Immigration is eventually becoming the person you seek to be. Especially when you decide to be an official citizen of a country. It’s the final step on your immigration journey. Once you meet certain criteria, you can apply to naturalise as a Dutch citizen.
The requirements
- You’ve had at least 5 years of consecutive legal residence in the Netherlands with a valid residence permit
- You are 18 years or older
- You have a valid passport and birth certificate that proves your identity
- You are in principle obligated to renounce your current nationality
- You passed the Dutch language exam on A2-level
Minor children can not file an independent application for naturalisation. If you have minor children that want to become Dutch too, they can naturalise together with you. It’s called mee-naturaliseren. Different rules apply for minors until 12 years of age, between 12 and 16 years, and 16 or 17 years. If only one parent is naturalising, the other parent of the child(ren) must give permission for the child(ren) to become a Dutch citizen.
The requirements that are discussed here, are general. However, we are well aware of the fact that some situations are special and need a different approach. If that is the case in your situation, you can always call us to discuss if and how you can argue an exception or exemption.
The procedure
The application for naturalisation is filed at the municipality of your hometown in the Netherlands. The municipality helps you file the application, and makes copies of all necessary documents; the passport, residence permit, birth certificate, and integration diploma. The fees are paid on that day at the municipality. For the year 2022, the fee for naturalisation for one person is € 945,-. If you apply together with your partner the fee is € 1.206,- and for children who mee-naturaliseren, the fee is € 139,- per person.
The municipality sends the application to the Dutch Immigration Service (IND) which will decide on your naturalisation request. The IND has 12 months to decide. The decision is either positive or negative. When it’s positive you’ll first need to attend a naturalisation ceremony at the municipality. Only after that, you can apply for a Dutch passport. If the decision is negative, you have the right to fight the decision.
How we can help
Our experience with simple and very complex naturalisation requests is extensive. If you want to know more about what we can do for you, contact us or call us at +31 70 770 9065.
