To be eligible to vote in most elections in the Netherlands, you must have Dutch citizenship. However, municipal elections are open to the local expatriate community, as are EU elections for expats with EU citizenship. Learn about Dutch elections and your voting rights as an expat.
Expat voting rights in the Netherlands
Here is a brief guide to the elections that expats can participate in in the Netherlands.
Municipal elections
In municipal elections (Gemeenteraad), expats have the right to participate as long as they are registered with their municipality. This also applies to Dutch and EU citizens, but not to embassy and consular staff.
Non-EU citizens must have lived in the Netherlands uninterrupted for at least five years. For non-EU expats living in Amsterdam, it is possible to vote in the District Council (Bestuurscommissie) elections if you have been registered in the city for more than three years.
EU elections
For the European Parliament, 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 have lost their right to vote.
Expats in the Netherlands are not eligible to vote in either parliamentary or provincial elections.
Dutch elections overview
The Netherlands has separate elections for three levels of government: national, provincial and municipal.
Eerste Kamer (Senate)
Eerste Kamer elections are held:
- Once every four years.
- Within three months of the provincial elections.
- By indirect vote.
Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives)
Tweeder Kamer elections are held once every four years. Voters need to be Dutch nationals over 18 years of age who are eligible to vote.
Provincial council
Provincial council elections are held:
- Once every four years.
- For the 12 provinces in the Netherlands: Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslan, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland.
- By direct vote
The number and "vote value" of provinicial council members depends on the number of inhabitants in each province. Voters need to be Dutch nationals over 18 years of age who are eligible to vote.
Municipal council
Municipal council elections are held:
- Once every four years.
- Over 400 municipalities in the Netherlands.
The number of municipal councillors (which is always an odd number) depends on the number of inhabitants in the municipality. Voters need to be over 18 years of age, registered with the municipality, eligible to vote and either an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen who has lived in the Netherlands uninterrupted for at least five years.
European Parliament
In European Parliament elections, people in the Netherlands vote to distribute their 26 seats in the EU parliament. EU citizens can vote either in their country of origin or in the Netherlands.
Largest active political parties in the Netherlands
Here is a list of the largest Dutch political parties:
- VVD
- Partij van de Arbeid (P.v.d.A.)
- Democraten 66 (D66)
- SP (Socialistische Partij)
- CDA
- GROENLINKS
- Partij voor de Dieren
- ChristenUnie
- Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP)
- 50PLUS
- PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid)
- VNL (VoorNederland)
- OndernemersPartij
Voting pass
In the run-up to elections, a "voting pass" is mailed by the local municipality to all residents who are entitled to vote. Note that:
- You must have a voting pass in order to vote at a polling station.
- Appointing someone else to vote on your behalf is possible.
In case the voting pass is lost or damaged:
- Submit the voting pass form at a sub-municipal office.
- Provide a valid proof of identity (not a driving licence).