Step by Step Process of How to Get Dutch Citizenship

3 min read

It’s intriguing to think about Dutch citizenship. It is not impossible to get one. First, you have to learn what is required to get Dutch citizenship. The whole process is very lengthy, and you need to be cautious with every step. Missing a tiny piece of information will make any chance of fulfilling your dream to get Dutch citizenship go up in smoke.

Requirements to Get Dutch Citizenship

There are certain conditions that you need to fulfill to apply for the Netherlands’ citizenship process.

• The first requirement to get Dutch citizenship is your age. You must be 18 years or older.

• And have lived uninterruptedly in the Kingdom of the Netherlands for at least five years with a valid residence permit. However, there are many exceptions to the 5-year rule.

• Immediately before the naturalization application, you have to have a valid residence permit. It can be a permanent residence permit or a temporary residence permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay. The residence permit must be still valid at the time of the naturalization ceremony.

• Do you have the citizenship of an EU/EEA country or Iceland, Norway or Switzerland? For those, you do not need a residence permit.

• You are sufficiently integrated. This means that you can read, write, speak, and understand Dutch. You show this with the civic integration diploma.

• There can be no ongoing criminal proceedings against you in the Netherlands or abroad when applying for naturalization.

• You must renounce your current nationality. There are exemptions to this rule.

• You must make the declaration of solidarity. Refer to the naturalization ceremony at 'Steps in the application process'.

How to Get Dutch Citizenship: Conditional Discharge

In the five years before the naturalization process up to the moment that the decision has been made, you have not been convicted or sentenced to a conditional discharge in the Netherlands or abroad for a crime. This includes:

• Every custodial sentence (incl. prison sentence), regardless of the duration of the sentence.

• An alternative sanction (incl. training or community service), regardless of the sentence’s duration.

• Any financial penalty (incl. fines, transactions, or confiscation orders) of €810 or more.

• A series of multiple financial penalties (incl. fines, transactions, or confiscation orders) of €405 or more, with a total amount of €1,215 or more. The five year-term starts counting from the moment that you:

  • Have concluded any custodial sentence

  • Have paid any financial penalty completely

  • Have not committed further offenses within the term set by the court in the context of a conditional discharge. The rehabilitation period starts (in retrospect) at the moment when the decision or punishment has become irrevocable.

The list of documents you need, and the process involved, depends on which country you are national of. More information about the immigration and naturalization service of the Netherlands can be found on this website.

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