Practise everyday situations in Belgium
StroopTaal's roleplays are built around conversations you are likely to have in your first months in Belgium:
- registering your new address at the municipality, and the home check by the local police officer (wijkagent) that usually follows
- registering as a jobseeker
- joining a health insurance fund (ziekenfonds)
- seeing a GP (huisarts) and collecting your medicine at the pharmacy
- buying a bus or tram ticket and asking about your route
- enrolling your child in primary school
- talking about a rental contract and the rental deposit (huurwaarborg)
- a meeting about your civic integration programme
The AI plays the other person, so you can practise before the real conversation.
If you choose Belgium as your region, the course itself uses Belgium's words and institutions.
Speaking practice with AI
Speaking is often the hardest part of learning a language. In StroopTaal you practise speaking out loud and have conversations with an AI partner. With Belgium as your region, Belgian standard Dutch counts as correct: saying gsm instead of mobiel is not a mistake.
Besides speaking, you practise reading, listening and writing, from beginner level up to B1. This is general practice to build your Dutch. It does not follow the format of any official test.
What civic integration (inburgering) in Flanders involves
General information, checked on 29 September 2026. The rules depend on your situation and can change, so always check the official sources (all in Dutch).
- Four parts. The civic integration programme (inburgeringstraject) starts with an integration contract and has four parts: a social orientation course (maatschappelijke oriëntatie, MO), Dutch lessons (NT2), a pathway to work (registering with VDAB, or Actiris in Brussels) and a participation pathway of at least 40 hours, for example volunteering or a buddy project. (Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering: Inburgeringstraject, Participatietraject)
- Compulsory or not. Whether the programme is compulsory for you depends on your residence situation. In Brussels it has been compulsory since June 2022 for some newcomers from countries outside the European Union. (Agentschap: Inburgering, Bon: Is een inburgeringsprogramma verplicht?)
- Costs. In Flanders you pay for some parts: €180 for the MO lessons with a test and €180 for the Dutch lessons with a test. Personal guidance, the pathway to work and the participation pathway cost nothing, and exemptions from payment are possible. Books for the Dutch lessons are extra. In Brussels the programme is free. (Agentschap: Kosten van het inburgeringstraject)
- Dutch level today. The Dutch goal within the programme is currently A2. Depending on when their obligation started, people who must follow the programme may also have to reach B1 for speaking and listening (B1 oral, "B1 mondeling") within 24 months of receiving their civic integration certificate, unless an exemption applies. (Agentschap: Inburgeringstraject, Decree of 7 June 2013, art. 34/5, Codex Vlaanderen)
- Planned change from 1 September 2027. The Flemish Government plans to raise the Dutch level within the programme to B1 oral from 1 September 2027. Under the draft decree, the civic integration certificate would require B1 for speaking and listening and A2 for reading and writing. In September 2026 the amendment was still going through the legislative process, so check which rules apply to you. (Flemish Government communication "NT2: Nederlands werkt!", October 2025, Agentschap news, 15 June 2026, GO! overview of Flemish Government decisions)
- Who to ask. In Brussels: Bon. In the city of Antwerp: Atlas. In the city of Ghent: Amal. Elsewhere in Flanders: the Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use StroopTaal if I live in Belgium?
Yes. In the app you choose your region: the Netherlands, or Belgium (Flanders and Brussels). With Belgium, you get Belgian words, Belgian roleplays and speaking practice that accepts Belgian standard Dutch. Lessons that only apply to the Netherlands are left out.
Will the AI mark my Belgian Dutch as wrong?
Not when it is standard Dutch. With Belgium as your region, Belgian standard words such as gsm and loonfiche count as correct. StroopTaal teaches standard Dutch, not dialect.
Does StroopTaal prepare me for the civic integration tests or for Belgian nationality?
No. StroopTaal is general Dutch practice from beginner level up to B1. It does not follow the format of the official NT2 test, it does not cover the social orientation (MO) course, and it is not a preparation for Belgian nationality. For official information, contact Bon (Brussels), Atlas (Antwerp), Amal (Ghent) or the Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering (rest of Flanders).
What level is StroopTaal for?
StroopTaal starts at absolute beginner level and goes up to B1. You practise reading, listening, writing and speaking at every level.
I live in Brussels. Is StroopTaal for me?
If you want to learn Dutch, yes. The Belgium region covers Flanders and Brussels. Brussels is officially bilingual (Dutch and French); StroopTaal teaches Dutch only.
StroopTaal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering, Bon, Atlas, Amal, VDAB, Actiris or any other government body.
