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Dutch Nationality If you want to become a Dutch national or apply for another nationality, please take note that since 1 April 2003, The Netherlands Nationality Act changed significantly. This section provides information on retaining, restoring and acquiring Dutch nationality.
How can I acquire Dutch nationality?There are three ways of acquiring Dutch nationality. 1. By law (automatically) A. By birth
B. By acknowledgement before birth (acknowledgement of foetus)
C. By adoption subject to certain conditions
D. By judicial declaration of paternity subject to certain conditions
2. Through the option procedure You may acquire Dutch nationality by making a declaration that you wish to become a Dutch citizen. This procedure is open to certain groups of people living in the Netherlands. Abroad, only certain former Dutch nationals and, as of April 2006, foreign minors who were acknowledged on or after 1 April 2024 by a Dutch citizen can make use of the procedure. For more information and the conditions that apply, see the booklet ‘How can you regain your Dutch nationality? Option and naturalisation procedures for former Dutch nationals’. (PDF) Do you live in the Netherlands? You can check the conditions applying to the option procedure on the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). Naturalisation is the third way for foreign nationals to acquire Dutch nationality. Some former Dutch citizens can apply abroad to have their nationality restored through naturalisation. And foreign nationals who have been married to or in a registered partnership * with a Dutch citizen for at least three years and who live with this partner at the same address may apply abroad for naturalisation. The foreign national may not live in the country of which he/she is a national and in most cases he/she will have to have passed the ‘naturalisation test’ before submitting an application. Other conditions may be found in the booklet aimed at people seeking to acquire Dutch citizenship abroad ‘Hoe kunt u Nederlander worden in het buitenland’ (only available in Dutch, PDF) and ‘How can you regain your Dutch nationality? Option and naturalisation procedures for former Dutch nationals’. (PDF). Do you live in the Netherlands? You can check the conditions applying to the naturalisation procedure on the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). * The partnership must be registered in theNetherlands (civil register). I was born before 1 january 2024 and only my mother is Dutch…Do I have Dutch nationality?If you were born before 1 January 2024 outside the Netherlands as the legitimate, legitimated or acknowledged child of a non-Dutch father and a Dutch mother, you are not a Dutch national by birth. At the time, under the terms of the Netherlands Citizenship and Residence in the Netherlands Act 1892, a child could only acquire Dutch nationality if it had a Dutch father. If you were born before 1 January 2024 in the Netherlands as the legitimate, legitimated or acknowledged child of a non-Dutch father and a Dutch mother, you are in principle not a Dutch national by birth unless, for instance, you would otherwise be stateless because you did not acquire your father’s nationality by birth. If it emerged, while you were still a minor (but only up to 1 January 2024) that you had in fact acquired your father’s nationality by birth, you would be deemed never to have possessed Dutch nationality. The position of Dutch women in terms of the law on nationality has improved considerably since the entry into force on 1 January 2024 of the current Netherlands Nationality Act (RWN). Since that time, a Dutch mother can pass on Dutch nationality to those of her children born on or after 1 January 1985. The reason that it took so long for women to be granted equal rights in this respect had to do with the importance previously attached to avoiding multiple nationality, and to unity of nationality within families. A start was made on reducing this inequality between the sexes with the Act of 14 November 2023 which, prompted by the New York Convention on the Nationality of Married Women of 20 February 1957, established married women’s independence under nationality law. However, there was no desire at the time to pursue this reform to its logical conclusion. It was only with the introduction of the present RWN that greater importance was attached to gender equality than to avoiding multiple nationality. In an acknowledgement of the special position of minor, non-Dutch children born to Dutch mothers before 1 January 1985, section 27, subsection 2 of the RWN (as it was worded up to 31 March 2024), provided that a non-Dutch child of a Dutch woman could acquire Dutch nationality by option if it had not yet reached the age of 21 on 1 January 2024 and was not married and had not been married. If the child had not yet reached the age of 18, the mother had to opt for Dutch nationality on the child’s behalf. This option existed for a period beginning on 1 January 2024 and ending on 31 December 1987. The above relates only to persons who were born on or after 2 January 2024 but before 1 January 2024. If you were born before 2 January 1964, you could not make use of this option. It is possible that you/your mother were not aware of this option. From the moment that the RWN took effect on 1 January 1985, the ministry made efforts to inform the public about the change in the law. These included:
Both the National Ombudsman and The Hague district court have established that the Dutch government – in this case the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its missions abroad – did enough to inform the public of this change in the law. The Dutch missions were not obliged to provide unsolicited information to the target group. Moreover, the Dutch government takes the view that Dutch people living abroad should take the initiative to keep abreast of Dutch legislation and any changes to it. Only if it were to emerge that your Dutch mother was issued with a Dutch passport between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2023 would there be grounds for drawing up a declaration of administrative negligence, which would entitle you, after submission of the necessary documentary evidence, to Dutch nationality. However, if you were born between 2 January 2024 and 1 January 1967, it would not be possible to draw up a declaration of administrative negligence on the basis of the passport issued to your mother, given that you had already reached the age of 18 on 1 January 1985, and would thus yourself have had to opt for Dutch nationality. However, even after a declaration of administrative negligence has been drawn up, it is possible for you to have lost your Dutch nationality again on grounds set out in the RWN. If your mother was not issued with a Dutch passport in the option period (1 January 1985-31 December 1987) or you were already 18 years old on 1 January 1985, the Netherlands Nationality Act does not provide for deviation from or exceptions to its provisions. In other words, you would not be able to acquire Dutch nationality in these circumstances. I have lost my Dutch nationality. How do I regain it?There are two ways in which former Dutch citizens can regain their Dutch nationality: through the option procedure or through naturalisation. NOTE: The option procedure referred to in 1.a is valid until 31 March 2005. After that date, former Dutch nationals who belong to this category will no longer be able to opt for Dutch nationality. 1. Option procedure The following former Dutch citizens may opt for Dutch nationality: A) Former Dutch citizens who lived in their country of birth for an uninterrupted period of at least ten years and who have the nationality of that country (*) The Netherlands Nationality Act entered into effect in 1985. The Act provided that anyone born outside the Netherlands who possessed both Dutch nationality and the nationality of the country of their birth would lose their Dutch nationality if, after attaining the age of majority, they lived in their country of birth for an uninterrupted period of ten years or more and were citizens of that country. As a result, many Dutch citizens living abroad have lost their Dutch nationality since 1995. Most of them were born in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. Under the amended Act, anyone who lost their Dutch nationality in these circumstances can have it restored as follows:
(*) NB: this option is not open to the following former Dutch citizens:
B) Former Dutch citizens who have had their principal residence for at least one year in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (**) In these cases the application for nationality by option must be submitted to the Population Affairs Department of the municipality where you are resident. You must be in possession of a permanent residence permit. If you live abroad and are on holiday in the Netherlands you may not make use of this option. (**) the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. C) Former Dutch citizens who do not live in the Kingdom of the Netherlands You must have lost your Dutch nationality after reaching the age of majority because you acquired another nationality. * You must also satisfy one of the following conditions:
Such an application opting for Dutch nationality may be submitted up to 31 March 2013. * NB: this option is not open to the following former Dutch citizens:
Other conditions are set out in the 2. Naturalisation The following former Dutch citizens may submit an application for naturalisation abroad:
You may not be living in the country whose nationality you hold and in some cases you must have passed the ‘naturalisation test’. Other conditions are set out in the I am a Dutch citizen and I want to acknowledge my girlfriend’s minor child, who has a foreign nationality. Will the child acquire Dutch nationality through acknowledgement?1. Acknowledgement when registering the birth or afterwards Before 1 April 2024 a minor foreign child acknowledged by a Dutch citizen when the birth was registered or afterwards automatically acquired Dutch nationality according to the rules valid at the time. (*) Under the amended Act, a minor foreign child acknowledged on or after 1 April 2024 by an unmarried Dutch citizen when the birth was registered or afterwards no longer automatically acquires Dutch nationality. Acknowledgement therefore no longer has any direct consequences under nationality law. This new rule was introduced to prevent acknowledgement simply for the purpose of acquiring Dutch nationality. Only if you can demonstrate that you raised and cared for your child for an uninterrupted period of three years following acknowledgement can the child opt for Dutch nationality. If you raised and cared for the child before you acknowledged him/her, this period does not count towards the three-year period. An application for nationality by option can only be submitted by the child’s legal representative while the child is still a minor. This option may be used from April 2006 onwards. (*) Acknowledgement must be legally valid. If it is not effected in the Netherlands, it requires recognition under Dutch law. To find out what rules apply, contact the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of residence. Example 1 On 4 September 2024 child A was born of an unmarried foreign mother. On 5 October 2023 A was legally acknowledged by an unmarried Dutch citizen. On 5 October 2023 A automatically acquired Dutch nationality, since she was acknowledged before 1 April 2003. Example 2 On 4 July 2024 child B was born of an unmarried foreign mother. B was acknowledged on 5 July 2024 by an unmarried Dutch citizen when the birth was registered. Since B was acknowledged after 1 April 2024 he does not automatically acquire Dutch nationality. He can opt for Dutch nationality once he has been raised and cared for by his Dutch father for an uninterrupted period of three years. He must do this, however, before his 18th birthday through his legal representative. Example 3 On 24 January 2024 child C was born of an unmarried foreign mother. C was acknowledged on 5 May 2024 by an unmarried Dutch citizen. Since C was acknowledged after 1 April 2003, she does not automatically acquire Dutch nationality. She can opt for Dutch nationality once she has been raised and cared for by her Dutch father for an uninterrupted period of three years. She must do this, however, before her 18th birthday through her legal representative. 2. Acknowledgement before birth If a foreign child is acknowledged by its Dutch father before it is born it automatically acquires Dutch nationality at birth. It does not have first to be raised and cared for for three years by the person who acknowledges it. In many countries it will not be possible to register a deed with the local authorities acknowledging a baby before it is born since this is not an option available everywhere. If you live abroad, you can have a deed of acknowledgement drawn up in any Dutch municipality or by a Dutch notary. Find out in advance what documents you need to take with you. In some countries the Dutch embassy or consulate can draw up a deed acknowledging a child before its birth. This option is available in the following countries only. Argentina (Buenos Aires), Australia (Canberra, Sydney), Bangladesh (Dhaka), Brazil (Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo), Canada (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver), China (Beijing, Hong Kong), Cuba (Havana), Egypt (Cairo), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa), Finland (Helsinki), Ghana (Accra), Greece (Athens), Ireland (Dublin), India (New Delhi, Mumbai), Iran (Teheran), Israel (Tel Aviv), Japan (Tokyo, Kobe), Kenya (Nairobi), Kuwait (Kuwait), Korea (Seoul), Lebanon (Beirut), Libya (Tripoli), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Morocco (Rabat), New Zealand (Wellington), Oman (Muscat), Pakistan (Islamabad), the Philippines (Manila), Portugal (Lisbon), Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), Singapore (Singapore), South Africa (Cape Town, Pretoria), Sudan (Khartoum), Syria (Damascus), Thailand (Bangkok), Turkey (Ankara, Istanbul), United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi), United Kingdom (London), United States of America (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Washington), Venezuela (Caracas), Vietnam (Hanoi), Yemen (Sana’a), Zambia (Lusaka), Zimbabwe (Harare). 3. What can I do if I was not in a position to acknowledge my child before birth? If a child is not acknowledged before birth, the mother or the child can apply to the courts for a judicial declaration of paternity. As a result, the child has a family-law relationship with his/her father from birth. The conditions applying to a judicial declaration of paternity are: (1) the man must be the biological father of the child and (2) he may not have acknowledged the child when the birth was registered or thereafter (i.e. no father must be listed in the birth certificate: the child may not already have a ‘legal’ father). The child then acquires Dutch nationality when the court decision becomes final. The child must still be a minor when this happens. For other conditions and information about this procedure please contact the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country where you live. If you acknowledged your child when the birth was registered or later on, your child may opt for Dutch nationality once you have raised and cared for him/her for an uninterrupted period of three years. An application to this end must be submitted before the child reaches the age of 18. See also the Dutch citizens who voluntarily acquire another nationalityUnder the amended Nationality Act of 1 April 2003, anyone who voluntarily acquires the nationality of another country will lose their Dutch nationality, except in the following cases. You will not lose your Dutch nationality:
NB The above exceptions do not apply in all cases. For example, under the provisions of an agreement for the prevention of dual nationality, they do not apply if you acquire the nationality of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg or Norway. Before applying for another nationality, ask a Dutch embassy or consulate whether you will lose your Dutch nationality.
What is the option procedure?An application form stating that you wish to acquire or regain Dutch nationality by option may be submitted abroad only by certain former Dutch citizens and, as of April 2006, by the legal representatives of minor foreign children who have been acknowledged by a Dutch citizen. The application must be confirmed by the Dutch embassy or consulate. If you wish to acquire Dutch nationality by option you must complete an application form at the Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of residence. You will be able to do so as from 1 April 2003. You must go to the embassy or consulate in person and submit the original, legalised copy of your birth certificate and various other documents. You are advised to contact the embassy or consulate first to find out what documents you need. You will not be tested on your knowledge of Dutch. If you satisfy the requirements, the ambassador or consul-general will issue a document confirming that you have acquired Dutch nationality. You will possess Dutch nationality as of the date of that document. If you acquire Dutch nationality by option, the Dutch government does not require you to give up your present nationality. However, you should find out whether you will be allowed to keep your present nationality. If you have dual nationality, you are subject to two legal systems. You should therefore find out what the implications are under the law of the country of your present nationality. The cost of acquiring Dutch nationality by option is €131. Dutch nationality acquired by option or by naturalisationWhat is the difference?
* See the What is the civic integration examination for naturalisation and where can I take it?Anyone wishing to acquire Dutch nationality must be integrated, i.e. possess a certain command of Dutch and some knowledge ofDutch society. However, if you are applying for Dutch nationality in another country (for instance because you are married to and cohabit with a Dutch national living abroad) you will not have followed the civic integration procedure which is mandatory in the Netherlands. This means that before you can apply for Dutch nationality, you must pass a test (previously called the ‘naturalisation test’ (naturalisatietoets)) unless you are applying to acquire Dutch nationality by option. You can take the test at the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country where you live. However, there are exceptions to this rule. You are exempted from taking the test or parts of the test if: – you have obtained a secondary school leaving certificate in the Netherlands or possess other diplomas or certificates indicating that you possess the requisite language skills;
On 1 January 2007, the naturalisation test was replaced by the civic integration examination. The level of difficulty is the same. For more information, visit the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). If you live abroad, you can also sit the civic integration examination in the Netherlands. Contact the Informatie Beheer Groep (IBG) for more information. See also:
If Dutch nationality is acquired fraudulently, what are the consequences?The amended Act states explicitly that anyone who acquires Dutch nationality fraudulently runs a substantial risk of losing it again. Dutch nationality can be withdrawn up to 12 years after being granted, even if the person concerned is rendered stateless as a result. I would like to acquire another nationalityI am a Dutch citizen. What are the consequences for my Dutch nationality? If you acquired another nationality voluntarily before 1 April 2003, you automatically lost your Dutch nationality. However, if you voluntarily acquired another nationality on or after 1 April 2003, under the amended Act you still lost your Dutch nationality, but the following exceptions apply since that date. You will not lose your Dutch nationality: a) if you were born in the country of your other nationality and have your principal residence there when you acquire the nationality of that country;
NB: The above exceptions do not apply in all cases. For example, under the provisions of a convention on the prevention of multiple nationality (*), they do not apply if you acquire the nationality of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg or Norway. Before applying for another nationality, ask a Dutch embassy or consulate whether you will lose your Dutch nationality. (*) The Netherlands has been a party to You have acquired another nationality and qualify as an exception. How can you prove this? If you reapply for a Dutch passport at the Dutch embassy or consulate, you must state on the application form that you possess another nationality in addition to Dutch nationality. You must demonstrate when you acquired this nationality by submitting your naturalisation certificate. If you acquired another nationality voluntarily before 1 April 2003, you lost your Dutch nationality automatically. It may be possible for you to regain your Dutch nat ionality. Look under the heading I have lost my Dutch nationality. How can I regain it? If you acquired another nationality on or after 1 April 2003, you will have to prove by means of official and if necessary legalised documents that you qualify as one of the exceptions listed under a., b. or c. If you qualify under c. (you are married to someone with the nationality you have acquired), you will need your naturalisation certificate, your marriage certificate and evidence that your spouse possesses the nationality you have acquired. Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
I have dual nationality and live abroadWill I lose my Dutch nationality because I live abroad? The information below only applies to persons who have dual nationality and live abroad. After 1 April 2003, Dutch citizens with dual nationality may lose their Dutch nationality if they reside outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands or outside the European Union for a long period. Their place of birth is irrelevant in this event. If you hold the same foreign nationality alongside Dutch nationality for ten years, and you are resident outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union for ten years, you will lose your Dutch nationality. In the case of Dutch citizens who possessed dual nationality on 1 April 2024 and who were then resident outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union, the ten-year period started on 1 April 2003. You can ensure that you retain your Dutch nationality by having your principal residence in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or the European Union for at least one year or applying for a Dutch passport or proof of Dutch nationality before 1 April 2024 ( i.e. before the end of the ten-year period) . A new ten-year period starts on the day you are issued with a passport or proof of Dutch nationality. Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
The information below only applies to persons who have dual nationality and live abroad. After 1 April 2024, Dutch citizens with dual nationality may lose their Dutch nationality if they reside outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands or outside the European Union for a long period. Their place of birth is irrelevant in this event. If you hold the same foreign nationality alongside Dutch nationality for ten years, and you are resident outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union for ten years, you will lose your Dutch nationality. In the case of Dutch citizens who possessed dual nationality on 1 April 2024 and who were then resident outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union, the ten-year period started on 1 April 2003. You can ensure that you retain your Dutch nationality by having your principal residence in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or the European Union for at least one year or applying for a Dutch passport or proof of Dutch nationality before 1 April 2024 ( i.e. before the end of the ten-year period) . A new ten-year period starts on the day you are issued with a passport or proof of Dutch nationality. I wish to give up my Dutch nationality. How do I do that?You can only give up your Dutch nationality if you possess another nationality, in other words, if you have dual nationality. You may not become stateless through losing your Dutch nationality. If you live abroad, you can sign a declaration renouncing your Dutch nationality at the Dutch embassy or consulate. You must go to the embassy or consulate in person to sign the declaration, surrender your Dutch passport and pay the consular fees (€30). It is not possible to do this by post. Once you have signed the declaration you will be given confirmation by the embassy or consulate. If you have minor children, it is possible that they will lose their Dutch nationality too. If you live in the Netherlands, you can sign the declaration in the municipality where you reside. Where can I find further information?Further information on nationality issues is available on The following
A number of these booklets can be ordered The most recent version of the For more information you may of course contact the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Related information:
Naturalisation ceremonyWhat is the naturalisation ceremony for new Dutch nationals?The Dutch government has decided that a ceremony should be held when someone acquires Dutch nationality by option or naturalisation. This is in accordance with the House of Representative’s desire to see the acquisition of Dutch nationality marked in a suitable manner. The ceremony is intended to highlight the special bond thus created between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and new Dutch citizens.What does this mean if you apply for Dutch nationality by naturalisation or option and you are living abroad? NaturalisationIf you are granted Dutch nationality by naturalisation on or after 1 October 2006, you will be invited to attend a ceremony by the Dutch embassy or consulate-general. You are obliged to attend the ceremony. If you have any minor children who were aged sixteen or seventeen at the time of your application for naturalisation, they must also attend. If you are invited to a ceremony you will only become a Dutch national once you have attended it. If you do not turn up for the ceremony, you will receive a new invitation for another date. You must attend a ceremony within one year of the decision granting you Dutch nationality; otherwise you will not be considered a Dutch national. Should you not attend a ceremony within the time specified you will have to apply again for naturalisation. You will only be excused from having to attend the ceremony in very exceptional circumstances, for example if it is physically impossible or if there are compelling factors of a psychological nature. If you believe that this applies to you, please contact your Dutch embassy or consulate-general. Declaration opting for Dutch nationalityIf you regain your Dutch nationality by option on or after 1 January 2007, you will be invited to attend a ceremony by the Dutch embassy or consulate-general. You are obliged to attend the ceremony. If you have any minor children who were aged sixteen or seventeen at the time you applied for Dutch nationality by option, they must also attend. If you are invited to a ceremony you will only become a Dutch national once you have attended it. If you do not turn up for the ceremony, you will receive a new invitation for another date. You must attend a ceremony within one year of the decision granting you Dutch nationality; otherwise you will not be considered a Dutch national. Should you not attend a ceremony within the time specified you will have to apply again for Dutch nationality by option. If Dutch nationality is opted for on behalf of an acknowledged child, the child’s legal representative is obliged to attend the ceremony. The same rule applies here as to adult applications, i.e. the child will not become a Dutch national if his or her legal representative does not attend a ceremony within one year of the decision granting Dutch nationality. You will only be excused from having to attend the ceremony in very exceptional circumstances, for example if it is physically impossible or if there are compelling factors of a psychological nature. If you believe that this applies to you, please contact your Dutch embassy or consulate-general. |
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Stichting Adoptievoorzieningen
