Can I become a naturalised Dutch citizen abroad?

English

If you want to become a naturalised Dutch citizen abroad, you must meet certain conditions. For instance, you must not be a national of the country where you live. And you must pass the naturalisation test.

Conditions for naturalisation

You can become a naturalised Dutch citizen abroad only if one of the following situations applies to you:

You are married to or in a registered partnership with a Dutch national. And you have lived together as a married couple or as registered partners for at least 3 years without interruption. You must stay married/registered partners and live together for the duration of the naturalisation procedure.
You have previously held Dutch nationality.

In addition, you must meet all of the following conditions:

You are 18 or older.
You have passed the naturalisation test or fall under one of the exemption categories.
You are not a national of the country where you live.
You meet the conditions for a Dutch residence permit for non-temporary purposes of stay. Please note: you do not need to hold a Dutch residence permit (or apply for one) if you submit your naturalisation application abroad. You also do not need to be registered with a Dutch municipality.
You have not committed a criminal offence in the past 5 years.
If necessary, you are prepared to renounce your current nationality. Read more about renouncing your original nationality on the IND website.
You are prepared to attend the naturalisation ceremony and take the citizenship pledge.

If you have children, you can also apply for your children to become naturalised Dutch citizens.

Documents required for naturalisation

If you want to apply for naturalisation, you must present at least the following documents:

A valid passport.
Your birth certificate.
Your marriage certificate.
Proof that you do not live in the country of your nationality (e.g. residence permit).
Civic integration certificate, which is issued when you pass your naturalisation test.

Documents from certain countries must first be legalised to show that a document has been issued by the correct organisation. Legalisation is usually done in the country where the document originates. In some cases you also need a sworn translation of the document. This is an official translation.
Check whether your documents must be legalised and translated

Also useful

How do I apply to become a naturalised Dutch citizen abroad?

Contact

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.