Dutch Citizenship: Naturalisation in the Land of Windmills and Canals

The Netherlands is not the easiest country for acquiring citizenship. Getting a Dutch passport will cost you a lot of time and money. You will have to learn the language and renounce any other citizenship you hold. Scroll down for the pitfalls applicants are sure to encounter on their way.

• People Eligible for Dutch Citizenship through Naturalisation
• Required Documents
• Who Accepts the Documents
• How Long Does the Application Take
• People Eligible for Dutch Citizenship by Option
• Disadvantages of Dutch Citizenship
• How Much It Costs
• Is Dual Citizenship Allowed in the Netherlands?
• Reasons to Revoke Dutch Citizenship

People Eligible for Dutch Citizenship through Naturalisation

To be naturalised in the Netherlands, you need to live here for at least five years with a valid residence permit that was always extended on time. Applicants must pass the language and naturalisation tests.

In some cases, it is possible to apply from abroad, even if you are not residing in the Netherlands. This applies to people who used to have a Dutch passport or those who have been married for at least three years to a Dutch citizen (or were their registered partner, these are two different civil statuses in the Netherlands).

For some categories of applicants it is enough to permanently reside in the country for two or three years instead of five.

Obviously, people who pose a danger to society cannot apply for Dutch citizenship. Anyone convicted of a criminal offence falls into this category. Ex-convicts can apply for Dutch citizenship only five years after completing their sentence. War criminals and people who have committed crimes against the peace or humanity cannot become citizens of the Netherlands. Polygamists are also not eligible for Dutch citizenship.

Required Documents

• passport or other ID;
• birth certificate;
• residence permit (not required for EU and Swiss citizens);
• civic integration diploma.

The same documents (except the civic integration diploma) are needed for the applicant's underage children, if they are included in the application. If an applicant cannot provide a passport or a birth certificate, they must justify this.

You may need to submit some other documents, for instance, a marriage certificate, based on your specific situation and grounds for acquiring citizenship.

Documents issued in other countries must be translated into Dutch, English, French or German and certified.

Who Accepts the Documents

You should submit all your application documents to the authorities of the commune where you live. Applicants living abroad should bring the paperwork to the Embassy or Consulate of the Netherlands.

How Long Does the Application Take

By law, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service has 12 months to decide on each case, though this period can be extended. Then the applicant has the right to file a complaint and receive compensation if there is still no decision within two weeks.

Notifications are sent to applicants by mail. Denied applications can be appealed within four weeks of receiving the decision.

People Eligible for Dutch Citizenship by Option

Sometimes you can get a Dutch passport by option. This applies to

• people born and raised in the Netherlands;
• people who have lived in the Netherlands since they were four years old;
• ex-Dutch citizens;
• people who have lived in the Netherlands for 15 years or more and who are married to a Dutch citizen;
• people aged 65 and older who have lived in the Netherlands for at least 15 years.

An application for citizenship by option costs less and takes less time to process, about 13 weeks (this may be doubled if additional checks are needed).

Disadvantages of Dutch Citizenship

Despite all the advantages of having a passport of a country which is a member of the EU, there are some drawbacks of Dutch citizenship. Even the official website of the Dutch government warns applicants and asks them to weigh all the pros and cons before starting the naturalisation process. The disadvantages are listed below.

• Naturalising in the Netherlands will cost you more than renewing a residence permit.
• In most cases, new Dutch citizens must renounce their other nationality.
• You can lose your citizenship at any moment (read for further information below).

How Much It Costs

The fee for acquiring Dutch citizenship through naturalisation is €970. If you submit a joint application with your partner, be ready to pay €1238 for two. The fee for each underage child (under 18 years old) included in the application is €143.

Stateless people and those who were given asylum in the Netherlands must pay €722 for one applicant and €991 for two.

Applicants for Dutch citizenship by option pay €206 for one person and €351 for two. Submitting an application for a child costs another €23.

On the other hand, getting and renewing residence and work permits costs no more than €350.

Is Dual Citizenship Allowed in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands do not usually allow dual citizenship, but sometimes the Immigration and Naturalisation Service can make exceptions. You can keep foreign citizenship in the following cases:

• you are married to a Dutch citizen (or registered as their partner);
• you have been granted asylum in the Netherlands;
• you were born in the Netherlands and live there at the time of application (though you could have lived in other countries your entire life);
• you are a citizen of a country that the Netherlands does not officially recognise (for example, Taiwan);
• the legislation of your own country does not allow renunciation of citizenship.

In all other cases you will have to give up other nationalities if you want to become a Dutch citizen. Some countries, for example, Japan, automatically revoke the citizenship of anyone who has received a Dutch or any other passport.

Reasons to Revoke Dutch Citizenship

When issuing new passports, the Dutch government expects new citizens to follow the laws and act in the interest of the kingdom. If they suspect someone does not comply with the requirements, they can deprive this person of Dutch citizenship. This can happen in the following cases:

• you lied or withheld important information when you applied for Dutch citizenship (you can be deprived of your passport for this reason for up to 12 years after receiving citizenship);
• you were found guilty of a serious offence (usually, these are war crimes and terrorism);
• you are a volunteer soldier in the army of a country that is currently at war with the Netherlands or its allies (the Netherlands is one of the 12 founding countries of NATO);
• you are a member of an organisation banned in the Netherlands;
• you did not make enough effort to renounce other citizenship.

Moreover, you can lose Dutch citizenship if you receive another country's passport or you already have one and you have lived outside the Netherlands for over 13 years. The only exceptions are people born abroad who have lived there for at least five consecutive years and people who are receiving their spouse's or partner's citizenship.

In a Nutshell

Acquiring a Dutch passport, if it is not yours by birth, is difficult, but possible. The key thing is to set the goal, gather all the required paperwork and be patient. While waiting for the decision, you can recite the oath, which is the last mandatory thing to do before becoming a Dutch citizen.

Cover photo:  Stefan Widua (Unsplash)