NetherlandsCitizenship

Naturalisation in the Netherlands in the Netherlands

A programme for foreign nationals who live permanently in the Netherlands and want to obtain Dutch citizenship: the application is filed at the municipality where you live and the decision is taken by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). The route is designed for those who already have a settled residence permit and a connection with the country, not for those eligible for the simpler option procedure for obtaining citizenship.

Source: IND — Immigration and Naturalisation Service of the Netherlands

Who can apply for naturalisation

The standard period of continuous residence is 5 years, but for a number of categories it is shorter.

Ordinary route (5 years)

Aged 18 or over, with identity and citizenship proven by valid documents
At least 5 consecutive years of residence in the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a valid residence permit, with extensions applied for on time
The residence permit must remain valid at the time of filing, throughout the procedure and on the day of the naturalisation ceremony
Qualifying documents: a permanent residence permit (including on asylum grounds), EU long-term resident status, a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay, a document as a family member of an EU national, and EU, EEA and Swiss nationals — who do not need a residence permit
The civic integration exam at level A2 or above has been passed, or an exemption from it applies
There is no threat to public order or the national security of the Kingdom

Shorter periods (exceptions to the 5 years)

The spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national living with them in the Netherlands — from 3 consecutive years in that relationship
The spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national living abroad — no Dutch residence permit is needed at all, 3 years of living together is enough
Those who have lived in the Kingdom for 10 years or more in total with valid residence permits — the last 2 consecutive years are enough
An applicant registered as stateless in the personal records database (BRP) — also covered by the exceptions to the 5-year period

What it costs

Application for a single applicant	1 139 EUR
Joint application with a partner	1 454 EUR
Child under 18 included in a parent’s application	+168 EUR
Stateless person or holder of an asylum residence permit — single application	847 EUR
Stateless person or holder of an asylum residence permit — application with a partner	1 163 EUR
Applicant with Moluccan status	0 EUR

Documents to gather

Foreign documents are legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German; details already entered in the personal records database (BRP) do not have to be collected again.

A valid passport or other travel document (for holders of an asylum residence permit or stateless persons — a refugee passport or an alien’s passport)
A birth certificate from the country of origin
A valid residence permit or other proof of lawful residence (not required for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals)
A diploma showing the civic integration exam has been passed at level A2 or above, or a certificate of full or partial exemption
For a child included in the application — passport, birth certificate and residence permit
Consent from the other parent if only one parent files the application for the child
A marriage or registered partnership certificate — where the shorter 3-year period for the spouse or partner of a Dutch national is used

How the process runs

The application is not filed directly with the IND but through the municipality where you live.

1
Checking the requirements
On the IND website you need to check the conditions: the period of residence, whether you have to take the integration exam, and renunciation of your previous citizenship.
2
Collecting the documents
Passport, birth certificate, residence permit, integration diploma — foreign documents are legalised and translated.
3
Filing the application at the municipality
An official at the municipality where you live checks the documents, completes the application together with the applicant and takes the declarations of willingness to make the declaration of solidarity and to renounce the previous citizenship.
4
Paying the fee
The fee is paid at the municipality straight away when the application is filed.
5
IND decision
12 months
The decision period is 12 months from the payment of the fee. If the set of documents is incomplete, the IND may extend the period and sends a message about this.
6
Naturalisation ceremony
within 1 year of a positive decision
After a positive IND decision the request goes to the King for signature (a Royal Decree). You become a citizen only after attending the naturalisation ceremony at the municipality and making the declaration of solidarity; if you do not attend within a year, there will be no citizenship and you have to apply again. The naturalisation decision is handed over at the ceremony, after which you can apply for a Dutch passport.

Timelines and rights

Work

A Dutch national no longer needs a residence permit and works without restrictions. Public offices open up: mayor, police officer, member of the armed forces, judge. You vote in all Dutch and European elections, and moving to another EU country becomes easier.

Who you can bring with you

Children under 18 can be included in a parent’s application at the same time (mee-naturalisatie) instead of going through a separate procedure.

Child under 16

Included in the parent’s application if they live in the Netherlands and hold a valid permanent residence permit or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay that is valid until the day of the ceremony; from the age of 12 the child must be present when the application is filed and give their view on the naturalisation

Child aged 16–17

Included in the application if they have lived in the Netherlands for at least 3 consecutive years, hold the same kind of valid residence permit, are personally present when the application is filed, consent to being included in the application and make the declaration of solidarity themselves at the ceremony

Child born while the parent’s application is being assessed

An application for such a child can be filed free of charge within 1 year of the parent becoming a Dutch national

Spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national living in the Netherlands

3 consecutive years of living together with that partner is enough instead of the standard 5 years of residence in the country

Spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national living abroad

No Dutch residence permit is required at all — an official marriage or registered partnership and at least 3 years of living together are enough

Trips, renewal and the grace period

You need 5 consecutive years of residence in the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a valid residence permit. For the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national, 3 years of living together is enough, and someone living abroad needs no period of residence at all. Those who have already spent 10 years in the Kingdom with a residence permit apply after 2 years.

Dutch citizenship has no expiry date. But you can become a citizen only after attending the naturalisation ceremony — it must take place within 1 year of a positive IND decision. If you do not attend, citizenship is not granted and the application has to be filed again. After obtaining citizenship you generally have to renounce your previous one through a separate procedure — otherwise there is a risk of losing the Dutch citizenship.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Before naturalisation you need a permanent residence permit, EU long-term resident status or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay.

Route to citizenship

As a rule you have to renounce your existing citizenship — there are exceptions to this rule. If your previous citizenship is not withdrawn after you obtain Dutch citizenship, the Dutch citizenship may be lost. You become a citizen only after attending the compulsory naturalisation ceremony, which must take place within a year of a positive decision; the declaration of solidarity is made at the ceremony.

Frequently asked questions about Naturalisation in the Netherlands

How many years do you have to live in the Netherlands to apply for naturalisation?

As a rule — 5 consecutive years with a valid residence permit before filing, with the residence permit extensions applied for on time and the permit remaining valid right up to the day of the naturalisation ceremony.

How much does a naturalisation application cost?

EUR 1,139 for a single applicant, EUR 1,454 for a joint application with a partner, and EUR 168 for each child under 18 included in a parent’s application. Stateless persons and holders of an asylum residence permit pay EUR 847 (EUR 1,163 together with a partner).

How long does the IND take to assess the application?

The decision is taken within 12 months of the payment of the fee. The period may be extended if the application is incomplete or requires additional checks.

Do you have to renounce your previous citizenship?

As a rule yes, and there are exceptions to this rule for certain categories. If you do not renounce your previous citizenship after obtaining Dutch citizenship, there is a risk of losing the Dutch citizenship.

Can you apply before 5 years if you are married to a Dutch national?

Yes. If you live together in the Netherlands with a spouse who is a Dutch national, 3 consecutive years in that relationship is enough. If the couple lives abroad, no Dutch residence permit is needed at all — 3 years of living together in a marriage or registered partnership is enough.

How does naturalisation differ from the option procedure (optie)?

The option procedure is available to certain categories — for example, those born in the Netherlands who have lived there continuously, those who have lived in the country since the age of 4, or those who have lived there for 15 consecutive years and have already reached the age of 65. It usually does not require proof of integration, generally does not require renunciation of the previous citizenship and costs less than naturalisation.

What happens to children when a parent naturalises?

Children under 18 can be included in the parent’s application at the same time. For children aged 16–17, at least 3 consecutive years of residence in the Netherlands, personal presence when the application is filed and the child’s consent to being included in the application are also required.

Other ways to move to Netherlands

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Netherlands.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.