Dutch citizenship language test would rise to B1 level

The government has started raising the Dutch language requirement for citizenship to level B1, Asylum and Migration Minister Van den Brink told parliament in written answers on 3 November. The change is a commitment in the coalition agreement.

The rise requires an amendment to the Besluit naturalisatietoets, the naturalisation test decree, which is an order in council (algemene maatregel van rijksbestuur). The minister said the details of the amendment are being worked out.

What happens next

1. This year: the proposed amendment goes out for consultation.
2. After consultation: the proposal goes to the advisory division of the Council of State.
3. Then: it enters into force as soon as possible.

The minister said it is important to get the changes right. A higher language requirement places heavy demands on the bodies that carry it out, he said, for example because extra exams must be developed and run. He wants to proceed carefully so that it works in practice.

The answers were a reply to parliamentary questions asking whether the proposal should go to the Council of State, the government's top advisory body, by the end of 2026. The minister said the amendment is to go out for consultation this year, then to the Council of State, and take effect as soon as possible. The minister said he attaches great importance to good knowledge of Dutch among people who settle in the Netherlands.