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 get Dutch citizenship

There are three ways to gain Dutch citizenship:

• Automatically by descent (e.g. from birth) 
• Via the option procedure
• By naturalisation 

Dutch citizenship by descent (van rechtswege)

A child can automatically become a Dutch citizen by birth, acknowledgement or adoption. This is known as Dutch citizenship by descent. The Dutch translation “van rechtswege” means “by (operation of) law”. 

In these cases, you do not have to apply for Dutch nationality; you get it automatically. This happens if:

• You are born to a Dutch mother. 
• You are born to a Dutch father who is married to or is the registered partner of your non-Dutch mother.
• You are born to a Dutch father who acknowledges paternity before you are born.
• You are acknowledged by a Dutch citizen before the age of 7.
• You are adopted by a Dutch parent before the age of 18.

With citizenship from birth, it does not matter whether you are born in the Netherlands or abroad. 

Find out more about Dutch citizenship by birth, acknowledgement or adoption on the IND website. 

Dutch citizenship via the option procedure (optieprocedure)

Apart from having citizenship from birth, the option procedure is the quickest way to get Dutch citizenship. 

The option procedure is open to people who have lived in the Netherlands since birth or early childhood, were raised by a Dutch citizen, or formerly had Dutch nationality. 

It is therefore not a route to Dutch citizenship that is open to everyone. You can find out more about the option procedure on the IND website.

Dutch citizenship by naturalisation (naturalisatie)

If you are not eligible for Dutch citizenship through descent or via the option procedure, you can apply for 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.

Dutch citizenship requirements

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

• You are more than 18 years old.
• You hold a valid permanent residence permit or temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay.
• You are not a danger to the public order or national security of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 
• You are willing to give up your current nationality (some exceptions apply - see section on dual nationality below). 
• You are willing to attend a citizenship ceremony at which you must declare your allegiance to the Netherlands.

In addition, you must pass the residency and integration requirements.

The residency requirement

To qualify for Dutch citizenship, you must have lived legally in the Netherlands or the Dutch Caribbean for an uninterrupted period of at least five years. 

This includes periods spent working, studying or even raising a family, as long as you had a valid residence permit for the duration of your stay.

There are some exceptions to this requirement, most notably if you are married to a Dutch citizen.

Dutch citizenship by marriage or partnership

If you live with a Dutch citizen, you can apply for naturalisation much quicker: after just three years of living in the Netherlands. This applies no matter whether you and your partner are married, registered partners or unmarried. 

If you are married or in a registered partnership, you can also count years spent living outside the Netherlands towards this three-year requirement, so long as you were living together, and you remain married and living together throughout the whole naturalisation process. 

If you are married to a Dutch citizen when you gain Dutch citizenship via naturalisation, you are not required to renounce your original nationality. If you marry after being naturalised, you will have to renounce your nationality. 

Other exceptions

There are a few other 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 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.

The integration requirement

To apply for Dutch citizenship through naturalisation, you also need to fulfil the integration requirement. Normally, this means you have passed the civic integration exam at level A2. 

Some people are not required to take the civic integration exam. This may be the case if:

• You have passed the NT2 State Exam
• You have a Dutch, Belgian or Surinamese diploma or secondary education leaving certificate, for exams taken in Dutch
• You lived in the Netherlands for at least eight years between the ages of five and 16
• You have a European Baccalaureate or an International Baccalaureate, showing you passed Dutch as a first or second language subject

You can read the full list of exemptions (in Dutch) on the IND website.

Dual citizenship in the Netherlands

Typically, if you are aged 18 or older you must renounce your nationality when you gain Dutch citizenship.

This is because the Dutch government wants to limit the number of people who hold dual nationality. This comes from the belief that, as the IND puts it, “the rights and obligations of your other nationality may conflict with those of Dutch nationality”. 

However, there are a number of exceptions to this rule. 

Cases when dual citizenship is allowed by the Netherlands

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

• You are married to, or are the 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.
• You were born in the Netherlands or Dutch Caribbean and you’re living there when you apply for Dutch citizenship.
• You have an asylum residence permit. 
• You would face various problems in your country of origin if you renounced your citizenship, such as losing inheritance rights or having to buy out military service, and you can prove it. 

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 apply 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 once you have acquired Dutch 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.

If you do not renounce your other nationality, the IND can revoke your new Dutch citizenship. 

How to apply for Dutch citizenship

If you want to apply for Dutch citizenship and you fulfil the necessary requirements, you can start your application. You will need to apply via your local municipality (gemeente). 

In some cases, you can start your citizenship application online using your DigiD. Search for “nederlandse nationaliteit aanvragen”. If this is not possible, you can contact your gemeente to make an appointment. 

If you have children under the age of 18 who also want to become naturalised Dutch citizens, you can apply for the whole family at the same time.

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
• 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. Check with your municipality to be sure.

If your documents are not in Dutch, English, French or German, you may need to get them translated. You might also need to have foreign documents legalised. You can find out more information on the NetherlandsWorldwide website.

Next steps

After your municipality has received your application, they will review it to check if you meet all the conditions and then forward it to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) with a recommendation. 

How much does it cost to apply for Dutch citizenship?

An application for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation (in 2025) costs:

• 1.091 euros for a single person 
• 1.393 euros for two partners applying together
• 161 euros for each child under the age of 18 naturalising with a parent

Applying for Dutch citizenship via the option procedure has lower fees. 

How long does it take to get citizenship?

How long it takes to get Dutch citizenship varies depending on how you apply:

• Via the option procedure: A maximum of three months
• By naturalisation: A maximum of a year

You should hear within a year, but for more complicated applications it can take up to two years to get a decision. If you are kept waiting for more than one year, the IND will send you a letter to explain what is happening. 

Outcome of the citizenship application

After they have considered your application, the IND will send you their decision in the mail. Your application will either be successful or unsuccessful. 

Dutch citizenship granted

If your application is successful, the IND will send a confirmation letter.

Dutch citizenship ceremony

Within eight weeks, you should also receive an invitation from your gemeente to attend a citizenship ceremony, where you will receive your Dutch nationality certificate (bewijs van Nederlanderschap). It is mandatory to attend this ceremony. 

At the ceremony, you must declare your allegiance to the Netherlands (in Dutch). Once you have attended the Dutch citizenship ceremony, you are officially Dutch, and you can apply for your 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 that the IND review their decision if you think there are legal grounds for an objection. If you do this, it would be wise to consult an immigration lawyer. 

Can I travel while waiting for a decision on my citizenship application? 

Yes, it is generally permitted to travel outside the Netherlands while you are waiting for the outcome of your citizenship application. You just need a valid passport and evidence of your current residence status, such as a residence permit, for when you re-enter the Netherlands. 

However, be aware that prolonged or frequent periods spent outside the Netherlands while you are applying for Dutch citizenship could place a question mark over your application. If in doubt, it is worth contacting the IND. 

The IND explicitly states that while your naturalisation application is still pending, you must normally continue living in the Netherlands, unless you are married to/in a registered partnership with a Dutch citizen, you live together, and you move to another country together. 

Benefits of Dutch citizenship

When you become a Dutch citizen, your status will be changed in the Basisregistratie personen (BRP). Having Dutch citizenship comes with a number of benefits:

• You no longer need a residence permit, meaning you can freely enter and leave the Netherlands, and remain abroad for longer periods of time. 
• You can apply for a Dutch passport. 
• Your children are also eligible for Dutch citizenship.
• You can vote in Dutch national and provincial elections and stand for election.
• As an EU citizen, you can move, live and work freely within the European Union and vote in EU elections. 
• You can work in public positions in the Netherlands, meaning you could become a mayor, police officer, soldier or judge.

Can you lose Dutch citizenship?

It is possible to lose your Dutch citizenship in the following ways:

• You voluntarily acquire the citizenship of another country (with some exceptions).
• You have dual citizenship and you live outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands or the European Union for longer than 13 years, and you do not apply for a Dutch passport within that period. 
• You sign a declaration renouncing your Dutch citizenship. 
• You are a minor and your parent loses their Dutch citizenship. 
• You acquire Dutch citizenship via the option procedure or naturalisation and do not renounce your former nationality when you are required to. 
• You commit fraud during the option procedure or naturalisation process, such as identity fraud or making false claims. 
• You are convicted of an offence such as war crimes or terrorist offences. 
• You join the armed forces of a country at war with the Netherlands or one of the Netherlands’ allies. 
• You are 16 or older and join an organisation that poses a threat to national security. 

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.