What is civicization and who should be civicized?

What is civic integration?

People coming from outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland and coming to live in the Netherlands for a longer period of time are required by law to learn the Dutch language and to learn how Dutch society and labor market work. This is called integrating.

The goal of integrating is that you quickly and fully participate in Dutch society, preferably through paid work. Together with the municipality where you are going to live, a personal Plan Integration and Participation (PIP) is drawn up. This plan determines what you need to do to become integrated.

Want to know more about the Personal Plan Integration and Participation (PIP)? Click here. 

Who needs to integrate?

Not everyone who comes to the Netherlands has to integrate. Only if the following points apply to you, you are obliged to integrate (you then have an 'obligation to integrate'):

• You are coming to the Netherlands for a longer period of time
• You come from a country outside the European Union (EU), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland 
• You are older than 16 and younger than the retirement age (67 in 2020)
• You have a residence permit

Are you from Turkey and do not yet have family in the Netherlands? Then you are required to become a citizen.

How much time do you get to citizenship?

People who are required to citizenship receive a letter from the municipality where they will be living. This is a call for the broad intake. With this, the Personal Plan for Integration and Participation (PIP) is drawn up. You then have three years to integrate.

Integration in the Netherlands or abroad?

Are you coming to the Netherlands as a family member of someone who has a residence permit in the Netherlands? Then you have to start civic integration before you even arrive in the Netherlands. You will then take the 'Basic Civic Integration Examination Abroad'.