In short
- In the Netherlands there is no official standard for the number of hours you need to reach a language level such as A2 or B1.
- How long it takes depends on things like your previous education, whether you can already read and write in the Latin alphabet, how many lessons you have per week and how much you practise.
- The 2021 Civic Integration Act gives you 3 years for your whole civic integration; the law does not say how many hours you need for a level.
- Numbers such as 450, 600 or 800 hours are thresholds in rules about lowering the level, extra time or the Z-route, not a prediction of how long you will need.
How many hours do you need to reach A2 or B1? The honest answer: it differs from person to person, and there is no official number. This guide explains what it depends on and which official numbers do exist.
Is there an official standard?
No. In the Netherlands there is no official number of hours per language level for adults learning Dutch. You will not find such a standard in the 2021 Civic Integration Act (Wet inburgering 2021), in the Civic Integration Decree and Regulations 2021 (Besluit and Regeling inburgering 2021), or for the State Exam NT2 (Staatsexamen NT2).
The Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie) wrote in an overview from 2022: for the B1 route there is no minimum or maximum number of lesson hours, because the group of people integrating is so diverse. The law also sets no minimum or maximum number of lesson hours per week for that route.
The levels themselves (A1 to C2) come from the Common European Framework of Reference (Europees Referentiekader, ERK; in English: CEFR). It describes what you can do at each level. It is not a course programme.
The law works with a deadline, not with hours
Do you have to integrate under the 2021 Civic Integration Act? Then you have 3 years for your whole civic integration. How many hours you need for a level is not in the law.
At the start you take a learnability test (leerbaarheidstoets) as part of the broad intake (brede intake) at your municipality. According to the law, this test gives insight into the level you can reach within the deadline. So it is an estimate for your situation, not a fixed number of hours.
What does it depend on?
How fast someone learns Dutch varies a lot. Important factors are:
- Your previous education. Did you go to school or study for a long time, or only a little?
- Reading and writing in the Latin alphabet. Dutch uses the Latin alphabet. Do you only know another script, such as Persian? Or have you not yet learned to read and write? Then you also learn the script. This is called literacy training (alfabetisering), and it takes extra time.
- How many lessons you have per week.
- How much you practise outside your lessons.
Because these factors differ so much between people, nobody can promise you an exact number of hours in advance.
Official numbers that do exist
The rules do contain a few numbers. But they are about something other than how long you will need:
| Number | Where it applies | What it means exactly |
|---|---|---|
| 600 hours | 2021 Civic Integration Act, B1 route | After at least 600 hours of Dutch lessons, and if you have made enough effort, your language level may be lowered from B1 to A2 (afschalen). Hours of literacy training count. |
| 800 hours | 2021 Civic Integration Act, self-reliance route (Z-route) | 800 hours of Dutch and Knowledge of Dutch Society (KNM) courses together. The goal of the Z-route is about level A1. |
| 450 hours | 2021 Civic Integration Act, B1 route, for family migrants and other migrants | At least 450 hours of lessons is one of the conditions for 6 months of extra time after “significant efforts” (aanzienlijke inspanningen). |
| 600 hours and 3 attempts | Old act (Wet inburgering 2013) | An exemption (ontheffing) because you have shown that you did your best. Conditions include 600 hours of lessons at a school (online lessons do not count) and 3 exam attempts. For literacy training the minimum is 300 hours. |
| 120, 180 or 80 hours per level | Flanders (Belgium), not the Netherlands | Adult education centres (CVO’s) there usually offer courses of 120 lesson hours per level. There are also extended courses (180 hours) and shortened courses (80 hours). At Ligo (basic education, including literacy) the standard is 240 hours per level. |
Why this is not “so many hours to B1”
It is tempting to think: “After 600 hours I will have B1.” That is not how it works.
- 600 hours is a threshold, not a prediction. It says when your level may be lowered to A2. Not that you will have B1 after 600 hours, and not that you need 600 hours.
- 450 and 600 hours are about effort: how many lessons you must be able to show for a rule to apply. Not about how fast someone learns.
- 800 hours belongs to a different route. The Z-route has a different goal (about A1) and is for a different group of people.
- The Flemish numbers apply in Flanders. They are not Dutch rules. And they are lesson hours: your own practice time is not included.
How to see where you stand
- Take a level test. It gives a first idea of your level. A level test is not an official exam.
- Look at a practice exam for the exam you need. That way you see what is asked.
- Know your goal. Which level do you need, and for which exam: for civic integration, work or a study programme?
- Be honest about your time. How many hours per week do you have for lessons and for practising on your own?
What can help
What works well differs from person to person. A few general tips:
- Regularity. Plan fixed moments in your week to learn Dutch. That way it becomes a habit.
- Speaking. Look for chances to speak Dutch, even if it is not perfect yet: in the shop, with your neighbours or at work.
- Feedback. Ask a teacher or someone else to correct you, especially when speaking and writing.
- Looking back. After a while, take a level test or a practice exam again. That way you see what has changed.
A realistic plan
So how long you need depends on your situation. An intake can help you put your level, your goal and the time you have side by side, and make a realistic plan from there. At TaalPro the intake is free.