Becoming a Dutch Citizen

How to Become a Dutch Citizen

According to the Dutch Government, there are several ways of acquiring Dutch citizenship. You automatically become a Dutch citizen if one of your parents holds Dutch citizenship when you are born. Or if paternity is acknowledged by a Dutch citizen. Or through either the option procedure or naturalisation. Foreign citizens can apply for Dutch citizenship if they have lived in the Netherlands legally for at least 5 years.

There are 3 ways to become a Dutch citizen:

• Automatically at birth (if one or both of your parents holds Dutch citizenship when you are born), through adoption or through acknowledgement of parentage.
• Through a short, easy procedure that takes 3 months. However, this option is available only to people who belong to a special group defined by law. This is called the option procedure.
• If you are not eligible for the option procedure, you can apply for naturalisation. This procedure usually takes less than one year, and never more than 2 years.

If you are planning to apply for citizenship through naturalization, you will first need to pass the 'A2 Dutch Naturalization Exams - Inburgeringsexamen.' Learn Dutch Now can help with that. Our materials are carefully designed to prepare students for the Inburgeringsexamen. For more information, click here. 

It's good to know that some types of work or study may require B1 or B2 levels of Dutch language skills. That being said, learning the language is a great thing to consider.  

Additional Considerations

• Costs: Naturalization fees are around €900–€1,100 for an individual (exact amounts vary by year and situation), plus costs for the Civic Integration Exam (€250+ total for all sections).
• Dual Citizenship: The Netherlands aims to limit dual nationality, but exceptions exist (e.g., for spouses of Dutch citizens, refugees, or if renunciation isn’t legally possible in your home country).
• Process: After approval, you must attend a naturalization ceremony within 1 year to finalize your citizenship.

For more information, please check the IND website (ind.nl), contact your local municipality or consulate abroad.