Applying for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation in the Netherlands

Do you want to apply for the Netherlands (Dutch) nationality? One of the ways is to apply for naturalisatie (naturalisation). You can hand in your application via your municipality.

Usually one of the conditions is that you have been legally living in the Netherlands for at least 5 years. Read all conditions of naturalisation on the website of the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst – IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service).

In some cases there are exemptions to the condition of 5 years of legal residence.

The municipaity will send the application to the IND. The decision will be made by the IND.

The decision-making process takes a maximum of 12 months. You can track the progress of your application on the Mijn IND online portal.

This is how it works for you

Your (future) place of residence falls under:

Municipality of Elburg

Here is some information from your municipality.

Applying for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation in the Netherlands

Please note: you can only apply for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality.

Your valid ID.
A valid residence permit or other proof of lawful residence (this is not necessary if you come from 1 of these European countries).
Your birth certificate.
For naturalisation: the civic integration diploma (or a comparable diploma).
Any additional documents.
You pay when you apply.

Your documents, such as the birth certificate, must be in Dutch, English, French or German. Is the document in another language? Then you must first have the documents translated by a translator who is sworn in in the Netherlands. In addition, some foreign documents must be legalized or contain an apostille. View the detailed information about what kind of document is required.

If you meet the conditions, you can make an appointment for your naturalisation application.

Call the municipality: +31 525 688 688.

Naturalisation per person: € 1023,00.
Naturalisation of partners: € 1.305,00.
Naturalisation of a child at the same time: € 151,00.
Naturalisation for persons who have an asylum residence permit of indefinite duration: € 760,00.
Naturalisation for partners who have an asylum residence permit for an indefinite period: € 1044,00.

(rates 2024)

The municipality assesses whether you meet all conditions for naturalisation and provides the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst – IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) with advice. The municipality sends your file to the IND.
The IND checks whether you meet all conditions and takes a decision. The IND must take a decision within 12 months. If you have any questions about the application in the meantime, you can contact the IND.
You officially become a Dutch citizen only after the naturalisation ceremony.
You can apply for a Dutch travel document 1 week after the naturalisation ceremony.

You can object to the decision regarding your option request. Do this within 6 weeks. Do you then disagree with the decision on the notice of objection? Then file an appeal with the court.

You can object to the decision on your naturalization application with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND).