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 Westerwolde

Here is some information from your municipality.

Municipality of Westerwolde: Applying for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation

Note. You can only apply for naturalisation as a Dutch citizen if you are living in the Netherlands and registered with a municipality.

Do you have a question about naturalisation? Please contact us. Phone: +31 599 32 02 20 or e-mail: gemeente@westerwolde.nl.

Naturalisation per person: € 945,-

Naturalisation of partners: € 1 206,-

Naturalisation of a child at the same time: € 139,-

Naturalisation for persons who have an asylum residence permit of indefinite duration: € 703,-

Naturalisation for partners who have an asylum residence permit for an indefinite period: € 965,-

[extra optie]

You pay a fee for this service. For more information, contact the municipality [contactgegevens].

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.