Becoming a Dutch citizen as a child of a Dutch mother and a foreign father

Were you born before 1 January 1985? Was your mother Dutch at the time of the birth and your father non-Dutch? Then you are a so-called latent Dutch citizen and you can become a Dutch citizen through the option procedure.

This scheme for latent Dutch nationals was introduced because, until 1 January 1985, children of a Dutch mother did not, in principle, become Dutch nationals. The children automatically only acquired their father’s nationality. In order to rectify this inequality between men and women, as of 2010 it was possible for children of Dutch mothers to acquire Dutch citizenship through the option procedure.

The conditions are:

• Birth before January 1, 1985.
• The mother was Dutch at the time of birth.
• The father was not Dutch at the time of birth.The applicant has never before acquired Dutch nationality through the option procedure.
• The applicant does not pose a threat to public order or national security in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

A number of important points:

• It is important to demonstrate that the mother was Dutch at the time of birth. Because before 1 March 1964 a Dutch woman lost her Dutch nationality in principle through marriage to a foreign man, it is possible that the mother had already lost Dutch nationality before birth of her child. Our lawyers can find out whether the mother was still Dutch when the child was born despite her marriage.
• A Dutch unmarried woman did, in principle, pass on her nationality to a child. If the child had a legal father after birth, this could mean that his Dutch nationality was lost. These children can also opt under certain conditions. Our lawyers can advise about the possibilities.
• The application must be substantiated with documentary evidence, such as an old passport of the mother at the time of the birth of the child. It takes time to collect these documents. Our lawyers are well aware of the evidence required and are happy to advise.

The procedure:

• The application can be submitted in the Netherlands or at a Dutch embassy in the applicant’s country of residence.
• The procedure takes a maximum of 13 weeks after submission of the application.
• There is no civic integration exam to be taken.
• There is no need to renounce the current nationality.

We are happy to assist! Please contact our nationalitydesk if you have any questions or require guidance.