Netherlands Announces 3 Situations That Can Lead to Loss of Dutch Citizenship
- The Netherlands has outlined specific conditions under which adults can lose their Dutch nationality, whether by choice or automatically
- One situation involves voluntarily taking up a foreign nationality, though the Dutch government has listed three exceptions that allow dual nationals to keep their citizenship
- Dutch nationals living outside the Netherlands and the EU for an extended period face automatic loss of citizenship unless certain conditions are met
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The Dutch government has outlined three distinct situations in which an adult can lose their Dutch nationality, with different rules applying depending on the circumstances.
According to the Netherlands Nationality Act (RWN), an adult is anyone aged 18 or older, or a person under 18 who is married or in a registered partnership.
Source: UGC
Ways to lose Netherlands citizenship
1. The first situation applies to those who choose to give up their Dutch citizenship by filing a declaration of renunciation at a town hall or Dutch embassy abroad. However, there is one firm condition: a person who holds only Dutch nationality cannot renounce it, as doing so would render them stateless.
2. The second situation occurs when a Dutch national voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality. In most cases, this automatically results in the loss of Dutch citizenship, whether the person lives in the Netherlands or abroad. Three exceptions exist. A person keeps their Dutch nationality if they were born in the country whose citizenship they are adopting and continue to live there at the time. The same applies if they lived in that country for at least five consecutive years before turning 18. Lastly, adopting the nationality of a spouse or registered partner also qualifies as an exception.
3. The third situation affects dual nationals who live outside both the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union. If such a person has lived in those areas for 13 consecutive years without interruption, they automatically lose their Dutch citizenship. The Kingdom of the Netherlands includes the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.
Three exceptions can stop or reset the 13-year clock. Working abroad on behalf of the Dutch government, or having a partner who does so, protects a person's citizenship. Returning to live in the Kingdom or the EU for more than one year before the 13 years expire will pause the count entirely, restarting it only when the person leaves again. Obtaining a new Dutch passport, identity card, or a Declaration of Possession of Dutch Citizenship before the deadline also resets the 13-year count from that date.
It is worth noting that from 1 April 2003 to 1 April 2022, the automatic loss threshold was 10 years rather than 13. Those whose 10-year period ended before 1 April 2022 have already lost their Dutch nationality under the old rule. Anyone whose 10-year count began before that date but was set to end after it falls under the current 13-year rule.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
