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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:
Informatie:

Here is some information from your municipality.

Municipality of Stichtse Vecht: Applying for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation

  • make an appointment for an information session
  • If you are not a Dutch citizen, you can apply for the Dutch nationality under certain conditions
  • depending on your personal situation there are 2 possibilities: by option or naturalization

There are no appointments at the municipal office. You will be called by our employees.

You can apply for naturalization if you meet the conditions below:

  1. You are of age
  2. You have been living with a valid residence permit in the Kingdom of the Netherlands continuously for at least 5 years
  3. You have always renewed your residence permit on time. There are exceptions to this rule:
    1. you are married to or registered partner of a Dutch man or woman. In that case you can submit an application after 3 years of marriage or registered partnership and continuous cohabitation. At the time of application you must have a valid residence permit, valid for at least 1 year.
    2. You have lived legally (with a valid residence permit) in the Netherlands for 3 years continuously with a Dutch man or woman (both unmarried).
    3. you are a former Dutchman: you have had and lost Dutch nationality. In some cases, you can use the option procedure
  4. You have a permanent residence permit or a residence permit for a non-temporary purpose of stay
  5. You are sufficiently integrated. You must prove this by submitting a Dutch diploma (e.g. secondary school) or a successfully completed civic integration examination
  6. You have not received a prison sentence, community service or a large fine in the last 5 years. There must be no criminal case against you
  7. You are willing to renounce your current nationality. There are exceptions, please inquire at the municipality

Civic integration exam

If you want to become a Dutch citizen through naturalization, you must be sufficiently integrated. This means that you must be able to speak, read, write and understand Dutch properly. You must be able to manage well in Dutch society. To prove this, you must pass an integration exam. If you pass that exam at level A-2, you will receive a diploma. With this diploma, you can apply for Dutch nationality. Sometimes you can also become a Dutch citizen without a diploma. The Civil Affairs Department can give you more information about this.

Renouncing your current nationality

If you become a Dutch citizen, in some cases you will have to renounce your current nationality. This depends, among other things, on the country of origin and your personal circumstances. If you are required to renounce, you must sign a statement at the time of application.

  • valid identity card
  • valid residence permit
  • proof of civic integration examination or Dutch diplomas
  • depending on the original nationality, additional documents may be requested

Translation by accredited interpreter or translator

Are the documents drawn up in a language other than Dutch, English, French or German? Then you will probably need to have a translation done by a recognized interpreter or translator. Sometimes the documents must also be legalized. They must then be checked for authenticity in the country of origin. Translating and legalizing documents can take several months. You must pay the cost of translation and legalization yourself. Useful identification documents are:

  • a valid foreign travel document
  • a valid residence document from the IND

Make a call appointment for your application using this contact form.

Check the costs on the IND website . If your application is rejected you will not get your money back. You must pay the fees directly at the time of application. You cannot pay by credit card.

Questions about this topic?

Contact the Municipality of Stichtse Vecht

Visiting address

Endelhovenlaan 1

3601GR Maarssen

Opening hours
Monday
8:30 - 17:00
Tuesday
8:30 - 17:00
Wednesday
8:30 - 17:00
Thursday
8:30 - 17:00
Friday
8:30 - 17:00
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed
Last updated on 26 September 2022