National Day of the Dutch citizens abroad 2026

_{By Hermie de Voer}

On September 3, 2026, the third edition of the National Day of the Dutch citizens abroad took place at Nieuwspoort in The Hague. The hall was filled to capacity with Dutch citizens living outside the Netherlands, while more than 200 Dutch citizens abroad watched the livestream. The focus was on dual citizenship and the bill intended to make it possible. That bill was introduced in December 2016 by the PvdA and D66.

I participated in the panel discussion organized by the Foundation for Dutch Citizens Abroad, alongside Professor Betty de Hart and members of the House of Representatives Bente Becker (VVD), Jan Schoonis (D66), and Fatihya Abdi (PRO). The debate was lively and outspoken: the pros and cons of dual citizenship were discussed not only among the panelists but also directly with the audience in the hall. You can watch a recording of the debate via this link.

The topic of dual citizenship is of great concern to Dutch citizens living abroad—and rightly so. The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the European Union that still adheres to the general rule that one may only hold Dutch citizenship and that seeks to prevent dual citizenship as much as possible. Meanwhile, since April 1, 2003, there have been various exceptions to that general rule, resulting in multiple nationalities arising, being possible, and being permitted in a multitude of cases.

What has stuck with me most about this debate, however, is the political solution currently being explored to secure a majority for the bill after all. Some political parties are considering an amendment that would allow Dutch nationals living abroad to retain their Dutch citizenship, while leaving the renunciation requirement for newcomers to the Netherlands who want to naturalize unchanged. In my view, this distinction is not only difficult to explain but could also amount to unjustified unequal treatment and, therefore, discrimination. After all, these are two sides of the same coin. The family ties of Dutch nationals abroad would then carry more weight than the equally real family ties of expats and other newcomers to the Netherlands with the loved ones they left behind in their country of origin. The question arises as to whether this holds up legally, or whether this simply amounts to applying a double standard in situations that are essentially the same.

For now, once again, we have no choice but to be patient. The parliamentary debate on this bill, which has been pending for nearly ten years, has been postponed yet again—this time until December 7, 2026.

If you have any questions about dual citizenship? Please contact us. Our nationality experts will be happy to discuss your situation with you.