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After passing
Oath, passport, nationality
Unofficial · Based on Inburgeringsexamen KNM (DUO practice materials)
Last updated: 2026-10-01

Passing the Inburgeringsexamen → applying to IND

The Dutch civic integration exam (Inburgeringsexamen) consists of five exams — KNM (Knowledge of Dutch Society) + four language exams (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking). If you fall under the older Wi2013 rules, ONA (Orientation on the Dutch Labour Market) is also required. You must pass every required component before DUO issues the Inburgeringsdiploma.

  • With the diploma in hand, you submit a naturalisation application (naturalisatie) to the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst).
  • The application is filed at your local gemeente (municipality), which forwards it to IND.
  • Standard residence requirement: 5 years of legal residence on a valid permit (or as a permanent resident), plus the diploma and a clean record.
  • Application fee: €1,139 for a single adult (2026 figure; raised yearly). Joint applications with spouses or minor children use separate rates.
  • Typical documents: passport, birth certificate (apostilled + translated into Dutch), Inburgeringsdiploma, BRP residence proof, statement of good conduct, and either willingness to renounce your original nationality or evidence of an exemption.

Decision → declaration of solidarity before the mayor

  • IND processing typically takes around 12 months (2026 figure; can stretch longer for complex files or pending renunciation).
  • On approval, the King signs a Koninklijk Besluit (Royal Decree), but you are not yet Dutch. Your gemeente invites you to a naturalisatieceremonie, where you make the verklaring van verbondenheid (declaration of solidarity) before the mayor (burgemeester) or deputy mayor and receive the naturalisation decision. This ceremony is mandatory — you only become Dutch when you attend it, within 1 year of the positive decision.
  • Most gemeentes hold ceremonies on a regular calendar (for example, Naturalisatiedag on 15 December) plus ad-hoc dates.

ID card and passport

Once your citizenship takes effect, you can apply for a Dutch ID card or passport at your gemeente.

  • Identiteitskaart (ID card) or paspoort (passport): applied for in person at the gemeente desk.
  • Fees are roughly €50–80 depending on document type, age, and gemeente (2026 figure; adjusted annually).
  • Standard production time is around 4–6 weeks; expedited service costs extra.
  • Photos must meet ICAO biometric standards; many gemeentes have on-site photo booths.

Handling your original nationality (key change point)

The Netherlands restricts dual citizenship: adults who naturalise must in principle renounce their original nationality after becoming Dutch, usually at their country's embassy or consulate, or the IND can revoke Dutch nationality. Exemptions under the Nationality Act (RWN) include:

  • You are married to, or the registered partner of, a Dutch citizen on the date the Royal Decree is signed.
  • You have an asylum residence permit.
  • You were born in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and live there now.
  • Your country's law makes renunciation impossible.
  • On request, if renouncing would have serious consequences (such as a large fee).

Whether you actually lose your old nationality also depends on your own country's law: some countries withdraw it automatically, others require a formal renunciation, and a few do not allow it. Check the IND's country list and ask your country's embassy or consulate before you apply.

Tax and social security

  • Naturalisation does not by itself change your Dutch tax position. Tax residence is based on woonplaats (place of residence), tied to your BSN.
  • As an EU citizen you can move to other EU countries and slot directly into their tax and health systems.
  • Social security: AOW (state pension) accrues with years of residence or work in the Netherlands, whatever your nationality. EU coordination rules count insurance periods across the EU/EEA and Switzerland, and the Netherlands has bilateral agreements with some other countries (SVB list).
  • If you keep assets abroad, separate home-country reporting may still apply — consult a cross-border tax adviser.

Voting rights and EU rights

  • On becoming Dutch you immediately gain the right to vote and stand in elections to the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives), Provinciale Staten (provincial councils), gemeenteraden (municipal councils), and indirectly the Senate.
  • You can also vote for the European Parliament.
  • As an EU citizen you gain the right to live, work, and study freely across the EU.
  • Note: non-EU foreigners with 5+ years of legal residence in the Netherlands already have municipal voting rights; on naturalisation you are simply registered automatically across all elections.

Effect on children's nationality

  • When a parent naturalises, children under 18 can be included via meenaturalisatie and become Dutch alongside the parent.
  • Children born to a Dutch parent acquire Dutch nationality at birth.
  • Minor children do not have to renounce their other nationality. Whether they keep it, or must later choose, depends on the other country's law.

FAQ

Q. Can I apply for citizenship if I have only passed some of the components? A. No. DUO only issues the Inburgeringsdiploma after all required components are passed, and IND will not accept a naturalisation application without it. Retake the missing component(s).

Q. What happens if I miss the naturalisation ceremony? A. Your citizenship does not take effect. Attendance is mandatory. With a valid reason you can ask the gemeente to reschedule.

Q. Can I keep my current nationality? A. Usually not: renunciation is the default rule, with the exemptions listed above. Your own country's law also decides whether you lose its nationality, so confirm with the IND and your country's embassy or consulate.

Q. Is the application fee refundable? A. No — the fee is not refunded even if the application is denied. Prepare documents thoroughly before filing.

References

  • IND naturalisation: https://ind.nl/en/dutch-citizenship/becoming-a-dutch-national-through-naturalisation
  • IND renouncing your nationality: https://ind.nl/en/renouncing-your-nationality
  • DUO civic integration: https://www.inburgeren.nl/
  • SVB treaty countries: https://www.svb.nl/en/aow-pension/treaty-countries
  • Government portal: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/