Becoming a Dutch national: temporary and non-temporary purposes of residence

In order to become a Dutch national, you must have one of these residence permits.

• Permanent regular or permanent asylum residence permit
• Temporary regular residence permit with a non-temporary purpose
• Residence permit as a long-term EU resident
• Residence permit EU/EEA family member (including stay with minor Dutch child, ruling Chavez-Vilchez)
• Residence document under Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

In a number of exceptional situations, you can also become a Dutch national with a temporary asylum residence permit.

The temporary regular residence permit has a specific residence purpose. The residence purpose is the reason why you came to live in the Netherlands. A residence purpose is temporary or non-temporary. The residence purpose is on the back of the residence document.

Non-temporary purposes of residence

You can become a Dutch national with these non-temporary residence purposes.

• Work as non-privileged military personnel or non-privileged civilian personnel
• Work as a self-employed person
• Work in paid employment if you are free on the labour market to work
• European Blue Card
• Highly skilled migrant
• Non-temporary humanitarian grounds
• Researcher within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/801
• Residence as a family member or relative. The family member you are staying with is a Dutch national or has one of these residence permits.
  •  Permanent regular or permanent asylum residence permit
  • Residence permit as a long-term EU resident
  • Temporary regular residence permit with a non-temporary purpose
• Residence in accordance with an order from the Secretary of State for Justice and Security, if the decision says that your residency is non-temporary
• Wealthy foreign national (foreign investor)

Temporary purposes of residence

You cannot apply for Dutch nationality with a temporary residence permit. In that case you must apply for a non-temporary residence permit first, for example a permanent residence permit. These residence purposes are temporary.

• Looking for and performing work, whether or not in paid employment (Orientation year highly educated persons)
• Waiting for an application under Section 17 of the Netherlands Nationality Act (in Dutch: Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap or RWN)
• Cross-border services
• Gaining work experience
• Medical treatment
• Intra-corporate transfer
• Temporary humanitarian grounds
• Seasonal work
• Study
• Exchange
• Residence as a family member or relative. The family member with whom you live has one of these residence permits.
  • Temporary asylum residence permit
  • Temporary regular residence permit for a temporary purpose
• Residency by order of the State Secretary for Justice and Security, if the decision says that your residence is temporary.

The temporary asylum residence permit is a temporary residence permit. In order to become a Dutch national, you need a permanent asylum residence permit. There are exceptions. These are the situations in which you can become a Dutch national with a temporary asylum permit.

• You are stateless and an adult. If your nationality is 'unknown' you are not stateless.
• You came to the Netherlands as the family member of a refugee. The family member you live with is a Dutch national or has one of these residence permits.
  • Permanent asylum residence permit
  • Temporary regular residence permit with a non-temporary purpose
• You are a minor and your father or mother has a permanent asylum residence permit. Your father or mother wants to become a Dutch national and is also applying for naturalisation for you.
   

Citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland do not need a residence permit to live in the Netherlands. After 3 months, their residency in the Netherlands is non-temporary. You do have to meet the requirements for stay as a citizen of the EU, EER of Switzerland.

Family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens

Your residence as a family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen is non-temporary if you have one of these documents.

• Family member EU/EEA (including stay with minor Dutch child, ruling Chavez-Vilchez)
• Permanent residence EU/EEA

Your residence is temporary in these situations.

• You are staying with a minor or adult child who is studying (under Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 492/2011).
• You are staying with a minor Union citizen as the parent caring for them (under Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or TFEU).
   

Are you British or a family member of a British national? And do you have residency under the Withdrawal Agreement? Your residency is non-temporary if you have one of these residence permits.

• Residence document Article 50 TEU explaining: Residence Document Withdrawal Agreement 18(1)
• Residence permit Article 50 TEU explaining: Permanent Residence Document Withdrawal Agreement 18(1)