FAQ inburgering English
Most frequent questions and answers about civic integration
Depending on when you are required to integrate, you fall under either the old law,
the Integration Act 2013 (obligated to integrate before January 2021), or under the
new law, the Integration Act 2021 (obligated to integrate from January 2021
onwards).
If you fall under the Integration Act 2013, then yes, you may choose an integration
school yourself.
If you fall under the Integration Act 2021 and you are a family migrant, then yes, you
may choose an integration school yourself.
If you fall under the Integration Act 2021 and you are a refugee, then the municipality
will choose an integration school for you.
If you want to integrate voluntarily, for example, to apply for naturalization or to
obtain a stronger residence permit, then yes, you may choose an integration school
yourself.
If you fall under the old Integration Act 2013, you need to take 6 exams to achieve
A2 level and obtain an integration diploma (reading, listening, speaking, writing,
Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNM), and Orientation on the Dutch Labor Market
(ONA)).
If you fall under the new law and you are in the B1 route, you also need to take 6
exams at the B1 level (reading, listening, speaking, writing, KNM, and MAP). MAP is
similar to ONA.
The duration of a language training varies depending on your level and the course
program. Generally, a language training from A0 to A2 lasts about 6 to 7 months,
and from A2 to B1 also around 7 months (6 hours per week). If you successfully
complete everything, you can achieve the B1 level within 1.5 years.
The price of a language training for group lessons is 16 euros per hour. If you are
interested in private lessons or customized lessons with one or more fellow students,
please contact us for a quote.
Yes, Hamrah is a certified language school with the Blik op Werk quality mark. You
can pay the course fees with a DUO loan.
Yes, we can assess together what you can afford to pay per month and then set up a
payment arrangement.
You can fill out the registration form on our website, send us a message, call us, or
come by. Then we will contact you and schedule an intake interview together.
Once you have registered, you will receive an email about the new courses. You can
also visit the Hamrah website or contact us.
Yes, you can attend a trial lesson to get an idea of how our lessons are conducted
before you enroll definitively.
Yes, we offer online integration courses (A1 and A2) and state exam courses (B1
and B2) for all levels. In addition, we also offer online exam preparation and
speaking courses.
Yes, in addition to the Dutch language, we also offer language training in other
languages such as Farsi, Turkish, and Arabic. This is especially useful for people
with a low or medium level of education who do not have any other support language
besides their mother tongue.
Yes, our language buddies practice with you once a week to improve your speaking
skills so that you learn to speak better Dutch.
Yes, in addition to integration courses, we also offer Dutch language courses. These
courses are shorter because you do not have to prepare for the integration exam.
We offer both on-site and online courses.
No, you only have to pay for the lessons until the moment you stop. You can stop the
course at any time.
Yes, if you are absent yourself and the lesson continues, you have to pay for the
lesson. If you are absent for a longer period, it is better to stop the course. In case of
prolonged absence without further notice from you, we reserve the right to
unilaterally terminate your contract.
To stop, you must send us an email stating that you want to stop. If you want to start
again later, we will look for the best starting point for you.
According to the course agreement, you must be present for at least 80% of the
lessons. Attendance is registered via an app, and the teacher must confirm this. If
you are absent for more than 20%, warnings will be issued, and a progress
discussion may follow.
Yes, if you are a beginner, an intake interview takes place. During this interview, we
discuss your wishes and background, and we also administer a test of teachability.
Based on that, we determine which level suits you best. You can also attend a trial
lesson. If you start at a higher level, such as A2, B1, or B2, we administer a level test
if you cannot demonstrate that you have the desired entry level. Each course
concludes with a final test. We also administer interim tests to monitor and discuss
your progress. At the end of each course, you will have a conversation with your
teacher about, among other things, your school performance, any transfer to another
group, the number of modules still needed, and the planning of your exam.
Hamrah has a complaints procedure that applies to complaints about our services.
Oral complaints are preferably handled directly between the customer and Hamrah.
If this is not possible, the complaint can be submitted in writing, and the formal
complaints procedure will be initiated. For more information, you can visit our
website.
There are an average of 7 to 10 students in a group.
No, the groups are usually homogeneous, and there are fixed entry moments. There
are no students of different levels in the same group. However, it may occur that one
student learns faster than another.
No, to qualify for the exemption, you must have attended 600 hours of classroom
lessons (being present). Online lessons do not count for the exemption.
Yes, if you have completed 600 hours of education, of which 50% must have been
physically attended, you can downgrade to the A2-level exams. For more
information, you can visit the Blik op Werk website.
Yes, switching between the B1 and Z routes is only possible during the first one and
a half years after the establishment of the PIP. There is no hourly norm attached to it.
If you have only attended online lessons in the B1 route and then switch to the Z
route, you can only count the classroom lessons that have been physically attended
towards the mandatory 800 hours. For more information, you can visit the Blik op
Werk website.
Yes, it is possible to switch from the Education route to the B1 route throughout the
entire integration period. The lessons attended in the Education route can count
towards the 600 hours of lessons required to be able to downgrade to the B1 route.
For more information, you can visit the Blik op Werk website.
Your data is handled very carefully. In our privacy policy, you can read in detail what
happens to your data. You can find the privacy policy on our website.