BREXIT - BRITISH EMBASSY AND IND HOLD JOINT Q&A SESSION

I've decided not to wait any longer and have taken the plunge to become a Dutch National.

Obviously us Brits are not going to be expelled from the EU after 29th March, but I just can't face having to split the family up into several immigration queues at airports, etc.

I also remember having to go to the police station in my first few years in the NL in order to be interviewed by the police and to present my employment and salary details. The Dutch visa that was stamped into my passport on each occasion resembled that from a country in North Africa/the Middle East and would fill a whole page. I really don't want to go through that again.

Anyway, my Dutch citizenship application is just going through our local Town Hall and the IND is not involved.
I just had to put my signature onto several documents that had already been filled in for me by the town hall, my passport and birth certificate were photographed. I didn't need to have the birth certificate authorized by a Dutch notary, as it was issued by the Allied Occupying Forces via the British consulate in Duesseldorf (yes, I know, I've just given my age away!) And, according to the Dutch, birth certificates issued by an embassy or consulate are exempt from any need for legitimization.

The meeting was very formal and I think I spent 20 out of the 30 minutes talking about Brexit and what we had both been watching recently on Netflix(!)

I had to pay for the application then and there (€187.00) and the procedure will take about three weeks (so, ready by about the middle of February). The cost of a Dutch passport or ID card is in addition to this fee.

There is a formal ceremony where the mayor hands you a form which you need in order to get your first Dutch passport/ID card. Larger town halls do this infrequently, as they wait until they have assembled a certain number of successful applicants, but our town hall is so small I was told that it will be a small ceremony with just me and the mayor, anyone else I want to bring along and the press will be there as well to photograph everything for the local newspaper.

Actually, I was 001 on the application form and when I asked whether I was the first British citizen this year to apply (this was the end of January), he said I was actually the first from anywhere to apply so far in 2019!

So, I get to keep my British passport, and having the Dutch nationality as well will alleviate any possible hassle at an EU external border crossing (or anywhere else, for that matter, where a British passport may be treated less favorably than before)...

Well done.  I think shall be doing the same shortly.

All my kids have birth certificates similar to yours, but they also have Dutch passports already - we registered their births at the Dutch Embassy in Dusseldorf, which was a bit of a grind from Munster, when my wife's home town was only 20 minutes away, but that was the system in those days.

Yes, born in Munster as well!

The report by Anglodutch corresponds exactly with my experience of doing the same 18 months ago. What amazed me was the welcoming approach of the gemeente (Wassenaar) official dealing with the matter (especially after I made it clear that Brexit was the only reason that I was applying for Dutch nationality).  At the formal town hall ceremony where I was given my certificate confirming my new added nationality I was also given a goody bag containing a large Dutch flag together with 2 pages of regulations telling me when I can fly it. Had I known that the process of obtaining dual nationality was so simple (and relatively cheap) I would have done when I first reached the age of 65 many years ago. I would then have been able to vote in the subsequent Dutch elections. I am now looking forward to voting for the first time in the upcoming election for Z-H province.

In contrast to the welcoming attitude experienced by Anglodutch and myself it is all the more remarkable to read about the the treatment of children here who have no Dutch nationality but have grown up in NL, speak only Dutch, and are being threatened with deportation to a country where they don't even speak the language. I recognise of course that the same thing is currently happening in the UK, also involving adults who have lived for decades there. Just another example of how unfair the world is.

Good to hear that obtaining Dutch Nationality via the 'Option' system was so easy, Henry. I am still awaiting a reply from the Town Hall here in Drenthe, but it shouldn't be long now!

Henry McGrath wrote:

In contrast to the welcoming attitude experienced by Anglodutch and myself it is all the more remarkable to read about the the treatment of children here who have no Dutch nationality but have grown up in NL, speak only Dutch, and are being threatened with deportation to a country where they don't even speak the language. I recognise of course that the same thing is currently happening in the UK, also involving adults who have lived for decades there. Just another example of how unfair the world is.

Sadly but true. Unfortunately they are in a different situation, mostly because they are in the process of the asylum procedure which often their parents have had started.
But that is a whole different discussion and as it's political, it doesn't belong here on this forum.

Well, I received my Dutch Nationality Certificate last Monday. I didn't get a Dutch flag from the mayor, but my family and I (plus my Dutch inlaws and sister-in-law) were invited to coffee and cakes with him and some senior colleagues.

After taking an oath, they rushed me downstairs as the local TV station had arrived for an interview, followed by a call from the local radio that was very interested to know what I thought of Brexit and whether I was applying now for Dutch citizenship because of Brexit.

After that, the mayor reopened one of the desks just for me, so that I could apply for my first Dutch passport/ID card. Not sure if I am in time to be able to vote at the coming Provincial Elections, as the cards have already gone out, but I'll be getting my Dutch ID card on Monday (I've been told that you can apply for both an ID card and a passport and have them running concurrently).

So, no more worries about any visa requirements/reporting to the police or having to be split up from the family due to having to join the 'other passports' queue.

Anglodutch wrote:

Well, I received my Dutch Nationality Certificate last Monday. .....

Gefiliceteerd 

Dank je wel!

Hi anglodutch


would you be so kind as to refer me to the documentation site (IND)?  that you used?

I was under the impression that we could get nationality in NL but would have to give up our passports.


Thank you in advance

Hi,

The link to the IND page with more information on the 'Option' procedure is here:

https://ind.nl/en/dutch-citizenship/Pages/Option.aspx

As I mentioned, the entire application went through our town hall here in Drenthe. I did not have to renounce my British citizenship (you only have to do this if you have lived here from the age of 4, or if your current nationality prohibits the holding of dual nationality).

The 'Option' procedure is not available to everyone. You have to be either married to a Dutch national or have reached the age of 65, but also have lived in the NL for at least 15 years with at all times holding a valid residence permit or being an EU citizen. Or, you qualify if you were born in the NL or were adopted but have not yet acquired Dutch citizenship. You must not have any criminal record (or outstanding unpaid penalties) in the NL.

I qualified due to the following:


You are married to a Dutch citizen or you are the registered partner of a Dutch citizen for at least 3 years. This marriage or registered partnership is uninterrupted with the same Dutch citizen. And you have lived immediately prior to the confirmation of Dutch citizenship uninterruptedly in the Kingdom of the Netherlands for at least 15 years with a valid residence permit or as a citizen of the EU/EEA or Switzerland.


I had to produce just a few documents and didn't even have to have my birth certificate authorized by a notary (which costs around €50 I believe):


Checklist documents

What documents do you need?

    A valid passport or another travel document.
    A valid residence permit or other proof of lawful residence.
    Do you have the nationality of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland? You do not need a residence permit. The municipality checks how long you live in the Netherlands in the Personal Records Database (BRP).
    A legalised and translated birth certificate  from your country of origin.

Other documents may also be necessary. For more information about the documents, please contact your municipality.


Good luck with your application!