Cabinet to make 10 years the new residency standard to go Dutch

With just a month to go before the general election, the caretaker Dutch cabinet is to press ahead with extending the minimum period of legal residence to obtain Dutch nationality through naturalisation from five to 10 years.

The measure, which was part of the coalition agreement and was approved by the cabinet on Friday, means most applicants will need to have lived continuously and legally in the Netherlands for a decade before applying to become Dutch – if it becomes law.

Junior justice minister Arno Rutte said the extension is intended to ensure that Dutch citizenship is granted only to people who have developed a “durable connection” with the Netherlands.

“By lengthening the naturalisation period from five to 10 years, we are making sure that people have a stronger bond with our country and are well integrated and able to fully participate in society before becoming Dutch citizens,” he said.

The draft legislation will first be opened to public consultation for two months, allowing organisations and individuals to submit feedback. The bill will then go to the Council of State for advice before being presented to the new look parliament.

If approved, the new rule would mark a significant change in Dutch nationality law, which currently sets one of the shorter naturalisation periods in Europe.

Naturalisation is one of two routes open to becoming Dutch and requires in most cases that people give up their original nationality. The other – becoming Dutch by option – is more complicated but does allow applicants to have more the one passport.