Loss of Dutch Citizenship: an underestimated problem with far-reaching consequences

On March 26, 2026, our colleague Hermie de Voer was interviewed for the NPO1 program EenVandaag. She briefly explained how problematic the Dutch ban on dual citizenship is in practice. The segment focused on soccer players and other top athletes. But of course, this affects far more people than just soccer players, marathon skaters, or Nobel Prize winners.

Anyone who takes on another nationality or fails to renew their Dutch passport on time loses their Dutch citizenship and, with it, their EU citizenship. The consequences are significant. Without EU citizenship, you may not reside, travel, or work in the EU without the required visas or permits. This affects thousands of people, both within and outside the sports world. The option to regain Dutch citizenship if the European principle of proportionality has been violated is successful in only 4% of cases. Therefore, this is not a realistic way to regain your Dutch citizenship and EU citizenship.

Legislation on Dual Citizenship

The current ban on dual citizenship no longer seems to reflect the realities of the 21st century. Due to the many exceptions in the Dutch Citizenship Act, the system is particularly complex and inconsistent. In practice, dual citizenship may actually be permitted more often than not. What purpose, then, does the renunciation requirement for naturalization and the automatic loss of Dutch citizenship in the Dutch Nationality Act still serve? There is also no convincing justification for continuing to adhere to the principle of a single nationality.

It is time to modernize the Dutch Citizenship Act. The recommendations and advice of the national complaints official (nationale ombudsman) in the report “And Then I Lost My Dutch Citizenship” (2016) deserve to be acted upon. The Dutch Citizenship Act really needs to be modernized by considering and adopting the bill proposed by Sjoerdsma (D66) and Marcouch (PvdA) that same year, Hermie argues.

Do you have any questions regarding dual citizenship? Feel free to contact us.