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
Here is some information from your municipality.
Applying for Dutch nationality
There are 3 ways to become a Dutch citizen:
- Automatically by birth (if at birth one of your parents is Dutch) or by adoption or recognition in the Netherlands.
- Through the option procedure: a short simple procedure to become a Dutch citizen.
- If you do not qualify for the option procedure, you can become a Dutch citizen through naturalisation.
Becoming a Dutch citizen by option
The fastest and cheapest way is the option procedure. This takes 3 months. During the option procedure, you must submit a request to your residential municipality. Whether you are allowed to go through the option procedure depends on your personal circumstances.
More information about the option can be found on the IND website
Becoming Dutch through naturalisation
If you do not qualify for the option procedure, you can become a Dutch citizen through naturalisation. This procedure takes a maximum of 1 year. You also submit a naturalisation request to your municipality of residence. The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will then assess your request. If you meet all the conditions, the King decides to grant you Dutch nationality. This procedure takes 1 year on average.
You can find more information about naturalisation on the IND website
Please note. You can only apply for naturalisation as a Dutch citizen if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality.
The approach depends on your personal situation:
- Which procedure you qualify for
- Which documents you need to submit
- Whether you have to renounce your current nationality
- Whether you need an integration certificate
Fill in the application form here
The option procedure costs:
for you alone: € 206.00
for a married couple or registered partners: € 351.00
for a minor for whom you are also applying at the same time: € 23.00
Naturalisation costs:
for you alone: € 970.00
for a married couple or registered partners: € 1,238.00
for a minor: € 143.00
Are you stateless? Or do you have an asylum residence permit (document III or IV)? Then naturalisation costs:
for you alone: € 722.00
for a married couple or registered partners: € 991,00
You pay this at the time of your application.
(rates 2023)
Within six weeks you will receive an email telling you which procedure you qualify for and what is important to you.
- The municipality checks whether you meet all the conditions for naturalisation and gives advice to the IND. The municipality sends your file to the IND.
- The IND checks whether you meet all the conditions and makes a decision. The IND must make a decision within 12 months. If you have any questions about the application in the interim, please contact the IND.
- You are only officially a Dutch citizen after the naturalisation ceremony.
- One week after the naturalisation ceremony you can apply for a Dutch travel document.
When will you be invited for a naturalisation ceremony?
Have you submitted an application for naturalisation?Then the IND will send your proof of Dutch citizenship to the municipality. You will receive a letter about this from the IND. This letter states within how many weeks you can expect an invitation for the ceremony from the municipality. The municipality will not send you an invitation for the next ceremony until the proof of Dutch citizenship has been received. This is always later than when you receive the letter from the IND. We send the invitation for the ceremony via email.
Have you signed an option statement? Then the municipality will first request information from the police and judicial authorities. Are these details approved? Then the municipality will send an invitation for the next naturalisation ceremony. We send the invitation for the ceremony by email. Are the details not in agreement? Then you will receive a refusal decision.
You can object to the decision on your option request. Do this within 6 weeks. Do you then disagree with the decision on the objection? Then file an appeal with the court. You can file an objection against the decision on your naturalisation request with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Helmond