Exemptions from Dutch integration exams

Find out whether you need all the listed exams

A full exemption can end the integration obligation; a partial exemption removes only accepted parts, so you must still complete everything that remains on your record. A waiver may release someone from some or all requirements when circumstances make them impossible to meet. The route depends on whether the 2013 or 2021 law applies and on the evidence in your case. Check Mijn Inburgering and, under the 2021 law, your personal plan before deciding what to apply for.

Start with qualifications or results you already have

A Dutch diploma, certain Dutch-language qualifications from Belgium or Suriname, or passed State Exam NT2 components may count toward some integration requirements. The accepted level and evidence differ by law. A passed exam component under the 2021 law may be recorded automatically when it meets the level in your plan; other cases require an application and copies of the documents named on the form. Keep originals and submit copies only as instructed.

Other routes have separate conditions

Long residence combined with work or volunteering may be assessed under a separate route. A recent job may help with an ONA exemption, while illness or disability may call for an adapted exam, more time, or a medical waiver; those are different decisions. Under the 2013 law, an effort-based waiver can depend on course hours, an approved school, the time since your integration period began, and attempts at the parts you have not passed. The 600-hour route does not apply to the 2021 system.

Apply using the form for your law and situation

Check whether DUO grants the route automatically or requires an application. For an application, use the current instructions and collect the matching proof, such as a diploma, exam certificate, course record, employer statement, or medical evidence. Submit it through the stated channel and keep a copy with the date sent. Medical documents may have a separate handling process, so follow the form rather than sending them to a general inbox.

A partial exemption does not clear the other requirements. After a decision, check your portal or personal plan again and note which exams or activities still apply. If you are under the 2021 law and your plan no longer fits, ask the municipality about next steps.