Most people gained Dutch citizenship since end 90's

The number of people naturalized as Dutch nationals in 2020 was the highest since the late 1990s, statistics office CBS reported. In 2014 and 2015, many Eritreans and Syrians fled to the Netherlands. Last year they lived here long enough to get a Dutch passport, provided they met all the other conditions.

Last year, 49,000 people were naturalized as Dutch citizens.That is almost double compared to 2019. In addition, 7,000 people became Dutch using another regulation, including adoption.

People who settle here from abroad can in most cases apply for naturalization after five years. They must then have passed their civic integration exam, unless they received an exemption for this. In addition, they must also meet a number of other requirements. For example, they must not pose a threat to public order or national security.

Four out of ten Dutch naturalized in 2020 originally had Syrian or Eritrean nationality. Many stateless persons and people of unknown nationality also received a Dutch passport.

The CBS researchers noted that Syrians naturalized slightly faster than Eritreans. "One of the reasons for this could be that they need more time to pass the civic integration exam," they said about the latter group. Almost one in three Syrian-born people in the Netherlands are naturalized, compared to one in five Eritreans.