The dual nationality dilemma: what Dutch News readers say

Earlier this month we asked Dutch News’ readers for their thoughts on taking Dutch nationality, given that in many cases they would have to give up their original passport.

Legislation due to be discussed in parliament in early December should change that, but it now seems likely that foreigners will be excluded from the new rules – which will then only apply to the native Dutch who take on a second nationality.

The rules on dual nationality are complex and discriminatory. If you are married it is easier to become Dutch and retain your original passport, for example. It also gets easier once you reach the age of 65. But many readers are caught up in the complexity of the current “naturalisation” process. They want to become Dutch, but giving up their original nationality will create a new range of problems.

Over 80 readers told us their stories. Here is a selection of their experiences.

An impossible choice
“What I find difficult is that many people who have lived, worked, and contributed to Dutch society for years are forced to make a choice that other Dutch citizens are not required to make. I would gladly embrace Dutch citizenship, but not at the cost of losing an important part of my identity and connection to my family and heritage.” Ahmed, from Egypt

Bureaucratic nightmare
“I’m Chilean and have been living in the Netherlands for around 10 years. A few years ago, I decided to become Dutch. The Dutch naturalisation process itself was clear and straightforward for me. What I could never have imagined was the nightmare I would face in Chile afterwards.

“Renouncing Chilean nationality is effectively irreversible. Once you give it up, you cannot simply apply to get it back …The renunciation brought very serious practical consequences that I was not prepared for. My Chilean nationality was removed and I was deleted from Chile’s national registry.

“This means that I can no longer obtain basic documents such as a birth certificate in the normal way, despite having been born in Chile. Every time I need to deal with something in Chile, including matters concerning my own family and inheritance, I find myself unable to prove that I am the person who appears in their records. I have no Chilean identity documents anymore, and because I have been removed from the registry, I simply no longer exist in the country where I was born.

“The Dutch government describes the renunciation as something you do ‘voluntarily’. But I struggle with that description. If acquiring Dutch nationality means that I have to give up my original nationality in order to become Dutch, how voluntary is that choice really?” Jonathan, from Chile 

An easy decision
“I have lived here for 32 years – over half my life. I was born in Ireland but moved here in 1994. My wife is Dutch-born, our kids were born here and my life is here. I became a Dutch citizen about 15 years ago and gave up my Irish citizenship. I regard myself as culturally more Dutch now than Irish and choosing for a single nationality was a very easy decision.” Jim, from Ireland

Global freedom
“My wife loves it here, I’ve passed my inburgering exams, love my job, and contribute over €100k annually in taxes. But despite loving our life here, we’ve decided to leave soon. With the 30% ruling ending for me and the Netherlands requiring naturalising citizens to renounce their original nationality, staying no longer makes sense. My original passport represents my roots, family, and identity – I will never give it up.

“However, I do want the global freedom and security of a second passport. We’ve made the hard decision to move to Canada or the UK, where we can naturalise in five years or less without dropping our original nationality. It’s a sad move for my wife and a tough choice for both of us, but the current legal framework leaves high-contributing expats with very few practical alternatives.”  John, from Jordan

Where to retire?
“I have lived in Europe since 2001 and moved to Amsterdam in 2018 as I wanted to remain in Europe. As I am coming into the end of my career we are contemplating where we want to retire but have no mobility as our permanent residence is tied solely to the Netherlands.

“Right now, given the political situation in Canada, it pains me to surrender my nationality as I am a proud Canadian, but I must contemplate our future as a family that wishes to remain in Europe with the option to reside in a sunnier climate. It is also a shame given the long history between Canada and the Netherlands and the increasing closeness of Canada to the EU. After 25 years in Europe I am firmly European, but it feels unfair to force me to deny that I am also Canadian.” Adele, from Canada

Discrimination
“As I am not married, I am not able to apply for Dutch citizenship without renouncing my Australian citizenship. I find this quite disappointing and even discriminatory, given that, if I had a partner or spouse, I’d be allowed to have both. For that reason I have remained an Aussie, even though I’m not planning on moving back to there anytime soon.” James has lived in the Netherlands for more than 20 years.

Sister separation
“I have given up my nationality (British) and am now Dutch. The complete irony is I’m an identical twin so now I’m an identical twin where my sister has a different nationality. After Brexit I worry about how that may impact us when we are 80 and are less able to travel.” Tina, from Britain

Rise of the far right
“I declined on three occasions an invitation to attend the naturalisation ceremony because I found it difficult to give up my Filipino citizenship. The Philippines allows dual nationality while the Netherlands requires full allegiance.

“In the end, I had to make what felt like a very hard decision of renouncing my Filipino citizenship because PVV was the biggest party at the time. I was worried that living in the Netherlands would be difficult on account of the radical right leaning becoming the biggest political party.”  Brian, from the Philippines

Family ties
“I would love to apply for Dutch nationality, but because I still have family in the US, including an adult child and aging parents, I cannot give up my American passport.

“Sometimes the US does not allow people who have relinquished their passports to return, because they are considered a greater risk for overstaying their visas when compared to other visitors. I cannot risk being unable to visit my family, so I am applying for permanent residency instead of a Dutch passport.” Rick, from the US

Practical reasons
“I come from another EU country, and for me there is currently no possibility of becoming a Dutch citizen without renouncing my original nationality. As someone from a small country, this is not an easy decision. It is difficult not only for emotional reasons, but also for practical ones.

“I was born and raised in my country of origin, and my entire family still lives there. My nationality is therefore more than just a passport or a legal status; it is an important part of my identity and my connection to my family and where I come from.

“At the same time, my children were born and raised here in the Netherlands. They speak Dutch, attend Dutch schools, and grow up with Dutch traditions and culture. The Netherlands is their home. Yet, despite being fully part of Dutch society, they are not Dutch citizens and therefore cannot enjoy all the rights that come with citizenship, most notably the right to vote in national elections.

“This creates a difficult situation for families like mine. We can be deeply integrated into Dutch society and consider the Netherlands our home, while still facing a choice between retaining the nationality we were born with and becoming Dutch citizens.

“For me, this is not about rejecting my country of origin or refusing to become part of Dutch society. It is about wanting to preserve both parts of my identity and, at the same time, fully belong to the country where my children are growing up.” Anon

Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

Our thanks to everyone who got in touch, and we will be contacting more of you in the coming period.

If you would like to comment on this article, or have any additional thoughts, don’t hesitate to get in touch via editor@dutchnews.nl. We will be publishing a series of articles focusing on dual nationality in the coming months.