Naturalisation

Conditions

You must meet the following conditions:

• You are 18 years or older.

• And have lived uninterruptedly in the Kingdom of the Netherlands for at least 5 years with a valid residence permit. You have always extended your residence permit on time. Your residence permit must be valid during the procedure. There are a number of exceptions to the 5-year rule.

• Immediately prior to the naturalisation application, you have a valid residence permit. This is a permanent residence permit or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay. The residence permit is still valid at the time of the naturalisation ceremony.

Do you have the nationality of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland? You do not need a residence permit.

• You are sufficiently integrated. This means that you can read, write, speak and understand Dutch. You show this with the civic integration diploma.
• When applying for naturalisation,  there can be no ongoing criminal proceedings against you in the Netherlands or abroad.
• In the 5 years prior to  naturalisation application  up to the moment that the decision has been made, you have not been convicted or sentenced to a conditional discharge in the Netherlands or abroad for a crime. This includes:
  • Every custodial sentence (incl. prison sentence), regardless of the duration of the sentence.
  • An alternative sanction (incl. training or community service), regardless of the duration of the sentence.
  • Any financial penalty (incl. fines, transactions or confiscation orders) of €810 or more.
  • A series of multiple financial penalties (incl. fines, transactions or confiscation orders) of €405 or more, with a total amount of €1,215 or more.

  The 5 year-term starts counting from the moment that you:

  • Have concluded any custodial sentence,
  • Have paid any financial penalty completely,
  • Have not committed further offences within the term set by court in the context of a conditional discharge. The rehabilitation period starts (in retrospect) at the moment when the decision or punishment has become irrevocable.
• You must renounce your current nationality. There are exemptions to this rule.
• You must take the declaration of solidarity. See The naturalisation ceremony at Steps in the application process.

Checklist documents

What documents do you need?

• A valid passport or another travel document.
• A valid residence permit or other proof of lawful residence.
  Do you have the nationality of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland? You do not need a residence permit. The municipality checks how long you live in the Netherlands in the Municipal Personal Records Database (BRP).
• A birth certificate from your country of origin.
• Civic integration diploma or other proof of civic integration.

Other documents may also be needed, such as:

• A marriage certificate or a certificate of registered partnership.
• Proof that you have continuously lived together with a Dutch citizen for 3 or more years.

Foreign documents must often be legalised and translated before they can be used in the Netherlands.

I do not have a passport and/or birth certificate. What should I do?

You should apply for a passport and/or birth certificate at the government of your country. You cannot do this? Or you cannot get a passport and/or birth certificate? Then you may possibly appeal to lack of documentary evidence. On the page Lack of documentary evidence you read more information on the lack of documentary evidence and how to get a passport and birth certificate.

Minor children

A child under 18 cannot apply for Dutch citizenship by itself. An application can only be done by the parents or legal guardians.

However, your child under 18 can apply for Dutch citizenship together with you. You request the naturalisation of your child in your own application for naturalisation. You will receive a notification stating if your child will also receive Dutch nationality.

Children under 16

A child under 16 years of age must live in the Netherlands. And immediately before the application has a valid permanent residence permit. Or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay. The residence permit is still valid at the time of the naturalisation ceremony.

Children of 16 or 17 years old

A child of 16 or 17 years old, immediately before to the application, has lived uninterruptedly in the Netherlands for at least 3 years. And has a valid permanent residence permit. Or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay. The residence permit is still valid at the time of the naturalisation ceremony.

The child must be present for the application. He must also indicate that he agrees with the application. A child of 16 or 17 years old must also take the declaration of solidarity and sign a declaration that he is willing to renounce his nationality.

Is the child under 18 years old when applying for naturalisation? But 18 years old when the IND decides on the naturalisation? Then the child cannot get Dutch nationality together with the parents.

Post-naturalisatie of your child (na-naturalisatie)

Did your child not become a Dutch citizen together with you? Even after becoming a Dutch citizen yourself, you can still apply for naturalisation for your child (na-naturalisatie). For this, your child must have lived in the Netherlands with a valid residence permit for at least 3 years uninterruptedly immediately before the application for naturalisation. Your child has a permanent residence permit or a temporary residence permit for a non-temporary purpose of stay.

Post-naturalisation in case our child was born during your naturalisation procedure
Was your child born after you submitted your own application for naturalisation but before the moment you have been granted Dutch nationality? Then, also you can submit an application for post-naturalisation (na-naturalisatie) for your child. For this, your child must have lived in the Netherlands and must have a valid residence permit for a non-temporary purpose of stay. Do you apply for your child within 1 year after you (as a parent) have received Dutch nationality? Then the application for post-naturalisation of your child is free of charge.

Your child under 18 can keep their current nationality

Children up to 18 years old can keep their current nationality if one or both parent(s) become Dutch citizen. This does not apply when the laws of the country of the current nationality do not allow this.

You just turned 18 and you want to become a Dutch national

Did your parents file an application for naturalisation for you when you were still a minor? But was this application rejected? Now you are 18 or older, you can submit a new application yourself.

Conditions

You have lived for an uninterrupted period of at least 3 years in the Netherlands. You have a valid permanent residence permit. Or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay. And you meet the other conditions for naturalisation.