Dutch citizenship

Expats who have been living in the Netherlands for five years (or sometimes less) may be eligible to apply for Dutch citizenship (Nederlandse nationaliteit). Here's what you need to know about gaining Dutch citizenship as an international. 

How to obtain Dutch citizenship

There are three ways to gain Dutch citizenship:

By means of naturalisation (naturalisatie)

To apply for Dutch citizenship by means of naturalisation, you must have lived in the Netherlands (or the Dutch Caribbean) for an uninterrupted five-year period and meet other conditions that are listed below.

By means of the option procedure (optieprocedure)

If you have continuously lived in the Netherlands since birth or early childhood, or if you meet other requirements, you may qualify for citizenship via the option procedure.

By law (by birth or family relations) (van rechtswege)

If you are born to a Dutch father or mother, if your Dutch father acknowledges paternity, or if you are adopted by Dutch parents, then you can apply for Dutch citizenship by law.

Dutch citizenship by naturalisation

Naturalisation is a way of gaining Dutch citizenship by means of an application process which takes approximately one year. The naturalisation procedure is the most common way for expats to apply for Dutch citizenship.

Requirements for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation

To be eligible for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation, you must meet these conditions:

• You are more than 18 years old.
• You have lived legally in the Netherlands or the Dutch Caribbean (Bonaire, Saint Eustatius, Saba, Aruba, Curaçao or Saint Martin) for an uninterrupted five-year period (some exceptions apply - see below).
• You hold a valid Dutch residence permit, or a residence permit for a non-temporary purpose.
• You can speak, read, write and understand Dutch. To prove this, you must have passed the Dutch civic integration exam at the A2 level. Exceptions to this requirement are possible if you have already received an equivalent diploma, such as the NT2 State Exam.
• You have not received a prison sentence, community training or fine of 810 euros or more in the last four years.
• You are willing to give up your current nationality (some exceptions apply - see section on dual nationality below). If you do not do this, your new Dutch citizenship may be revoked.
• You are willing to attend a citizenship ceremony at which you must declare your allegiance to the Netherlands.

Exceptions to the five-year requirement

There are some exceptions to the five-year residence requirement for naturalisation. You do not need to have lived in the Netherlands for a continuous five-year period if one of the following applies:

• You are married to a Dutch citizen and you have been living together continuously for at least three years, either in the Netherlands or abroad. This exception is also possible for unmarried partners.
• You are officially stateless and you have been legally living in the Netherlands for three years or more.
• You have lived in the Netherlands for a duration of 10 years with a valid residence permit, of which the last two years were continuous.
• You previously held Dutch citizenship.
• You meet other parent-related requirements.

Dual citizenship in the Netherlands

When gaining Dutch citizenship, internationals often have to give up their original citizenship(s) (afstand doen) because in many cases the Netherlands does not permit dual citizenship. There are, however, a number of exceptions to this rule, where dual citizenship is possible.

Cases when dual citizenship is allowed by the Netherlands

You do not need to give up your current citizenship if one the following applies:

• You are married to, or a registered partner of, a Dutch citizen.
• Your country of origin does not allow you to revoke your citizenship.
• Your country of origin has rules that cause you to automatically lose your current nationality when you gain Dutch citizenship (by Dutch requirements, you can only renounce your citizenship after you gain Dutch citizenship).
• You are officially recognised as a refugee.
• You have to pay a lot of money to authorities in your country of origin to renounce your citizenship, and can prove this.
• You will lose certain rights, such as inheritance rights, in your country of origin if you renounce your citizenship, and you can prove this. 
• You must complete or buy out your military service before being permitted to renounce your nationality, and you can prove this. 
• You were born in the Netherlands or Dutch Caribbean and you’re still living there when you apply for Dutch citizenship.
• It is not possible to contact the authorities in your country of origin.
• You object to renouncing your nationality for special and assessable reasons.
• Your country of origin is not recognised by the Netherlands.

If one of the above categories applies to you, it is essential to make it known when you submit your application. It is not possible to claim one of the exceptions and get dual citizenship after you have received Dutch citizenship.

Renouncing your nationality

If none of the above situations applies to you, you will be required to give up your current nationality after you acquire Dutch citizenship. You will need to sign a declaration that you agree to renounce your current citizenship.

After you gain Dutch citizenship, you must submit an application to renounce your nationality or register a declaration of renunciation with the authorities in your country of origin (for example via a consulate or embassy). After this process is complete, you must send a copy of the official declaration to the IND.

Application process for Dutch citizenship

If you want to apply for Dutch citizenship (Nederlanderschap aanvragen) and you fulfil the necessary requirements, you can visit your local municipality (gemeente) to submit an application and pay the application fee.

The application will be reviewed by the gemeente and then forwarded to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), accompanied by a recommendation. The entire application process can take up to one year.

If you have children under the age of 18 and you want them to have Dutch nationality, you must include them in your own application for Dutch citizenship.

Documentation for Dutch citizenship application

The documents that you must provide with your application for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation are:

• A valid form of ID, such as a passport.
• Your valid residence permit.
• Your birth certificate. This document may need to be legalised or bear an apostille stamp. If the certificate is not in Dutch, English, French or German, it will need to be translated.
• Your civic integration exam certificate or other diploma (such as NT2), or proof of exemption, if you are exempt from taking any of the exams. 

Some additional documents may be required depending on your situation. 

Dutch citizenship application costs

An application for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation for a single person costs 1.091 euros (in 2025). A naturalisation request together with a partner costs 1.393 euros. Applying for Dutch citizenship via the option procedure has lower fees. 

Outcome of the citizenship application

After they have considered your application, the IND will send you the outcome via mail.

Dutch citizenship granted

If your application is successful, the IND will send confirmation of your citizenship. You will also receive an invitation from your gemeente to attend a compulsory citizenship ceremony, where you will receive your Dutch nationality certificate (bewijs van Nederlanderschap). At the ceremony, you must declare your allegiance to the Netherlands (in Dutch). Once you have Dutch citizenship, you can also apply for a Dutch passport.

Dutch citizenship application rejected

If you do not fulfil the requirements, the IND may reject your citizenship application. You will receive a letter explaining the reasons. It may be possible to request the IND to review their decision if you think there are legal grounds for objection.

What rights come with Dutch citizenship?

When you become a Dutch citizen your status will be changed in the Basisregistratie personen (BRP). As a Dutch citizen you will gain the following rights:

• The ability to enter and leave the Netherlands freely.
• The right to a Dutch passport.
• Ability to vote in Dutch national and provincial elections and to stand for election.
• The right to join the Dutch armed forces and police.
• Your children are also eligible for Dutch citizenship.
• Automatic EU citizenship.
• The ability to move and reside freely within the European Union.
• Ability to vote for the European Parliament.

Permanent residency in the Netherlands

If you do not want to give up your original citizenship but want to continue to live in the Netherlands then you may be able to apply for permanent residence instead. Permanent residence allows you to stay indefinitely in the Netherlands, with a number of conditions. Find out more on our permanent residence in the Netherlands page.