Ministerie van Justitie, Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst

Foreign nationals legally residing in the Netherlands may submit an application for naturalisation as a Dutch citizen after five years, subject to a number of key conditions.

Proceedings
The naturalisation of foreign nationals (becoming a Dutch national) is the last step in their admission to the Netherlands. Once they have been granted Dutch nationality they will be able to stay in the Netherlands indefinitely and share the same rights and obligations as any other Dutch national.

The IND decides on some 30,000 to 40,000 applications every year from people who want to become Dutch nationals. Apart from the IND, the Dutch municipalities also play an important role in the proceedings. They collect all of the applicant’s documents and forward these with their recommendation to the IND. If the IND grants the request, the Queen will grant the Dutch nationality. 

Parental application for Dutch nationality or naturalisation
Foreign nationals who want to become Dutch nationals have two options: parental application for Dutch nationality or naturalisation. Because the first option is the easiest, applicants are recommended that they start by verifying if they qualify for the parental application for Dutch nationality. 

The key conditions
Foreign nationals who want to become Dutch nationals are required to meet a number of conditions including:

• They must have resided legally in the Netherlands for 5 years or more 
• They must hold a valid residence permit for an indefinite period of time or for a residence purpose that is not temporary (i.e. not including education, for example)
• They must have sufficiently integrated and can speak, read, write and understand Dutch
• They must be prepared to give up their own nationality 
• They must be able to present some documents such as a birth certificate and the certificate issued after passing the naturalisation test
• They must not have spent any time in prison and not have been fined extensively in the past four years               

Is residence in the Netherlands obligatory to apply for Dutch citizenship?
Foreign nationals do not need to reside in the Netherlands to become a Dutch national. They may also apply for Dutch nationality on the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba and with Dutch embassies and consulates abroad. Different conditions apply to these applications.

Also go to
What is the naturalisation test all about?
Can you keep your nationality if you become a Dutch national?
Parental application for Dutch nationality or naturalisation?