Moving house during inburgering (civic integration)

Your inburgering deadline continues after you move

If you move within the Netherlands, your inburgering deadline does not stop. Tell your new gemeente (municipality) about the move between 4 weeks before moving day and 5 days after it. When you move to a different gemeente under the Wet inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Act 2021), that gemeente has to set your current PIP (personal integration and participation plan) again within 10 weeks after you register. Your learning route stays the same.

This guide is for people who have to complete inburgering and are moving inside the Netherlands. The sections about the plan and school deal with moving to another gemeente.

The Wet inburgering comparison tells you which law applies to your situation. To read about the routes under the 2021 law, go to the Wet inburgering 2021 overview. If you are moving abroad, use the guide to changing your address or deregistering.

Can moving give you extra time for inburgering?

Your 3-year inburgering period continues during a move. Under the Wet inburgering 2021, it begins on the day after the date of your first PIP. If a gemeente sets your plan again, that start date does not change. Under the Wet inburgering 2013 (Civic Integration Act 2013), the 3 years start on the day your obligation began.

Under both laws, the lists of DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) include illness, the birth of a child and homelessness. The 2021 list also has two school-related reasons: the gemeente arranged a school too late, or school problems kept you from attending for a period.

Moving house is not listed on either list. Both lists have een andere reden (another reason). A special personal situation that you can prove may fit under this option. Every reason has its own conditions. Check DUO's conditions for extra time for another reason before you apply. DUO decides if you receive extra time. For the same period, you can get extra time only once.

What should you check before you pick a moving date?

Before you settle on a moving date, check all three of these:

• The exams you have booked. Look at the change and cancellation deadlines below.
• Your lessons. Ask your school whether online lessons or a different location are possible during the move.
• Your gemeente. Ask which gemeente will handle your inburgering after the move.

The Staatsexamen NT2 (State Exam Dutch as a Second Language) has a cancellation deadline that is earlier than the one for A2 (basic language level) and KNM (Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij, knowledge of Dutch society).

If you have an asylum residence permit under the 2021 law, ask your contact person which gemeente will run your inburgering after you move. Ask both gemeenten if you can continue your lessons until the new PIP is ready.

If you get bijstand (social assistance), you have to report a planned move to your gemeente immediately. If the work duties apply to you, you also have to look for work in the new gemeente before you move.

What if you have not found a home yet?

If you are still searching for a home, when you move depends on when you find one. For social housing, sign up with a woningcorporatie (housing corporation) and reply to its offers. Waiting times vary by area, type of home and rent. Sometimes the wait lasts a few years. The rental search guide explains social housing and private rentals.

For private rentals, AnyHouse rental alerts gathers listings from many rental websites. Its paid plan sends alerts when new listings appear. An alert does not give you priority with the landlord. Open the original listing and follow the rental scam checks before you pay or send a copy of your ID.

How do you report your move and check your benefits?

Report the move to the gemeente where you are going to live. You can do this online, by post or at the desk. Take these steps:

1. Collect a valid ID and proof of your new address. Your residence document can be used as ID. Proof of address can be a rental contract, a purchase deed or a toestemmingsverklaring (permission statement) from the hoofdbewoner (main occupant).
2. Tell your new gemeente about the move from 4 weeks before moving day until 5 days after moving day.

If you report more than 5 days after moving, the gemeente records the date you report as your moving date. Gemeenten can fine you up to €325 (2026) for reporting important changes late. Rijksoverheid (Dutch government): reporting a move lists who can report for someone else.

For example, if your moving day is 12 October 2026, report the move by 17 October. You can report it starting on 14 September. The same reporting window applies if you stay in the same gemeente.

What happens to your benefits and your DUO details?

The gemeente records your address in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, Personal Records Database). It passes the address on to the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, Immigration and Naturalisation Service) and Dienst Toeslagen (Benefits Service). See huurtoeslag (rent benefit).

Wide tables can be scrolled sideways.

How do you apply for bijstand after a move?

Bijstand is paid by the gemeente where you live. If you move to another gemeente, you must apply again. It usually starts on the day you apply. In some personal situations, the gemeente can pay up to 3 months back. Apply at the new gemeente or through werk.nl (public employment website).

The new gemeente has to decide within 8 weeks. If your application is incomplete, it can take longer. If there is no decision after 4 weeks, the gemeente checks whether you qualify for an advance of at least 95% of the bijstand amount that applies to you (2026). The bijstand guide explains the conditions.

If you have a temporary asylum residence permit under the 2021 law and you move during your first 6 months on bijstand, ask the new gemeente about ontzorgen (management of fixed costs). The gemeente pays your rent, gas, electricity, water and health insurance from your bijstand for 6 months starting from the beginning of your right to bijstand. The explanatory notes expect the new gemeente to continue this after a move. Article 56a of the Participatiewet (Participation Act) does not make a separate rule for moving.

How does the 2021 law affect your plan after a move?

If you already have a PIP under the 2021 law, the new gemeente sets it again within 10 weeks after you register there. When the new gemeente asks, the old gemeente sends your PIP, your progress and any fines. If you move before your first PIP is ready, DUO tells the new gemeente. That gemeente makes your first plan.

The gemeente where you live is responsible for your inburgering. If you have a temporary asylum residence permit, the law names the gemeente where you are housed under the placement scheme for status holders. Before you move, ask your contact person which gemeente will run your inburgering afterwards.

The new gemeente has to keep the leerroute (learning route) in your PIP: the B1-route (learning route at an intermediate Dutch level), onderwijsroute (education route) or Z-route (self-reliance route). The usual rules for changing routes still apply.

Any remaining activities for MAP (Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie, labour market and participation module) and PVT (participatieverklaringstraject, participation declaration process) are also arranged by the new gemeente.

Who arranges your school after you move?

When does the gemeente arrange your school under the 2021 law?

The gemeente chooses and pays for your school if you have a temporary asylum residence permit. Some family members with a regular permit also qualify. This applies if your verblijfsvergunning regulier voor bepaalde tijd (temporary regular residence permit) was granted so you could live with a family member who has any one of these permits:

• A temporary asylum residence permit.
• A permanent asylum residence permit.
• An EU-verblijfsvergunning voor langdurig ingezetene (EU long-term residence permit) with the mark internationale bescherming (international protection).

On this municipal route, you cannot borrow from DUO. After you move, the new gemeente can choose a different school or change your lesson hours.

In the B1-route, you receive 2 free attempts for each exam component at or above your PIP level. In the onderwijsroute, you receive 2 free attempts for each NT2 component and for KNM. In the Z-route, you can ask to take A2 language exams and KNM. You receive 2 free attempts per component only if the gemeente approves these exams and records A2 in your PIP.

Ontzorgen has its own conditions: you must have your own temporary asylum permit and receive bijstand.

When do you choose and pay for school yourself under the 2021 law?

If you are not in the municipal group described above, you choose and pay for your school yourself. You can almost always borrow from DUO. After you move, decide whether to stay at your school or switch to one closer to your home. DUO lends only for schools with the Blik op Werk keurmerk (quality mark). You can find them on Zoekinburgerschool: approved schools.

The school invoices DUO only for a course period that has already passed. DUO pays only invoices that you accept. Accept a correct digital invoice in Mijn Inburgering. If a paper invoice is correct, take these steps:

1. Include your BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number).
2. Sign the invoice.
3. Mail the original to DUO.

Your school also has to send DUO a digital invoice.

A DUO loan cannot cover uitschrijfkosten (course withdrawal fees), intake fees or administration fees. Before you switch, check your school contract for withdrawal fees. The guide to choosing a school lists questions to ask a new school.

Under the 2013 law, who arranges school?

You arrange inburgering yourself: you choose a school and book your exams. After you move, check your details in Mijn Inburgering and how long it takes to travel to school. The same loan-payment rules apply: DUO lends only for approved schools and pays only invoices you accept. A loan cannot cover withdrawal fees.

When can you change or cancel an exam you have booked?

Every exam has its own deadline for changes. Look at the rows below before you cancel or change a booking.

Wide tables can be scrolled sideways.

To change the date or place of an NT2 exam, contact DUO at least 6 weeks before the exam. The published 2026 registration procedure says changes are possible until that point. For cancellation and a refund, the College voor Toetsen en Examens (CvTE, Board of Tests and Examinations) notice changed the deadline from 6 weeks to 4 weeks starting on 1 April 2025.

DUO holds A2 and KNM exams in six cities: Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Zwolle. When you book in Mijn Inburgering, you pick a preferred place, but DUO can assign a different one. After you move, compare the travel time from your new home to each exam city. If a different city is closer, change the place before the deadline. The exam locations guide lists the addresses.

If you booked an A2, KNM or ONA exam with a paper form, change or cancel it by writing to DUO Servicecentrum Inburgering, Postbus 764, 9700 AT Groningen. DUO has to receive the letter at least 1 week before the exam. If you have an asylum residence permit under the 2021 law, cancel at least 1 week before the exam to keep your free attempt.

What happens if you miss an exam?

If you miss a paid A2, KNM or ONA exam, you have to pay again for the next attempt. If you receive free attempts, ask DUO how many are left before you book again. If a very special situation prevented you from changing the date in time, you can ask DUO for a free exam. Send a letter or email with proof explaining why. DUO has to receive it within 10 days after the exam date. DUO decides.

For the Staatsexamen NT2, email [email protected] within 10 days after the exam if you were ill or if a direct family member died. Send proof. DUO may offer you another exam.

Booking is explained in A2 exam registration guide and Staatsexamen NT2 guide.

How can you keep practising when lessons are paused?

When your lessons are paused because of the move, you can use DUO's official A2 practice exams. These cover writing, speaking, listening, reading, and KNM. For writing practice, you work with PDF files; the other parts open in a browser. DUO advises using a desktop computer. If you use a phone or tablet, rotate the screen to get the best view. For speaking practice, you need a browser that is not Safari. official A2 practice guide tells you how to use the exams.

You can also take free timed mock exams for reading, listening, writing, speaking, and KNM, from A1 (beginner level) up to B2. Without an account, you get 2 attempts; after you log in, you get more.

PDF summaries and Dutch vocabulary games are included in free study resources.

Public libraries provide free inburgering help, and you can use it even if you are not a member. A Taalhuis (language centre) can help with speaking, reading, and writing Dutch, as well as with letters and forms. Ask the library in your new area what help it has.

Most Informatiepunten Digitale Overheid (digital government information points) can be found in libraries. There, you can get free help with government websites and DigiD (digital identity).

What should you do if problems come up after moving?

What if your new gemeente has not been in touch?

If you already have a PIP under the 2021 law, your new gemeente must set it again within 10 weeks of your registration. If you have not heard anything, get in touch with its inburgering team. Provide your BSN and your registration date. Ask when your plan will be set.

What if DUO sends letters to your old address?

Sign in to Mijn Inburgering and look at your address, email, and phone number. You can update them in that same place, and you can also read your DUO letters there.

What if your landlord will not allow registration?

You should register at the address where you truly live. guide to address registration problems explains what to do when a landlord refuses and where you can find help.

Pick the guide that fits the task you need to complete:

• Changing your address or deregistering
• Inburgering deadline and extra time
• Choosing an inburgering school

Official Sources

• Wetten.overheid.nl (Dutch legislation database): Wet inburgering 2021 - Article 1: the gemeente where you live runs your inburgering; for a temporary asylum permit, the gemeente where you are housed under the status-holder placement. Article 11: the 3-year period starts the day after the PIP date and keeps that start date when the PIP is set again. Article 15(4): after a move, the new gemeente sets the same learning route. Article 35(4): the old gemeente passes on the PIP, progress and fines when the new gemeente asks.
• Wetten.overheid.nl: Besluit inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Decree 2021) - Article 5.3(3): after a move, the new gemeente sets the PIP within 10 weeks of your registration there. The third-party exception in article 5.3(2) covers only a first PIP.
• Wetten.overheid.nl: Wet inburgering (2013 law) - Article 7b: the 3-year exam period starts when the integration obligation begins. The law was repealed from 1 January 2022, but article 54 of the Wet inburgering 2021 preserves it for people already covered by it.
• Officiële bekendmakingen (official government publications): Wet inburgering, memorie van toelichting (explanatory memorandum), Kamerstuk (parliamentary paper) 35483, nr. 3 - The new gemeente must take over the learning route and may change the school and weekly lesson hours; after a move within the 6-month ontzorgen period, the explanatory notes expect (ligt in de rede) the new gemeente to continue ontzorgen.
• DUO: Handleiding Portal Inburgering, Wet inburgering 2021 - Section on moving: the new gemeente sets the PIP again and takes over the learning route; it is responsible for remaining MAP and PVT activities; if no PIP existed yet, DUO signals the new gemeente, which makes the plan. For free Z-route attempts, the gemeente must approve exams and record A2 in the PIP.
• Inburgeren.nl (DUO’s civic integration website): Extra tijd om in te burgeren - The reasons for extra time under the 2021 and 2013 laws, including illness, having a child and homelessness on both lists and two school reasons on the 2021 list only; moving house is not listed; both lists end with another reason (een andere reden); extra time is given only once in each period.
• Inburgeren.nl: Inloggen Mijn Inburgering - In Mijn Inburgering you view and change your personal details and read DUO letters; DUO advises keeping your address, email and phone number correct so it can contact you.
• Inburgeren.nl: Lenen bij DUO - DUO describes municipal course funding, 2 exam attempts and no loans for 2021-law asylum status holders. For qualifying regular-family-permit holders included in this group, see articles 13(1)(b), 16 and 19 of Staatsblad (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees) 2021, 38 below.
• Inburgeren.nl: School kiezen - School selection under both laws and the Blik op Werk loan requirement. For the municipal offer to qualifying regular-family-permit holders, see article 16 of Staatsblad 2021, 38 below.
• Zoekinburgerschool.nl - The search site for inburgering schools with the Blik op Werk keurmerk.
• Inburgeren.nl: Cursus betalen met uw lening - DUO pays approved invoices only. A paper invoice needs your BSN, signature and the original document; the school must also submit a digital invoice. Loans exclude withdrawal, intake and administration fees.
• DUO: Handleiding digitaal uitwisselen voor cursusinstellingen (digital exchange manual for course providers) - Schools invoice DUO afterwards, for a past period only.
• Inburgeren.nl: Aanmelden examen - A2, KNM and ONA exams are booked in Mijn Inburgering; an A2 exam's place or date can be changed, or the exam cancelled with a refund, until 1 week before; without Mijn Inburgering, write to DUO Servicecentrum Inburgering, Postbus 764, 9700 AT Groningen.
• Inburgeren.nl: Examenreglement (exam regulations) - You state a preferred exam centre and DUO may assign another; cancelling until 7 days before refunds the fee (never for ONA); removing a booking later, until 1 day before, gives no refund and forfeits a free attempt; a letter must reach DUO at least 7 days before the exam; a missed exam must be paid again; in a very special situation you can ask for a free exam, and DUO must receive the request within 10 days after the exam date.
• Inburgeren.nl: Examenplaatsen - The six exam cities for A2 and KNM exams: Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Zwolle.
• Inburgeren.nl: Inburgeren betalen - DUO payment overview. Route-specific free-attempt conditions come from the portal manual and legal publications below: B1-route exams at or above PIP level; onderwijsroute NT2 and KNM; Z-route A2 and KNM with municipal approval recorded in the PIP.
• Staatscourant (Government Gazette) 2024, 32587: Aanmeldingsprocedure staatsexamens Nt2 2026 (NT2 state-exam registration procedure 2026) - The published 2026 procedure gives 6 weeks for changes or cancellation. CvTE subsequently changed cancellation and refunds to 4 weeks from 1 April 2025; date or place changes are not covered by that notice.
• DUO: Aanmelden Staatsexamen Nt2 - Deregister by email to [email protected]; at least 4 weeks before the exam you get your money back; after illness or the death of a direct family member, report to [email protected] within 10 days after the exam with proof for a possible replacement exam; after a missed exam you can register again from the next day if places are available.
• Rijksoverheid: Hoe lang duurt het voordat ik een huurwoning krijg? - The wait for a rental home from a woningcorporatie differs by location, type of home and rent, and sometimes lasts a few years.
• Rijksoverheid: Hoe kan ik mijn verhuizing doorgeven aan de gemeente? - Report to the gemeente of the new home, online, by post or at the desk, from 4 weeks before until 5 days after the move, with ID and proof of address (huurcontract, koopakte or toestemmingsverklaring van de hoofdbewoner); a late report sets the reporting date as the moving date; gemeenten may fine up to €325; who may report for whom.
• Rijksoverheid: Moet ik als vreemdeling mijn verhuizing doorgeven aan de IND? - The gemeente passes your new address to the IND automatically; after a late report, you tell the IND yourself.
• Rijksoverheid: Regels voor bijstand - When you move to another gemeente, the old gemeente stops your bijstand; register in the new gemeente and apply there again.
• Rijksoverheid: Waar kan ik mijn algemene bijstand aanvragen? - Bijstand starts from the day you apply, at the gemeente or through werk.nl, and in some personal cases up to 3 months earlier; the gemeente must decide within 8 weeks, or longer if the application is incomplete, and after 4 weeks without a decision, checks whether you qualify for an advance. The current minimum advance is set by Staatsblad 2025, 312 and 313 below.
• Rijksoverheid: Wat zijn mijn rechten en plichten in de bijstand? - Report a planned move straight away. When work duties apply, look for work in the new gemeente before moving; the source lists exemptions and automatic exceptions.
• Wetten.overheid.nl: Participatiewet, article 56a - Article 56a: for 2021-law integrators with a temporary asylum permit, ontzorgen pays rent, gas, water, electricity and health insurance from bijstand for 6 months from the start of entitlement.
• Dienst Toeslagen: Ik ga verhuizen - moet ik dat doorgeven? - The gemeente passes on the address. For an eligible rental, report the rent when the address appears in Mijn Toeslagen, usually 1 to 5 working days after processing. Stop huurtoeslag promptly if the new home is ineligible.
• Belastingdienst (tax authority): Wijzigingen doorgeven - Changes that affect the amount of a toeslag, such as a new rent, must be reported within 4 weeks.
• Inburgeren.nl: Oefenen - DUO practice exams for A2 writing (PDF), speaking, listening, reading and KNM; a desktop computer works best; on a phone or tablet, turn it for the best display; the speaking practice does not work in Safari.
• Bibliotheek.nl (Dutch library information website): Inburgeren en de Nederlandse taal - Libraries help people preparing for inburgering for free, without membership; the Taalhuis helps with speaking, reading, writing, letters and forms; the library helps with government websites and DigiD.
• Digitale Overheid: Informatiepunt Digitale Overheid - Free help for everyone with digital government services such as DigiD and toeslagen; most information points are in local libraries.
• CvTE: Betalen en afmelden voor examens - From 1 April 2025, the NT2 cancellation and refund deadline changed from 6 to 4 weeks.
• DUO: Andere reden voor extra tijd - Extra time for special personal circumstances needs evidence and has conditions; DUO decides whether to award it.
• Staatsblad 2021, 38: Wet inburgering 2021 - Published legal text: municipal responsibility and asylum placement exception; unchanged deadline when a PIP is reset; same route after moving; file transfer; preservation of the old law; insertion of Participatiewet article 56a. Articles 13(1)(b), 16(1) and 19 include qualifying regular-family-permit holders in municipal courses and exclude them from DUO loans.
• Staatsblad 2021, 410: Besluit inburgering 2021 - Published decree: an existing PIP is set again within 10 weeks of registration after a move. Article 1.1 includes the full Wet inburgering 2021 article 13(1) group, including qualifying regular-family-permit holders, in its definition of asielstatushouders (asylum status holders). Article 3.14(7) requires the learner to want the Z-route exams, the gemeente to judge them able to take the exams, and this approval to be recorded in the PIP.
• Staatsblad 2022, 489: amendment to Besluit inburgering 2021 - Renumbers the moving-PIP rule to article 5.3(3); the third-party delay exception applies to the first-PIP rule. Article I(C) also adds KNM to approved Z-route examinations.
• AnyHouse: rental search and alerts - The service describes its rental listings and paid alerts; its FAQ states it has no influence on landlord selection.
• Staatsblad 2017, 285: amendment to Wet inburgering - Article I(E) inserts article 7b: the 2013-law exam period is 3 years from the start of the integration obligation.
• Dienst Toeslagen: Inloggen op Mijn toeslagen - Official access page for the Mijn Toeslagen portal.
• DigiD: official website - Official digital-identity service for logging in to government websites.
• Staatsblad 2021, 586: commencement of Wet inburgering 2021 - The new law, including repeal of the old law with transitional protection, entered into force on 1 January 2022.
• Council of Europe: Common Reference Levels global scale - A1 covers familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. A2 is a basic-user level. B1 covers independent language use in familiar situations; B2 covers the main ideas of more complex texts.
• Staatsblad 2025, 312: Participatiewet in balans (Participation Act reform) - Article I(GG) replaces 90% with 95% in Participatiewet article 52(2), raising the minimum advance.
• Staatsblad 2025, 313: commencement of Participatiewet in balans - Article I(1)(a) brings the advance amendment in article I(GG) into force on 1 January 2026.
• IND: official website - Official website of the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst.
• werk.nl: Inschrijven werkzoekende en bijstandsuitkering aanvragen - Official service for registering as a jobseeker and starting a bijstand application; the next application steps depend on the gemeente.
• Staatscourant 2021, 38863: Regeling inburgering 2021 (Civic Integration Regulation 2021) - Article 3.5: the municipal group gets 2 free attempts per B1-route exam component at or above the PIP level, and 2 KNM attempts in the education route.
• Staatsblad 2021, 643: NT2 exams in the education route - Article II(A) provides 2 free NT2 attempts for article 13(1) candidates in the education route; the explanatory notes expressly include qualifying family members and count attempts per component.
• Staatscourant 2022, 33825: amendment to Regeling inburgering 2021 - Article I(C) adds KNM to the conditional Z-route entitlement of 2 free attempts per component in article 3.5(3), from 1 January 2023. Municipal approval and PIP conditions remain.