 18 years or older than the state pension age. This age depends on your date of birth. You can check which the state pension age applies to you on the website of the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) .
- are from the European Union, a country in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or Turkey
- resided in the Netherlands and attended school for 8 years or longer between the ages of 5 and 17
- have a diploma or certificate that shows that you have a good knowledge of the Dutch language and how Dutch society works. Please check with your municipality to see what are the valid exemptions
- are staying only temporary in the Netherlands for study or for work
For more information on integrating into the Netherlands and registering for the civic integration examination, we suggest that you visit the DUO website which is available in both English as well as Dutch: www.inburgeren.nl/en.
What skills will I be tested on during the integration examination?
There are four categories for the exams, broken into six individual exams. You do not have to do all six exams on the same day. It can be less stressfull and give you more confidence if you space the exams over a period of days/weeks. If you pass all exams, you will receive the integration diploma.
You will have to do a participation statement before taking the integration exams. This is a small course in which you will become acquainted with the rights, obligations and the fundamental values of Dutch society. Before you start your exams, you will receive an email from DUO ( education executive agency) identifying a person at the gemeente (municipality) to help with your participation statement. The course concludes with participants signing a declaration of participation declaring that they have been informed of, and will respect, the values and basic rules of Dutch society. Should you refuse to sign it, you will receive a penalty . If you have further questions or if you do not get assigned a person we suggest you to contact your gemeente.
Once you have signed your participation statement, you can take the integration exams. These are:
Examination 1 – Reading, listening and speaking skills
These are three individual exams, which are booked separately.
- Reading the Dutch Language – You are required to read short passages of text and answer questions about each passage. The exam takes 50 minutes
- Listening and understanding the Dutch Language – You are asked questions about videos that you are shown on the computer and you listen to spoken text. The exam takes 45 minutes
- Speaking Dutch – In the exam, you are asked to view videos on a computer and provide verbal answers to questions. The exam takes 35 minutes
Examination 2 – Writing skills
In this exam, you must write your answers on paper. The aim of the exam is to demonstrate that you are able to write in Dutch. You will be asked to write some short letters and fill in a form. The exam takes 35 minutes
Examination 3 – Kennis Nederlandse Maatschappij (knowledge of Dutch society)
You will be asked questions about the Netherlands. For example, about finding work or renting a house or about schools in the Netherlands.
During the examination you are shown some short videos on the computer. Each video will show a typical situation in the Netherlands. After each video, you are required to answer multiple-choice questions. The exam takes 45 minutes.
Examination 4 – Oriëntatie nederlandse arbeidsmarkt (orientation on the Dutch labour market)
It is about working and looking for work in the Netherlands. You are required to undertake various assignments at home or at school. After each assignment you must send a results card back to DUO. From the results cards, DUO will assess whether you completed your assignments to the required standard. You will then be asked to have an oral examination with a person from DUO in which you will be asked questions to test your understanding of the Dutch labour market. This exam will take about 40 minutes. There is no practice exam available for this final exam.
You can find more information about the integration examination on the website of the government.
Where can I attend an Inburgering course?
There are different schools and private institutions that offer civic integration courses. On this website (in Dutch only), you can find officially registered schools/institutions which are certificated to give this course. You must follow the course here if you meet the requirements to get this course free of charge. In addition to the Education Executive Agency – DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs), some municipalities such as The Hague and Amsterdam provide information and facilities to help you to learn Dutch. It may be a good idea to pay a visit to your municipality or have a look on their websites.
Please note that many private language schools offer civic integration classes, however reimbursement of their fees is not possible.
I am an expat. Are there any government subsidised Dutch language courses available?
Municipalities sometimes offer free Dutch classes. They can also refer you to subsidised classes. If you know already some Dutch and want to improve it, you can also find a volunteer to help you. Your municipality can inform you about the possibilities.
You can find the costs for the inburgering exams on https://www.inburgeren.nl/en/paying-for-integration/index.jsp. These costs are in addition to the costs for general Dutch lessons and the inburgering course. It should be noted that there is no standard fee for attending inburgering courses to pass the examinations. You are advised to check with your chosen school to determine how much they will charge.
Depending on the size of your annual income, it may be possible for you to take out a loan from the Education Executive Agency – DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs). The amount of money you can borrow will depend on how much money you earn. The more money you earn, the less money you can borrow. You will then be required to pay back the money owed in monthly installments at a certain interest rate. More information about borrowing money to learn Dutch is available on https://www.inburgeren.nl/en/paying-for-integration/
What is the most effective way for me to learn Dutch? I am not a natural linguist, so I might find it hard to learn Dutch.
Whilst it should be remembered that every person’s learning style is different and that their personal circumstances may dictate how much time they can spend each week on learning Dutch, the general consensus of opinion is that the best way to improve quickly is by attending an intensive course of two or more lessons per week with additional homework.
It is important that you feel comfortable with your learning surroundings. Therefore, you may prefer to attend a course given in a classroom with other students, rather than having one-to-one tuition. Alternatively, you may wish to begin with some free online learning courses to gain confidence and hear accents, before you move to the classroom situation.
On www.studyinholland.nl/life-in-holland/start-learning-dutch you can find a selection of institutes that offer lessons to learn the basics of Dutch.
Once you have mastered the basics of the Dutch language and have gained confidence in speaking, you may wish to consider finding local Dutch people who would be willing to talk with you for practice. There are websites where you can search to find a native speaking Dutch person who is also interested in learning/practising English or your native language. Check Conversationexchange.com or Mylanguageexchange.com. Public libraries often also offer opportunities to speak Dutch on a regular basis in a taalcafe ( language cafe) and advise you about how to learn Dutch. Check with your local library to find out what they offer.
You should be aware that just because you have found someone who is willing to speak Dutch with you, it does not necessarily mean that they are a good teacher of the Dutch language. You may find you learn new words (slang) that can be very useful in day-to-day interactions but may not be grammatically correct.
It is not compulsory for me to learn Dutch but I would like to learn it. Can you suggest some good language institutes and learning centres for me?
There are many language schools in the Netherlands, offering everything from basic survival Dutch to courses that prepare you for proficiency exams.
There are several types of language institutes in the Netherlands:
- Private language schools
- Language departments within privately-run schools for the expat community
- Dutch public universities (volksuniversiteiten)
- ROCs (Regionaal Opleidings Centrum)
Course levels range from A1 (beginner) to C1/C2 (near native) and some providers also include specific courses which are tailored for certain professions. Some schools are accredited.
Who can attend classes at a volksuniversiteit?
Volksuniversiteiten (Dutch public universities) are open to everyone regardless of previous training, age or background. Courses are followed in groups in an informal atmosphere. Although the wide variety of courses offered at a volksuniversiteit (Dutch public university) are taught by expert teachers, they do not lead to a diploma or degree. There are about one hundred Dutch public universities, reaching about 200,000 students annually. All are autonomous, non-profit foundations. Some local governments have subsidised these schools with financial or material aid, so fees from school to school will vary. You can find schools near you at Volksuniversiteit.nl.
It should be noted that the courses offered by these public universities can sometimes be quite intensive. Therefore, students who have little or no experience in studying other languages before starting to learn Dutch may experience difficulty in keeping pace with the progression of the course.
Can I teach myself Dutch?
Dutch is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Learning Dutch can even be fun if enough time is taken to understand the dynamics of the language and attempts are made to speak Dutch whenever possible.
If you do not want to commit yourself to attending a classroom-based Dutch course, you can always learn from home at your own pace. The internet has endless tools for learning languages, many of which are available free of charge. In the library you can find books and audios about learning Dutch. Watching TV is another good way to learn words and common phrases. Most language teachers recommend that you should start by watching children’s programmes, because they use simpler vocabulary and sentence construction. You can also turn on the Dutch subtitles on your television to gain a better understanding.
Is there any organisation that can help me practice my Dutch and help me feel at home?
The Netherlands Gilde (Guild) is an umbrella organisation of approximately 65 guilds. Gildes are voluntary associations whose members are 50 years and older. Members share professional or hobby knowledge, expertise and experience with others. Individuals, non-profit organisations and entrepreneurs have free use of their services. Gildes’ volunteers offer conversational practice opportunities to non-native Dutch speakers, or people trying to learn Dutch, providing that they are able to sustain a basic discussion which is the equivalent of Level A1 . Find more information at ‘gilde-nederland.nl’.
Alternatively, it may be possible to find a volunteer who is willing to help you practise your Dutch at a buurthuis (community centre). A community centre is normally run as a trust or stichting (foundation). These community centres are located throughout the Netherlands. Using Google, you should be able to locate your local community centre.
What are the different levels in the Dutch language?
In the Netherlands, the different levels for Dutch are the six levels from the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR). The levels are:
A1 and A2: basic user
B1 and B2: independent user
C1 and C2: proficient user
For a more detailed description of every level, please look at www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale
I want my children to learn Dutch. How can I arrange that?
Because of the stage of their brain development, children usually find it easier to learn a new language than adults. However, there is a misconception that children will effortlessly pick up a new language. Developing the linguistic skills of their parent’s mother tongue and simultaneously learning a new language, such as Dutch, requires the conscious effort, reinforcement, and support of the parents, teachers, and family members.
There are several ways to enable your children to learn Dutch:
- Send them to a Dutch language training club such as the Dutch club at basisclub.nl/basisclub/en/ or visit Dutchforchildren.nl
- An increasing number of schools provides bilingual lessons. Most of them are secondary schools. There has been a successful experiment with bilingual education in primary schools from 2014 to summer 2023. Therefore, the government has decided that primary schools are allowed to offer bilingual education up to maximum 15% of the time. Schools can choose between English, French and German. It is important to note that this is primarily meant for Dutch children who want to learn more English, French or German and not the other way around.
- If your child attends day-care or a playgroup, you might consider a Dutch group. In this way children will learn Dutch while they are playing
- Use of internet, special computer programmes and Dutch television
If you want your child to attend a Dutch school, some of them offer special courses for newly-arrived foreign children who speak very little or no Dutch. Find more information about opvangscholen (reception schools) in the Education FAQs section.
Most of the international schools in the Netherlands now have learning Dutch as part of their course curriculum. As there is often a wide spectrum of abilities in speaking Dutch in these schools, the approach that is sometimes taken is to arrange classes for the children by proficiency rather than age, or for older children by their ability level within a year grouping.
