Dutch citizenship law being updated

Posted Fri, 01/15/2010 - 2:13am

People born before 1985 to a Dutch mother and a non-Dutch father may become eligible for Dutch citizenship. The Dutch House of Representatives, de Tweede Kamer, approved a motion today and Justice Minister Ballin will take the measure into consideration.

While children born to a Dutch father and foreign mother have always been eligible for Dutch citizenship, people born before 1985 to a Dutch mother and a foreign father are not. This strange distinction was a legacy from an old law from 1892, which was revised in 1985. Since January 1, 1985 children born to either a Dutch mother or a Dutch father have been eligible for a Dutch passport.

There was a grace-period in the late 1980’s where people in this situation could apply for Dutch citizenship but this did not reach everybody on time. The ministry of Foreign Affairs describes the existing regulations for people in this situation (in Dutch).

The proposal is part of a larger overhaul of the law on Dutch citizenship, including more measures to prevent dual citizenship and additional rules to revoke citizenship of terrorists in certain cases. More information on this proposed change and others on the website of the Dutch House of Representatives.

Comments

by Margaretha van Beek (not verified) - 01/29/2010 - 5:58pm

I am very glad to hear about this law proposal. My daughter was born in 1970 and would like to become a Dutch citizen. I still have my citizenship, and a Dutch passport. Please let me know if and when this law is passed, and how she can obtain her citizenship.

by admin - 01/29/2010 - 11:00pm

Margaretha, two good official sources of information are:

* Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst - (“the Dutch USCIS”): http://www.ind.nl/EN/inbedrijf/actueel/
* The Royal Netherlands Embassy & consulates in the US: http://www.netherlands-embassy.org

by Benno Groeneveld (not verified) - 01/31/2010 - 6:04pm

Check under ‘passports’ on the website of the Dutch embassy in DC. And/or call the Dutchhelp phone number. It’s a bit of a slog getting all the right information, but not impossible and definitely worth it!

by admin - 02/02/2010 - 12:59am

The IND issued a press release a few days ago, in Dutch, emphasizing that this is only a bill and still requires approval by the House of Representatives and Senate of the Netherlands.

If approved, it may take up to a year before the law goes into effect, according to the statement.

http://www.ind.nl/nl/inbedrijf/actueel/Wetsvoorstel_latente_Nederlanders…

by Jackie (not verified) - 03/15/2010 - 3:05am

I have both parents born in Netherlands and I lived there until 22. I have been here since the 1960’s and became a US
citizen in 1967. did I lose my Dutch citizenship.??? Or did I retain it? Thanks. Jackie !!

by Benno Groeneveld (not verified) - 03/15/2010 - 2:48pm

Yes, you lost your Dutch citizenship when you became an American citizen. EXCEPT if you were married to a US citizen at the time.

Dutch law was changed in 2003 to allow Dutch citizens to keep their Dutch nationality if they take the nationality of their spouse.

The law works retroactively, so again, if you were married to a US citizen at the time you became an American, you can get your Dutch passport back.

by Anonymous (not verified) - 04/28/2010 - 11:57am

This law needs change because it had caused misery to families with one of the parents not being Dutch citizen.

by Anonymous (not verified) - 07/19/2010 - 3:17am

I was born in the Netherlands prior to 1985, emigrated to the US prior to that date, became a US citzen when my parents did since I was a minor at the time. Am I a dual Dutch/US citizen?

by admin - 07/19/2010 - 12:50pm

Anonymous, two good official sources of information are:

* Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst - (“the Dutch USCIS”): http://www.ind.nl/EN/inbedrijf/actueel/
* The Royal Netherlands Embassy & consulates in the US: http://www.netherlands-embassy.org

by Anonymous (not verified) - 07/27/2010 - 8:48am

If I’m Canadian, marry a Dutch Citizen and live in the Netherlands…Could I keep my Canadian Citizenship? I know that the Dutch and the Canadians have that friendship due to the Liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi rule. Also the fact that we housed the Crown Princess and she had Magriet in Canada.

by Anonymous (not verified) - 07/28/2010 - 3:44pm

Canada allows its citizens to hold dual (or triple!) nationality. Whether the Netherlands will allow to you keep your canadian citizenship if you become a dutch citizen, I don’t know.

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