How to obtain Dutch citizenship or permanent residence

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If you are a foreigner and have lived in the Netherlands for 5 years, you will be able to apply for a Dutch passport or obtain Dutch citizenship. But what is the process of obtaining Dutch citizenship?

The following are the conditions that can be applied:

1. Have been living in the Netherlands since childhood

2. If you have lived in the Netherlands for 5 years

3. If one or both of your parents are Dutch (including adoption)

What are the conditions for naturalization as a Dutch citizen?

1. You need to be over 18 years old

2. You need to have a valid residence permit

3. You need to live in the Netherlands (or the Dutch Caribbean) for 5 consecutive years

4. You are willing to give up your current nationality

5. You can prove that you can write, speak and read Dutch by taking the A2 comprehensive Dutch citizenship test

6. If you have not been in prison within 4 years, you will be punished for participating in community service or charged a high fine (over 810 euros)

7. You are willing to declare allegiance to the Netherlands at the mandatory citizenship ceremony

The following conditions will not be subject to the five-year continuous residence restriction:

1. You are a stateless person (for example, formally become a refugee) and have resided legally in the Netherlands for at least 3 years

2. You had Dutch citizenship in the past

3. You have been married to a Dutch citizen and have lived together (at home or abroad) for 3 years or more

4. You have lived legally in the Netherlands for at least 10 years (the last 2 years need to live continuously in the country)

Can I become dual citizenship in the Netherlands?

You need to give up your nationality to become Dutch. Once you renounce your nationality, you need to submit an application and declaration.

There are exceptions to this rule, you must declare and prove these rules during the application:

• You must not renounce your nationality in your own country

• You are officially registered as a refugee

• You are a married/registered partner of a Dutch citizen

• Unable to contact the authorities in your country

• You cannot revoke your nationality for special reasons

• If your nationality is not recognized in the Netherlands

•If you give up your nationality, you will lose important rights in your country/region

• If you were born in the Netherlands or the Dutch Caribbean and you still live there

• If you must complete military service to renounce your nationality

• If you need to pay a considerable amount of money to give up your nationality

In any case, once you are a Dutch citizen, you have the following rights:

• Dutch passport

•Able to vote and stand in all Dutch elections

• Your child can become a Dutch citizen

• EU citizenship-freedom to travel and live in the EU

• You can vote for the European Parliament

• Freely enter the Netherlands and travel in the Netherlands

The entire process of obtaining Dutch citizenship can take up to one year.

If you want to apply for Dutch citizenship and submit an application form, you need to visit the local city hall in the Netherlands. Fees: Individual: 855 Euros; Family: 1091 Euros. If all goes well, it will be submitted to the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization. You need the usual valid documents such as passport, residence permit, birth certificate and citizen integration examination certificate.

If everything goes according to plan, they will send a confirmation letter and invite you to the citizenship ceremony. After this, you can formally apply for a passport.

Can I obtain permanent residency in the Netherlands?

Of course, not everyone wants to give up their nationality. You can apply for permanent residency. You can stay in the Netherlands indefinitely, but you cannot vote in Dutch elections (except for municipal elections).

Please note: Please provide reference for the above information. For correct information, please check with the Dutch Immigration Office or the city hall.

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Information source: https://dutchreview.com/expat/moving/how-to-get-dutch-citizenship-2018/

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Instructions on how to maintain the validity of the residence permit in the Netherlands:

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Main residence in the Netherlands

​If you have a Dutch residence permit, you have to have your main residence in the Netherlands. Main residence means that the centre of your activities is in the Netherlands. You, therefore, live in the Netherlands and you work or study here. Or your children are, for example, going to school in the Netherlands. When you move your main residence to a place outside the Netherlands, your residence permit can be revoked or not be extended.

Moving main residence

The IND judges if you have moved your main residence. For this the IND looks at facts that show that your main residence is no longer in the Netherlands. Examples of these facts are:

You have deregistered from the Municipal Personal Records Database (BRP) of your municipality. Other examples include:

Deregistration from the Tax and Customs Administration before leaving the country.

Notification to the Aliens Police (AVIM) of leaving the country.

Resignation from work or cessation of operations.

Cancellation of a bank or giro account.

Transferring periodical payments (money) to an address outside the Netherlands.

The redemption of pension rights.

Eviction of the accommodation in the Netherlands and carrying the inventory (household contents) across the border.

Letting or subletting the accommodation in the Netherlands to other persons.

There can also be other examples that indicate that you have changed the location of your main residence.

Do you hold a residence permit for research (Directive EU 2016/801) or study and do you temporarily want to reside in another member state of the European Union as part of intra EU-mobility? If your educational- or research institute in the Netherlands has notified this to the IND in time, you may temporarily deregister from the BRP during the intra-EU mobility. This also applies to family members who stay with the researcher. In this case, the deregistration from the BRP is not considered as a change of main residence.

Situations in which the IND always judges you have moved your main residence:

You have made use of a remigration scheme upon leaving the Netherlands. For example a scheme under the Remigration Act.

You have been outside the Netherlands for a longer period than stated in paragraph Residence outside the Netherlands. Is it not your fault that you have stayed outside the Netherlands longer than allowed? Or that you have not moved the centre of your activities abroad? Than the IND will not see this as moving your main residence.

Residence outside the Netherlands

You are allowed to stay short periods abroad with your Dutch residence permit. During these short periods you may not move your main residence.

How long you may stay outside the Netherlands depends on your residence permit.

Temporary residence permit

You may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 6 months in a row. Or 3 years in a row each year for a maximum of 4 months in a row.

For highly skilled migrants, researchers, students, foreign investors and Intra Corporate Transferees (Directive 2014/66/EU) exceptions on these rules apply:

Residence permit study: you may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 1 year. Requirement is that you follow temporary education abroad in order to finish your study in the Netherlands.

Residence permit highly skilled migrant and scientific researcher directive 2005/71/EG or researcher directive (EU) 2016/801: you can work abroad for a maximum of 8 months. You do have to continue to meet the conditions for your Dutch residence permit.

Residence permit as a foreign investor: you have stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 8 months. You do have to continue to meet the conditions for your Dutch residence permit.

Residence permit Intra Corporate Transferee (Directive 2014/66/EU): you stay in another member state of the European Union on the grounds of your residence permit for short term or long term mobility.

Residence permit for verification against EU law (family members of EU/EEA or Swiss citizen)

You are allowed to stay outside of the Netherlands for a maximum of 6 months in a row.

Permanent residence permit (regular & asylum)

You are allowed to stay outside of the Netherlands for either a maximum of 6 months in a row, or 3 years in a row each year for a maximum of 4 months in a row...

Residence permit long term resident-EC

You are allowed to stay outside of the EU for a maximum of up to 12 months in a row. Or outside of the Netherlands, but within the EU, for a maximum of up to 6 years in a row.

Permanent residence for EU/EEA or Swiss-citizens and their family members (Duurzaam verblijf)

You are allowed to stay outside of the Netherlands for a maximum of 2 years in a row.

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Information source: https://ind.nl/en/pages/main-residence.aspx#Residence_outside_the_Netherlands

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