Public order policy naturalisation and option

Last update: 9 May 2025

You are not allowed to be a danger to the public order if you want to become a Dutch citizen by naturalisation or option. Find out when you are a danger to the public order or national security.

When you are a danger to the public order

In these situations, you are a danger to the public order.

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  • Suspected of a crime

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  • Convicted of a crime

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  • Crimes under Article 1F Refugee Convention

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  • Polygamous marriage

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Public order policy in the Netherlands Caribbean

You must not be a danger to public order if you want to become a Dutch citizen. Do you live in the Netherlands Caribbean?  And are you suspected of a crime or have you been convicted of a crime? Then you are a danger to public order in the following situations.

Suspected of a crime

You are suspected of a crime and your criminal case is still ongoing. Either you have been convicted of a crime and can still appeal or your appeal is ongoing. This does not apply in the following cases:

  • You have been convicted and you have received a fine, transaction, penalty order or measure against financial advantage of less than Afl. 1.000,-, $ 560.- or Naf. 1000,- for this crime.
  • You live on Bonaire, Saba or Sint-Eustatius and have been given community service order of less than 36 hours.
  • You live in Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten and you have been given community service of less than 40 hours.

Convicted of a crime

You have been convicted of a crime in the 5-year period before your application for naturalisation or option. Or you were convicted after the application, but before the decision on the application was made. You have received a conditional or unconditional sentence for this crime in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or abroad. You have received one of the following sentence:

  • A custodial sentence, for example a prison sentence or a placement under a hospital order (in Dutch: TBS).
  • A community service of 36 hours or more. Do you live in Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten? Then this involves a community service of 40 hours or more. Unless you had to do this community service because you could not pay a fine of less than Afl. 1.000,-, $ 560.- or Naf. 1000,-.
  • Multiple community service orders of 18 hours or more each. And in total,  you have received 54 hours of community service or more. Do you live in Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten? Then this involves multiple community service orders of 20 hours or more each. And in total, you have received 60 hours of community service or more.
  • A fine, penalty order or transaction of Afl. 1.000,-, $ 560.- or  Naf. 1000,- or more.
  • A measure of Afl. 1.000,-, $ 560.- or Naf. 1000,- or more against the financial advantage that you have received as a result of a criminal offense (unlawful advantage). For example, you have received money or goods as a result of the crime. You must pay this money or the value of these goods to the government.
  • Multiple criminal orders, transactions, fines or measures against the financial advantage of Afl. 500,-, $ 280,- or Naf. 500,- each or more. And the total amount is Afl. 1500.-, $ 840,- or Naf. 1500.- or more.

Rehabilition period

Is your sentence completed? Then you can only become a Dutch citizen again after a period of 5 years. During this period you may not be convicted of a crime. We call this the rehabilitation period. The rehabilitation period starts after the end of your sentence or after you have paid the amount in full.

Withdrawal of Dutch citizenship if information has been withheld

Your Dutch nationality can be withdrawn if it later turns out you have not mentioned certain information. And if the IND would not have given you the Dutch nationality if the information withheld had been known earlier.