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

Do you have a permanent residence permit? If so, your residence in the Netherlands is non-temporary and you can become a Dutch national. The following residence permits are permanent:

• Permanent regular residence permit
• Permanent asylum residence permit
• Residence permit as a long term EU-resident

The temporary regular residence permit has a residence purpose. The residence purpose is the reason why you 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 (also start-up).
• Work in paid employment if you are free to work on the labour market.
• 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 State Secretary for Justice and Security, if the decision says that your residency is non-temporary.
• Economically inactive long-term EU resident.
• Wealthy foreign national (foreign investor).

Temporary purposes of residence

You cannot apply for Dutch nationality with a temporary residence purpose. In that case you must apply for a residence permit with a non-temporary purpose first, or apply for 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).
• Work in paid employment if you are not free to work on the labour market.
• 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.
• Residence in accordance with an order from the State Secretary for Justice and Security, if the decision says that your residency is temporary.
• Seafaring service as a crew member on board a seagoing vessel.

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.
  • Permanent regular residence permit.
• 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 and to become a Dutch national. 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

You can become a Dutch national if your residence as a family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen is non-temporary. You have one of these residence documents:

• Family member EU/EEA
• Residence with minor Dutch child (ruling Chavez-Vilchez)
• Permanent residence EU/EEA. 

Are you British or a family member of a British national? And do you have residency under the Withdrawal Agreement? You can become a Dutch national if your residency is non-temporary. 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).