Regaining Dutch citizenship

Make sure you meet the requirements.

You need at least the following documents for the naturalisation and option procedure:

• Valid passport or other travel document.
• Proof that you were a Dutch citizen, such as an old Dutch passport.
• Birth certificate from your country of origin.
• Valid residence permit or other proof of lawful residence.
• Civic integration diploma or other proof of civic integration. Or a certificate of exemption or partial exemption or dispensation from the requirement of civic integration.

Extra documents

Depending on your situation, you may need extra documents. The authority where you submit your application can tell you more.

Legalisation and translation of foreign documents

Have official foreign documents legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German. Are your documents from abroad already entered in the Municipal Personal Records Database (in Dutch: Basisregistratie Personen or BRP)? Then you do not have to request the documents again while you are abroad.

Unable to meet the standard of evidence

Do you not own a passport and/or birth certificate and no exception applies to your situation? Then you may be able to rely on inability to meet the standard of evidence.

You start the naturalisation or option procedure at the following authorities:

• In the Netherlands: the Civil Affairs Department (in Dutch: Burgerzaken) of the municipality where you live. 
• Abroad: the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country where you live.
• On Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: the IND Caribbean Netherlands Unit.
• On Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten: the Cabinet of the Governor. 

For declaring your solidarity

You must fill in a form in which you state that you will declare your solidarity. You will declare this during the naturalisation ceremony.

Children under 18

Children from the age of 16 decide for themselves whether they want to become Dutch citizens. Children from 12 to 16 are asked what they think about the application. 

The parent who does not apply for the option procedure or naturalisation must also give their opinion. What if the child and this parent are of the opinion that the child should not become a Dutch citizen? Then the child will not be naturalised. And what if this only applies to the child or one of the parents? Then the government will decide whether the child will become a Dutch citizen.

Keep the current nationality

Children under 18 may keep their current nationality if one or both of the parents become Dutch citizens. Except if the legislation of the country of their current nationality or nationalities decides otherwise.

Establishing your name

Your name may need to be established. This means your last name and first name are determined. Your name must be established if you do not have a last name or first name. For example:

• You have 1 name.
• You have several names without a separation between the last name and first names.

Changing your last name

When you submit an application for naturalisation you can ask to have your last name changed. This is possible only if it is important for your civic integration. For example:

• Your name is difficult for Dutch people to pronounce.
• You have acquired your husband’s last name by marriage. And you want to change this name to your maiden name.
   

The naturalisation process and the option procedure have to be paid for. To find out how much you have to pay, see the web page Fees: application costs.

You pay when you submit the application for naturalisation or make the option statement.

Has your application or option statement been rejected? Or have you withdrawn your application or statement? The fees will not be returned.

Naturalisation process

During the naturalisation process, the authority where you submitted your application examines whether you meet all requirements for naturalisation. The authority gives the IND advice and sends your file to us. The IND checks whether you meet all requirements and takes a decision. The IND must take a decision within 12 months. This is called the decision period. 

Option procedure

During the option procedure, the authority where you submitted your application checks whether you meet all requirements. The authority must take a decision within 13 weeks.

You will receive the decision in a letter. The decision will be positive or negative.

• Positive decision: the King will receive a proposal to grant Dutch citizenship. Afterwards you will receive an invitation to the naturalisation ceremony from the authority where you submitted your application.
• Negative decision: you will not become a Dutch citizen. You can object against this decision. 

The naturalisation ceremony is a festive gathering about the meaning of the Dutch nationality.

Naturalisation ceremony required from age 16

You are required to go to the naturalisation ceremony. If your child was 16 years old or older when the application for naturalisation was submitted, then the child is required to go to the naturalisation ceremony. And your child must also declare your solidarity there. Is your child under the age of 16? Then your child does not have to go, but may go to the ceremony.

Not present at the naturalisation ceremony

If you did not go to the naturalisation ceremony, you will receive an invitation to an upcoming  ceremony. You must go to the ceremony within 1 year after the decision? You will not gain Dutch nationality if you don’t go. After 1 year, you will have to apply again to become a Dutch citizen.

Making a declaration of solidarity

You will become a Dutch citizen only if you have gone to the naturalisation ceremony and declare your solidarity. Here you declare that the laws of the Kingdom of the Netherlands also apply to you. You make the declaration of solidarity in person. If you do not make the declaration of solidarity, you cannot become a Dutch citizen.

Naturalisation decision

At the naturalisation ceremony the naturalisation decision, stating that you have become a Dutch citizen, will be given to you.

Withdrawal of Dutch nationality

Have you been convicted of a serious offence? Or did you commit fraud when you applied for a residence permit or Dutch nationality? If so, this has serious consequences. Your Dutch citizenship can be withdrawn. This is possible until 12 years after you gained Dutch nationality.