Automatic loss of Dutch citizenship

If you voluntarily acquire citizenship of another country

As a rule, you lose Dutch citizenship if you voluntarily acquire citizenship of another country. There are 3 exceptions to this:

1. You were born in the country whose citizenship you have acquired and that country was your principal country of residence when you acquired its citizenship.
2. As a minor, your principal country of residence for an uninterrupted period of at least 5 years was the country whose citizenship you have now acquired.
3. You have acquired your spouse's or civil partner's citizenship. If you get divorced or your spouse or civil partner dies this will not affect your Dutch citizenship. You will still be a Dutch citizen. To find out if you can keep your other citizenship, contact the authorities in the country in question. 

These 3 exceptions do not apply if you acquire Austrian citizenship, however. In such cases, citizens of the Netherlands will always lose their dutch citizenship due to a treaty with this country.

You can find more information in the factsheet: Could I lose my Dutch nationality automatically? And how can I avoid this? (Pdf, 134 Kb).

If you live outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands or the EU and hold dual citizenship

You will lose your Dutch citizenship if:

• after turning 18, you live outside the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten or the European Union for longer than 13 years and
• you hold another citizenship during that 13-year period and
• you do not apply for a Dutch passport or declaration of possession of the Dutch citizenship during those 13 years.

You can find more information in the factsheet: Could I lose my Dutch nationality automatically? And how can I avoid this? (Pdf, 134 Kb).

Declaration renouncing your Dutch citizenship

You will lose your Dutch citizenship if you sign a declaration giving it up ('renouncing' it). From that point on, you are no longer a Dutch citizen. Under Dutch law, you are considered a foreign citizen. In the Netherlands, you can submit such a declaration via your municipality.

If you live outsde the Netherlands, you can do this at an embassy or consulate of the Netherlands in your country of residence. You can only renounce your Dutch citizenship if you hold citizenship of another country. There is no charge.

Loss of Dutch citizenship in the case of minors

There are several ways in which a minor can lose their Dutch citizenship. For example, if the father or mother loses their Dutch citizenship, the child loses their Dutch citizenship too.

Information on this situation and others can be found in the publication: Minors and loss of Dutch nationality (PDF, 114 kB).