Are you of age? Then you can lose your Dutch nationality automatically (by operation of law) in several ways. A minor can also lose Dutch nationality in several ways.
Do you have Dutch nationality and would you like to take on a second or subsequent nationality? Or do you already have more nationalities than just the Dutch? If this applies to you, you run the risk of automatically losing your Dutch nationality.
Voluntarily adopt another nationality
You will lose your Dutch nationality if you voluntarily adopt another nationality. There are 3 exceptions to this rule:
- You were born in the country of the new nationality. And you will have your main residence there if you acquire the nationality of that country.
- Before you reached the age of majority, you had your main residence for an uninterrupted period of 5 years in the country of which you are taking on the nationality.
- You adopt the nationality of your husband or wife or registered partner.
These 3 exceptions do not apply when obtaining Norwegian or Austrian nationality. A treaty with these countries means that Dutch citizenship will always be lost.
You can read more information about these situations in the brochure Can I automatically lose my Dutch nationality? (pdf, 117KB).
Living outside the Dutch Kingdom or EU with dual nationality
You lose your Dutch nationality if you:
- after you have turned 18 years of age, you have lived outside the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten or the European Union (EU) for at least 10 years at any time; and
- also has another nationality during those 10 years.
You can read more information about this situation in the brochure Can I automatically lose my Dutch nationality? (pdf, 117KB). And on the page When will I lose Dutch nationality if I have dual nationality?.
Declaration of renunciation Dutch nationality
You will lose your Dutch nationality if you make a Declaration of renunciation (of your Dutch nationality). You are then no longer a Dutch citizen. You are then a foreign national under Dutch law. The declaration can be made at your municipality or the Dutch embassy in the country where you live. This is only possible if you have another nationality in addition to the Dutch nationality. Renunciation of Dutch nationality is free.
Loss of Dutch nationality minors
A minor can lose Dutch nationality in several ways. For example, if the father or mother loses their Dutch nationality. The child therefore loses the Dutch nationality because its parent loses the Dutch nationality.
In the publication Minors and loss of Dutch nationality (pdf, 85 kB) you can read all the ways in which a minor can lose Dutch nationality.
- Automatically lose Dutch nationality brochure
- Minors and loss of Dutch nationality (This publication contains the rules when a minor loses Dutch nationality.).
As for losing your nationality if you live in Thailand and have dual nationality: just apply for a new passport in time. Then there is nothing to worry about and you retain, for example, the Thai and Dutch nationality if you have both. Renew every 5 years for children and every 10 years for adults.
Under certain circumstances you can lose your Dutch nationality, but will you also lose your accrued pension rights in the Netherlands?
As far as I know, you will not lose the accrued pension rights, because it is not linked to Dutch citizenship.
Everyone, including non-NL, who officially lives in NL (registered in the BRP) accrues 50% AOW rights per year from the age of 2 prior to the retirement age. You must also stay in NL for at least 121 days a year. If you stay outside NL for a longer period of time, you must register your nml. unsubscribe from the BRP (and register as soon as you stay here again).
The AOW amount to be paid is 70% of the gross minimum wage for a single person and 50% for a cohabitant.
NL has agreed with a number of countries that the cost of living in those countries is lower than in NL, which is why NL pays a lower amount. For example, for Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar this is 50% of the NET minimum wage (source: SVB). No such agreement has been concluded with Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand.
Company pensions are saved by the employee himself and the benefits thereof are mainly determined by the return on the investment.
Correction:
NL has concluded a treaty with Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, among others, which makes it possible to check benefits. No treaty has been concluded with Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, among others, and NL does not take the risk of abuse by also giving single people the lower cohabiting benefit in those countries.
I was told by a municipal official from Leiden that if you have ever been granted a Dutch passport, you can never lose it, the right to a passport. Is it true that you have to extend it? I have 2 kids here, but the passports have both expired, but the kids are registered with the international town hall in The Hague.
I think this is asking for the known way. Enough has been written about it and can be found at the authorities that provide clarity in this. Lax behavior by not purchasing new passports on time can lead to problems. The municipal official may have provided you with information at the time, thinking that you and the children would always live in the Netherlands. I assume for a moment that your children also have Thai nationality. Anyway, I don't know your situation sufficiently, but if I were you, I would arrange new passports, if nothing else.
Good luck and I hope you succeed.
Nothing to worry about as long as they're under 18. After all, they are already Dutch. After that you have to pay attention and it is better to keep the passport valid.
If you stay outside the Netherlands (or the EU) for 10 years during adulthood, you can lose your Dutch citizenship.
Thank you very much for this information!
My son (15) and I intend to go to Thailand in 3 weeks for 6 weeks and also apply for Thai nationality there.
His father is Thai, now living in Thailand, but in the years that he lived here in the Netherlands, he also obtained Dutch nationality. So he has dual nationality because of his marriage to me. (I am Dutch).
My son would like to have Thai nationality so that when his father dies he can inherit his father's country. He is also considering living in Thailand. He would like to join the Thai army (although I doubt he will be considered suitable for this, if he was called up at all).
In response to this message, I just contacted the national government (contact form) to inquire whether he would lose his Dutch nationality. Until now we assumed that this was not the case because his father has both nationalities, I as mother retain the Dutch and he lives in the Netherlands.
Thanks again for your information!
He will not lose his Dutch nationality.
True, but perhaps the questioner can search the internet for dual nationality Thai/Dutch. Then you will see a question asked in this blog of January 16, 2015, including the responses. Dual nationality is permitted if you also have Dutch nationality and there is an interest in also retaining the other nationality. For example, if inheritance law plays as in your son's case.
In addition, a minor does not have to renounce his nationality.
(see website IND regarding distance nationality).
So for your son there are 2 valid regulations that allow him to have 2 nationalities.
Thank you Ger and Steven for this positive news!
I had already gone through the documents referred to in this article, but it is a rather complicated rule, full of exceptions to the rule that left me lost for the trees. 😉