Netherlands Lists 6 Categories of Foreigners Who Can Get Citizenship After 3 Years
- The Netherlands has revealed that certain foreigners may qualify for naturalisation after just 3 years instead of the standard 5-year requirement
- The Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service outlined 6 specific categories of people who can apply for citizenship on a shorter timeline
- Foreigners married to or living with a Dutch national are among those who may be eligible under the 3-year rule
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The Netherlands has revealed that not every foreigner needs to wait the standard five years before applying for Dutch citizenship, with the country's Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) publishing six categories of people who may qualify after just three years.
Under the standard rules, a person must have lived continuously in the Kingdom of the Netherlands for at least five years, holding a valid residence permit or valid residency under EU law throughout that period.
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However, the Dutch government has outlined specific circumstances that allow some applicants to begin the naturalisation process after three years.
Dutch citizenship: Who can get naturalised after 3 years?
1. Foreign nationals who are married to, or in a registered partnership with a Dutch partner qualify for the shortened timeline, provided they have lived together in the Netherlands for three consecutive years at the time of applying. The Dutch partner must hold Dutch nationality at the point of application, and both individuals must remain together throughout the entire naturalisation process.
2. Foreign nationals have already lived continuously with a valid residence permit in the Kingdom together for 3 years with the same Dutch partner. They are cohabiting and will continue living together as partners during the whole naturalisation process.
3. Beyond partners of Dutch nationals, the IND lists four additional categories. Adults who were legally recognised or legitimised by a Dutch national, meaning a Dutch national became their parent by law, are eligible.
4. The same applies to individuals who were recognised as minor children by a Dutch national and have since reached adulthood, though the period during which they were raised and cared for by that Dutch national can be deducted from the three-year residency requirement.
5. The fifth group covers adults whose co-naturalisation application was previously rejected because they turned 18 during their parents' own naturalisation process, provided their three-year continuous residence in the Netherlands began before they came of age.
6. Finally, stateless individuals who are registered as such in the Netherlands' Personal Records Database (BRP) also qualify for the reduced three-year pathway to citizenship.
Regardless of which category an applicant falls into, the core requirement of holding a valid residence permit or valid EU law residency throughout the entire three-year period remains non-negotiable.
The IND also makes clear that applicants must continue to meet all other naturalisation conditions, including language requirements and civic integration standards, alongside the shortened residency term.
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
