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.
Municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg: Applying for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation
Please note: you can only apply for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality.
How it works
- If you can become a Dutch national through an option, your application will go through the municipality. The procedure takes approximately 3 months from the time of application
- If you can become a Dutch citizen through naturalisation, the IND will process your application. This procedure takes up to 1 year
- Will you acquire Dutch nationality after the procedure? Then the mayor will invite you to the naturalization ceremony within 6 weeks
- You can apply for a Dutch travel document 2 days after the naturalization ceremony. You immediately hand in your residence document
Take
- Valid passport showing your nationality
- Valid residence permit
- Birth certificate
- Proof of integration exam or naturalization test or comparable Dutch diploma
If you meet the conditions, you can make an appointment for your naturalisation application.
Make an appointment: Call 14 070
You pay a fee for this service. Costs are listed on the IND website.
- 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.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg