Naturalisation is the acquisition of Dutch nationality by application. It is the final step for many people who have built a life in the Netherlands, and the conditions are set out in the Kingdom Act on Netherlands Nationality.
The conditions
The applicant must be eighteen or older, have held lawful residence in the Netherlands for a continuous period, hold a valid residence permit at the time of the decision, have passed the civic integration examination or hold an exempting diploma, and pose no danger to public order. Interruptions in lawful residence reset the count, which is why gaps between permits matter so much.
The residence requirement is at present five years, and three years for the partner of a Dutch national. A bill to extend those periods to ten and five years respectively has been in preparation since 2025 and reached the implementation assessment stage in early 2026, but it has not entered into force; the current periods therefore still apply. Anyone close to the threshold does well to check the state of the legislation before deciding when to apply.
Renunciation of the other nationality
The main rule is that the applicant renounces their existing nationality. The exceptions are broad in practice: spouses of Dutch nationals, people born in the Netherlands, recognised refugees, and nationals of countries that do not permit renunciation or make it unreasonably difficult. Whether an exception applies is often the decisive question in the file.
The option procedure as an alternative
For some groups a faster and cheaper route exists: the option procedure, open among others to people born in the Netherlands who have lived here since birth, and to those who have held lawful residence for fifteen years. Where the option route is available it is almost always the better one.
Where it goes wrong
The two usual obstacles are a gap in lawful residence years earlier, and a criminal record: even a modest penalty order within the review period can lead to refusal. Both are worth checking before the fee is paid, because it is not refunded on a refusal.
Related terms
See also the residence permit and family reunification.
Our immigration lawyers in the Netherlands assess eligibility before an application is filed.
