Dutch citizenship requirements
You must meet these conditions when you apply, during the procedure and on the day of the ceremony.
- You are 18 or older. Children under the age of 18 can only be included in a parent's application.
- You have lived in the Kingdom of the Netherlands for at least 5 consecutive years with a valid residence permit, and you always applied for an extension on time.
- Your permit is one the IND accepts, for example a permanent permit, an asylum residence permit or another permit with a non-temporary purpose of stay. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals need lawful residence under EU law instead.
- You have passed the civic integration exam at language level A2 or higher, or you are exempt.
- You are not a danger to public order or national security.
- You give up your current nationality, unless an exemption applies.
- You are willing to make the declaration of solidarity at the ceremony.
Some people can apply sooner. If you are married to a Dutch citizen, or you are their registered partner, 3 years of living together is enough. Stateless people registered in the BRP can apply after 3 years, and people with 10 years of residence in total after 2 continuous years. See the IND page on exceptions to the 5-year term.
The civic integration exam
You need a civic integration diploma at language level A2 or higher. You get it once you have passed the civic integration exam (inburgeringsexamen), which you book with DUO: reading, listening, writing and speaking Dutch, plus KNM. A B1-route diploma under the 2021 law also counts, even when some parts were lowered to A2.
You are exempt with, for example, a Staatsexamen NT2 diploma, a Dutch school diploma or 8 years of school-age residence in the Netherlands. Partial exemptions exist for KNM, the participation statement and the labour-market orientation.
The government plans to raise the language level to B1 and the residence term to 10 years. In October 2026 neither plan was law.
How to apply for Dutch nationality
You apply at the gemeente where you live, not at DUO or at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
- Collect your documents: a valid passport, a birth certificate, your residence permit and your diploma or proof of exemption. Foreign documents must usually be legalised and translated into Dutch, English, French or German.
- Make an appointment. Submitting an application happens in person: an official checks your documents and fills in the form with you.
- Pay the fee at the appointment.
- The gemeente sends your application to the IND. You get an acknowledgement of receipt by post and can follow the case in My IND.
A child of 16 or 17 who is included must have lived here for 3 years, agree and come along.
Costs in 2026 and how long it takes
The fee is €1,139 for one person and €1,454 for you and your partner together. Each child under 18 costs €168. See the IND page on fees and costs.
The IND must decide within 12 months of the payment, although it can extend that period. If the IND refuses, you can lodge an objection.
Ceremony and your Dutch passport
After a positive decision the King signs a Royal Decree and your gemeente invites you to the naturalisation ceremony. A ceremony takes place every year on 15 December, and municipalities add other dates. Attend within 1 year, or you have to apply again.
Everyone aged 16 or older makes the declaration of solidarity there. Only then have you acquired Dutch citizenship, and you can apply for a Dutch passport. If you must give up your old nationality, do it now, often at your country's embassy. If you do not, you can lose Dutch nationality again.
Naturalisation or option
Option is a shorter, cheaper route (€241) for groups set by law, such as some people born in the Kingdom and some former Dutch citizens. Option requires no civic integration exam, and you usually keep your nationality. Check the IND page on option.
What the KNM exam asks
KNM questions on citizenship in the Netherlands are practical: where you apply (the gemeente), who decides (the IND), and that you become Dutch only after the ceremony and the Verklaring van verbondenheid.