IND Naturalisation and Option Monitor 2018-2024

On 29 July 2025, the IND published the Naturalisation and Option Monitor 2018-2024. This shows that the number of naturalisation requests has increased. The previous measurement period was 2014-2017.

Naturalisation

Of all decisions on naturalisation applications made by the IND in 2018-2024, 97.3% were positive. Like previous years, most applicants (52%) obtain Dutch citizenship after five years of uninterrupted admission and primary residence in the Kingdom. 30% of applicants were minors who shared in the naturalisation application of their parents. The most common reason for rejection is serious suspicions of a threat to public order (24%), followed by the inability to establish the identity and nationality of the applicant (17%).

We are pleased to see that the processing time for naturalisation applications in 2018-2024 is considerably shorter than before. Naturalisation requests are processed more quickly thanks to an internal improvement process within the IND’s Naturalisation Client Group. The average processing time from the date of submission until the naturalisation ceremony has been reduced from 344 days in 2018 to 182 days in 2024.

Option

The largest group of optants (48.03%) consists of those who have been married to a Dutch national for at least three years and have had uninterrupted legal residency and primary residence in the Kingdom of the Netherlands for at least fifteen years. This is followed by the group of adults who have lived in the Kingdom since birth and have been admitted here (23.85%). The new category “retroactive regaining of Dutch citizenship and thus Union citizenship in cases of proven disproportion” (Tjebbes judgment) is the least used option category with fewer than ten registered option confirmations.

Read more about the chances of success of an appeal based on this proportionality test here.

Renunciation procedures

Of the total group of naturalised citizens in 2018-2024, 13% automatically lost their original nationality upon naturalisation. For 28% of naturalised citizens, it was possible to renounce their original nationality, but 57% of them did not have to do so because, for example, they were refugees, minors or married to a Dutch citizen. It is remarkable that in 50% of the naturalization cases, it was not possible to renounce the original nationality because the legislation of their country of origin does not allow this. Therefore, tightening the Dutch nationality law will have no effect in this regard.   

The list of countries indicating whether someone can renounce their original nationality has also been amended in 2018-2024. Whereas it was previously impossible for certain nationalities to renounce their original nationality, this is now possible for citizens of the Dominican Republic, Greece and Mexico. For Libyans, naturalisation in the Netherlands now leads to the automatic loss of Libyan citizenship. In addition, it has become impossible for some nationalities to renounce their nationality. This is the case for citizens of Afghanistan, Venezuela and Niger.

Questions about naturalisation, option or dual citizenship? Please contact us.