Elections & voting

Expat voting rights
Most elections in the Netherlands are not open for the local expatriate community.

In municipal elections, expats have the right to participate as long as they are registered. The same applies to Dutch and EU citizens but not for embassy and consular staff. Non-EU citizens must have lived in the Netherlands uninterrupted for at least five years.

For the Council of Europe, EU citizens are eligible to vote either in their country of origin (local candidates) or in the Netherlands (Dutch candidates).

Please note that in both cases participants have to be over 18 and not lost their right to vote.

On the other hand, expats in the Netherlands are not eligible to vote for either Parliamentary or Provincial elections.

Dutch elections overview
› Upper House (Senate)
- Once every four years
- Within three months after the Provincial elections
- Indirect vote

› Lower House
- Once every four years
- Participant requirements: a) over 18 years old, b) Dutch nationals, c) voting eligibility

› Provincial council
- Once every four years
- Twelve provinces in the Netherlands: Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
- Number and "vote value" of provincial council members depends on the number of inhabitants
- Upper House members are elected by provincial council
- Direct vote
- Participant requirements: a) over 18 years old, b) Dutch nationals, c) voting eligibility

› Municipal council
- Once every four years
- Over 400 municipalities in the Netherlands
- Number of municipal councillors (always odd number) depends on the number of inhabitants
- Participant requirements: a) over 18 years old, b) registration, c) voting eligibility, d) must have lived in the Netherlands uninterrupted for at least five years (for non-EU citizens)