US bill banning dual citizenship could affect Americans in the Netherlands

Citizens of the United States could soon be banned from obtaining dual citizenship or be forced to choose between their passports due to a bill proposed to the US Senate.

Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 proposed in the US

Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno has introduced a bill on the so-called “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” to the US Senate. If the bill were to pass, US citizens would no longer be able to hold dual citizenship.

According to the bill’s general outline, it would ensure that “An individual may not be a citizen or national of the United States while simultaneously possessing any foreign citizenship”. It states that, if and when the act is adopted, “A citizen of the United States who [...] voluntarily acquires foreign citizenship shall be deemed to have relinquished United States citizenship”.

Those with dual citizenship will have one year to either renounce their US or foreign citizenship, and dual citizens who do not comply by the deadline “shall be deemed to have voluntarily relinquished United States citizenship”.

Under the act, the US Secretary of State and Department of Homeland Security would also keep a record of those who had renounced their US citizenship, who would then be "treated as an alien for purposes of the immigration laws".

The son of Colombia’s former health secretary, Moreno arrived in the US at age five and became a US citizen at 18, eventually renouncing his Colombian passport. The former car dealership CEO previously supported a pathway to dual citizenship for US migrants, but has since U-turned.

“Being an American citizen is an honour and a privilege,” Moreno said when announcing the bill, “and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”

What does this mean for US citizens in the Netherlands?

The new act would impact both dual citizens living in the US and internationally. For example, US citizens in the Netherlands would have to give up their US passport if they were to obtain Dutch citizenship. 

While obtaining citizenship in the Netherlands already requires you to renounce your current nationality, unless you are married or in a registered partnership with a Dutch citizen, it appears that even residents who already hold US and Dutch passports would be forced to renounce one passport.

What happens now?

For now, it is unclear how much support Moreno’s bill will gather, and whether it is legally solid. To become law, it would first need to pass a vote in the US Senate. If politicians choose to advance the bill, it is likely to face legal challenges at the next stage.

The US Supreme Court has previously affirmed that formal renunciation is the only way a US citizen can lose their citizenship. The affirmation is based on the 1952 Kawakita vs. United States case, in which a dual US-Japanese national was convicted of treason against the US during the Second World War.

If passed, the US State Department and Department of Homeland Security would also have to organise a system to log and process all US dual citizens, a further logistical hurdle. Official estimations on the number of US citizens who have another passport vary wildly, from 500.000 to 5,7 million. It is estimated that there are more than 45.000 US citizens currently living in the Netherlands.

This article was originally published on IamExpat in Germany.