This paper considers a finite-element approximation of a second-order selfadjoint elliptic equation in a region flcR" (with n = 2 or 3) having a curved boundary dQ on which a Neumann or Robin condition is prescribed. If the finite-element space denned over D h , a union of elements, has approximation power h k in the L 2 norm, and if the region of integration is approximated by Q* with dist (Q, £?*) =£ Ch k , then it is shown that one retains optimal rates of convergence for the error in the H 1 and L 2 norms, whether Q* is fitted (£^ = D h) or unfitted (Q* c £>*), provided that the numerical integration scheme has sufficient accuracy.