I want to come to the Netherlands — what do I need to consider?

This website is made to help you pass the basic exam step by step. You practise in your own language and at your own pace, so you not only learn the answers, but also understand what is being asked.

• In twelve languages. For every question, the little flag gives you the translation and explanation in your own language.
• Smart practice with spaced repetition. Questions you got wrong automatically come back until you know them well.
• Everything is read aloud. You immediately hear the correct pronunciation and get used to spoken Dutch.
• Practise for all parts. From the KNS questions to vocabulary and reading skills in the lessons.
• Practise at exam level. You practise with practice questions and practice exams in the same form and at the same level as the official exam.
• Wherever and whenever you want. On your phone or computer, at your own pace and with a view of your progress.

Do you want to test yourself? Take a practice exam that is like the government’s practice exam, but looks different and has different questions. If you can answer everything correctly, then there is a good chance you will also do the real exam questions well.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

For the exam, you first register with DUO using the registration form. After that, you contact the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country (via nederlandwereldwijd.nl) to make an appointment.

Not everyone has to take the exam. For example, people younger than 18, people who have reached the state pension (AOW) age, citizens of the EU/EEA and people who have followed at least eight years of Dutch-language education are exempt, among others. Whether the exam applies to you depends on your nationality and your situation.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

You take the basic exam at the Dutch embassy or consulate — sometimes at an external service provider — in the country where you live. The exam is on the computer and you answer in Dutch.

The exam consists of three parts: Knowledge of Dutch Society, Speaking skills and Reading skills. What each part tests exactly, you can read further on under "The exam". Bring a valid passport or identity document to your appointment.

You have to pass all three parts. So prepare calmly, so that you preferably pass them in one go.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

After the exam, DUO sends you the result, usually within eight weeks, by e-mail with a pdf file.

The result is valid for one year. That is important, because you need the result for the application of your mvv and residence permit within that period.

Did you fail one or more parts? Then you only retake those parts — the parts you have already passed stay valid. After that, you can register again for a new attempt.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

For the residence application, you need several documents. Usually this is a valid passport, official documents about your situation (for example a birth or marriage certificate in case of family reunification) and the pdf with your exam result.

Foreign documents often have to be legalised and translated first, usually into Dutch, English, French or German. That can take time, so start with it on time.

Which documents and conditions apply exactly depends on the purpose of your stay and your situation. For staying with a partner or family, for example, there is often an income requirement for the sponsor in the Netherlands.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

An mvv (provisional residence permit) is the entry visa with which you may travel to the Netherlands; the residence permit is the permit to stay here. Since the TEV procedure (Entry and Residence), you apply for both at the same time, in one application.

Usually the sponsor in the Netherlands — your partner or family member — submits the application to the IND. That is recommended, because it is often faster than an application via an embassy abroad. You send the pdf with your exam result along with it.

In most cases you have to have passed the basic exam to be able to start the TEV procedure. The IND then assesses whether you meet all the conditions.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

Did the IND make a positive decision? Then you may collect the mvv at the Dutch embassy or consulate. The mvv is a sticker in your passport.

At the appointment, your biometric data are usually taken: a passport photo, your fingerprints and your signature.

The mvv is valid for a limited time. So you have to travel to the Netherlands within that period.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

With the mvv in your passport, you travel to the Netherlands within the validity period.

Keep your documents — your passport with the mvv and the letter with the decision — at hand for on the way and on arrival.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.

After arrival, you register with the municipality (in the Personal Records Database) and collect your residence document at an IND desk near you.

Sometimes you also have to do a tbc (tuberculosis) test shortly after arrival; whether that is necessary depends on your nationality.

With the residence permit, you may live in the Netherlands. Often you then start with civic integration in the Netherlands itself.

You cannot derive any rights from this information. For the official and up-to-date rules, please check IND, DUO and Rijksoverheid.