Renouncing your nationality
Renouncing nationality is required for naturalisation
Are you aged 18 or older? Then after naturalisation you must renounce your other nationality. The Dutch government wants to limit double or dual nationalities. This is because it is not always clear what your rights and obligations are if you have more than 1 nationality. The rights and obligations of your other nationality may conflict with those of Dutch nationality.
Renouncement often not required for option
Will you become a Dutch citizen through the option procedure? Then you can often keep your other nationality. Are you applying to become Dutch by option because you have lived in the Kingdom of the Netherlands since your fourth birthday? Then you do have to renounce your other nationality.
Exceptions: when you do not have to renounce your nationality
Under Dutch law, you may sometimes keep your other nationality. Then the IND will not ask you to renounce your other nationality. If you want, you can still decide to give it up.
After naturalisation or option procedure you do not have to renounce your nationality in the following situations:
- You are registered partner or married to a Dutch citizen when you become a Dutch national. Are you entering into a registered partnership or are you getting married after you became a Dutch citizen? Then you must renounce your nationality.
- You have a residence permit asylum.
- You received a residence permit in 2007 or 2008 based on the Regulation on Settlement of the Legacy of the Old Aliens Act (in Dutch also referred to as RANOV). You became a Dutch citizen after 1 November 2021. Were you a minor in 2007 or 2008? Then the exemption applies if you became a Dutch citizen after 1 June 2021. Even if you now have a different residence permit, you do not have to renounce your nationality.
- You were born in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and you also live here now. It is not necessary for you to have always lived in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. And 3 special municipalities: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
- You have the nationality of a country that the Netherlands has not recognised. For example, Taiwan or the Palestinian Territories.
Please note: sometimes you lose your other nationality automatically when you become a Dutch citizen. This depends on the rules of the country of your nationality.
Country list: rules per nationality
Under Dutch law you must renounce your other nationality if you can. Most countries allow you to renounce your nationality. But sometimes this is not possible, according to the law or government of that country. Then the IND will not ask you to give up your nationality. Sometimes you automatically lose your other nationality when you become a Dutch citizen.
Renouncing your nationality: how does it work?
Can you renounce your nationality under the rules of the country of your nationality? And no exception applies to you under Dutch law? Then you must renounce your nationality after you become a Dutch citizen.
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1. Look into what it will mean for you
open minusMake sure you know what the advantages and disadvantages are of becoming a Dutch citizen, and that you know what will change for you if you give up your other nationality.
Becoming a Dutch national: what are the advantages and disadvantages?
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2. Find out how to renounce your nationality
open minusYou renounce your nationality with the government of the country of your nationality. This always costs money and time. Make sure that you know how much it will cost and how much time it will take, before you make an application for naturalisation. Contact the consulate or embassy of the country of your nationality in the Netherlands (or Belgium).
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3. Make a statement with your application for naturalisation
open minusHave you decided that you want to become a Dutch citizen? And do you meet the requirements to become Dutch? Then apply for nationalisation at the municipality where you live. When you apply you must make a statement on paper saying that you want to renounce your other nationality once you have become a Dutch citizen. Or request an exemption in the statement.
Requesting an exemption from renouncing your nationality
Only in very unusual situations can you ask not to renounce your nationality because this will have very serious consequences. Then you must give a good reason. For example:
- You must pay a large sum to the government of your country to renounce your nationality.
- You lose certain rights if you renounce your nationality. As a result, you will lose a lot of money, for example because you can no longer inherit from your family.
- You must do (or buy off) military service before you can renounce your nationality.
Documents
You must present documents showing why you think you cannot renounce your nationality. These documents often come from abroad. You may need to have them translated and legalised first.
Legalisation and translation of foreign documents.
Decision of the IND
The IND decides while processing your naturalisation application whether you will get the requested exemption. After you have become a Dutch citizen, you will no longer be able to request an exemption. If you receive an exemption, you will not have to renounce your nationality. Has the IND decided that you have no right to an exemption? And you still want to become a Dutch citizen? Then you must fill in a new statement that you want to renounce your nationality.
Contact us if you want to know more about exemptions from renouncing your nationality.
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4. Make sure we can reach you: let us know if your address changes
open minusThe IND must be able to reach you until you have renounced your nationality. After the naturalisation ceremony, the IND will send you a letter. This letter says that you must renounce your other nationality. If you cannot be contacted by post, you will miss important information. This could result in your Dutch nationality being revoked because you did not renounce another nationality in time.
Moving house within the Netherlands
The IND obtains your address details from the Municipal Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen, BRP) at the town hall where you live. Make sure that your address in the BRP is correct if you have moved house.
Moving abroad
What if you no longer have an address in the Netherlands? Inform the IND of your address abroad promptly. And preferably an email address as well. Send your address details plus your V-number to:
Regular Residence and Dutch Citizenship Department
Postbus 16
9560 AA TER APELDigital post
Do you also want to receive your post from the IND digitally? Register to receive mail in your message box (Berichtenbox) in MijnOverheid. Go to 'home' for further instructions (Dutch only).
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5. Applying to renounce your nationality
open minusYou will receive a letter from the IND which says that you must renounce your other nationality. Sometimes it takes a few months before you get this letter. Have you received the letter? Then ask the government of the country of your nationality as soon as possible to end your nationality. You can often do this at the consulate or embassy of that country in the Netherlands (or Belgium).
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6. Send proof of your request to renounce your nationality
open minusAfter the IND has sent you a letter, you have 3 months to send proof of your request to renounce your other nationality. The letter says exactly what you have to send. Sometimes you will succeed in giving up your nationality within 3 months. In that case you only have to send the IND proof of renouncement of your nationality.
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7. Send a copy of proof of renouncing your nationality
open minusAfter you have renounced your nationality, you will receive an official document from the government of the country of your nationality. This document states that you have given up your nationality. You have to send a copy of this document to the IND. You might first have to have this document translated and legalised.
Revoking of Dutch nationality
Do you have to renounce your other nationality, but you do not do this? Then the IND can revoke your Dutch nationality.
Read more about loss or revoking of Dutch nationality.