Municipality of Nijmegen: applying for Dutch citizenship by naturalisation

• Valid passport.
• Valid verblijfsvergunning (residence permit) from the Netherlands.
• You have passed the civic integration exam. Or you have been exempted from the civic integration exam, on the grounds that you can already read, write, speak and understand Dutch to a sufficient level.
• You have graduated from a Dutch, Belgian or Surinam secondary school.

If you meet the conditions, you can make an appointment for your naturalisation application. Please call +31 24 329 90 00 to make an appointment.

How it works

1. During the first appointment, the municipality will check whether you meet all the conditions for naturalisation. And whether you have all the documents to become a Dutch national. If so, we will schedule a follow-up appointment with you. If not, you must first arrange the documents you need.
2. During the 2nd naturalization appointment at the municipality, you fill in the declarations to become a Dutch national. After this appointment, we will send your application to the IND.
3. The IND will decide within 12 months at the latest. After the decision has been made, the IND will inform us of the decision within 12 weeks. Please note: has the last date on which the IND may decide on your application not yet passed? Then the IND is still working on your application and we cannot give you more information.
4. If the IND has decided that you may become a Dutch national, we will send you a letter with the statement that you must sign and return.
5. At the moment, the naturalization ceremony is still by post. The municipality will ensure that the declaration of solidarity can soon be taken orally. You will be notified about this.

Good to know:

During the 1st appointment it may turn out that your data is not yet complete in the Basisregistratie Personen - BRP (Personal Records Database). This must first be arranged before we can proceed with your application for naturalisation. Completing your data in the BRP takes about 8 weeks after you have submitted the correct documents.

Costs are listed on Ind.nl/en.