Netherlands - Passport & Nationality - Dutch Citizenship (Naturalisation)

An application for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation must meet all the conditions below:

Aged 18 or over;
Holder of a permanent resident permit or a valid residence permit with a non-temporary reason of stay, e.g. family formation and/or reunion (gezinsvorming/gezinshereniging);
5 years of continuous residence in the Netherlands, the Dutch Antilles or Aruba with a valid residence permit prior to the application date. Residency under a temporary reason of stay (e.g. study) is also counted in those five years. There are a number of exceptions to this rule.
Sufficiently integrated in Dutch society and are able to read, write, speak and understand Dutch. This must normally be proved by taking a naturalisation test. Successful completion of an eligible integration course is an alternative. The Staatsexamen Nederlands als Tweede Taal diplomas NT2-I and/or NT2-II give their holder exemption from taking the naturalisation test. There are lots of other exemptions, see the Decision naturalisation test (Besluit naturalisatietoets) art. 3.
in the four years preceding the application, the applicant has not been given any custodial sentence, training order, community service order or high monetary penalty.

Exemptions to the residence requirement
The 5-year residence requirement may not apply where the applicant falls into any of the following categories:

A person adopted after majority in the Netherlands, the Dutch Antilles or Aruba by parents at least one of whom has Dutch nationality.
Married to or are the registered partner of a Dutch man or woman. If this is the case, the person can submit an application for naturalisation after 3 years of marriage or registered partnership and cohabitation. If the person has cohabited in the Netherlands with a Dutch man or woman (both partners unmarried) for an uninterrupted period of 3 years, an application may also be submitted. Note: this is true (in respect to marriage, partnership or cohabitation) if and only if in the last three years the applicant has continually lived together his/her partner inside the Netherlands. In case of marriage, it does not matter where this happened, i.e. inside and/or outside Dutch territories are both acceptable for married couples. As a rule of thumb, for each passed year, more than 6 months (per year) must have been spent under the same roof with that partner. There is an extra clause, namely that the couple/partners has/have to remain living under the same roof for as long as the request for naturalization is being researched.

The 5-year term is reduced to a 3-year term if the applicant is stateless.
The 5-year term is reduced to a 3-year term if the applicant as a minor is acknowledged or legitimised by a Dutch national and has been cared for and brought up by this Dutch national for a period of 3 years.
The 5-year term is reduced to a 2-year term if the applicant has legally lived in the Netherlands, the Dutch Antilles or Aruba for a period of 10 years, the last 2 of which uninterruptedly.
A former Dutch subject. In some cases the applicant will instead be able to use the option procedure.

An applicant for naturalisation does not have to give up his current nationality in the following cases:

Where the original nationality is automatically lost upon naturalisation as a Dutch subject
The legislation of the applicant's country does not allow renunciation of nationality. For example, under Greek Law the person is married to or the registered partner of a Dutch national.
Recognised refugees
Born in the Netherlands, the Dutch Antilles or Aruba, and still living there at the time of application.
Where the person has lived in the Netherlands, the Dutch Antilles or Aruba for an uninterrupted period of 5 years or longer before age 18.
Where the applicant cannot be expected to contact the authorities in the country of which they are a national.
Where the applicant has "special and objectively assessable reasons" for not renouncing his existing nationality.
Where in order to give up his/her current nationality the applicant would have to fulfil military service obligations or pay for such military service instead of fulfilling it. This must be demonstrated in each case.
Where renunciation of the applicant's existing nationality would cause "serious financial losses" (for example, inheritance rights). This must be demonstrated.
where in order to give up his/her current nationality the applicant must pay a large sum of money to the authorities in his or her country.


These exemptions do not hold for citizens/subjects of Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg and/or Norway, since these countries (together with the Netherlands) signed and ratified without reservations and never denounced the Convention on the Reduction of Cases of Multiple Nationality and on Military Obligations in Cases of Multiple Nationality (see Chapter I, art. 1, paragraph 1). This was also the case for Belgian subjects till April 28, 2008, since Belgium denounced this treaty on such date.

Children
Children aged under 18 may be added to a parent's application for Dutch citizenship. Those aged 16 and 17 will only be naturalised if they give their active consent, while those aged 12-15 inclusive are given a chance to object.