
Countries / Territories
- 🌐
Related contacts
Related offices
Related content
Related contacts
Related offices
Related content
Related contacts
Related offices
Related content
After the June referendum in the UK and the vote to leave the EU, our private client team in Brussels has been overwhelmed by enquiries from UK citizens living in the EU, all asking the same question: can I apply for nationality in the EU member state where I am currently living? Evelyne Van der Elst has already looked at this question from a Belgian perspective in her blog post Keeping your European Citizenship after Brexit, and in this post, I will turn our attention to the Netherlands, where a post-Brexit information evening hosted by the mayor of Amsterdam recently attracted a standing-room-only crowd.
Dutch immigration authorities have noticed a sharp increase in nationality applications from British citizens –in just a month immediately following the Brexit vote, as many applications for nationality were filed by British citizens as in the entire year of 2015. The number would probably be far greater if nationality provisions in the Netherlands were not so restrictive. The largest barrier to applicants is the restriction on holding dual-nationality, which means that after successfully obtaining Dutch nationality the applicant must rescind their home nationality. Exceptions to this rule are extremely narrow and this means that applying for Dutch nationality is not a real possibility for foreign nationals who have resided in the Netherlands for the required 5 continuous years.
The most notable exception to the dual nationality restriction concerns those who will naturalise on the basis of their relationship with a Dutch national. In general, applying on the basis of partnership is preferential for several reasons:
- the spouse or registered partner of a Dutch national can retain their home nationality,
- the application can be submitted after 3 years rather than 5 years,
- and the application may be lodged from abroad, as long as not from the country in which the applying partner holds a passport (e.g. an American spouse could not apply while living in America.)
Countries / Territories
- 🌐
Related contacts
Related offices
Related content
Related contacts
Related offices
Related content
Related contacts
Related offices
Related content
Explore more at Fragomen

Media mentions
Senior Manager Jonathan Hill noted that stricter UKVI audits and asylum claim reviews are driving more student visa action plans.

Media mentions
Partner K. Edward Raleigh and Associate Anna I. Perina explore how changing immigration enforcement is affecting workforce planning and compliance for US employers.

Blog post
Corporate Services Manager Asfandyar Sheikh and Assistant Corporate Services Manager Ka-Ying Leung provide guidance for businesses on the legal and procedural requirements for amending their AoA in Saudi Arabia.

Blog post
Counsel Susan Steger discusses how US employers can navigate ongoing green card delays and shifting visa bulletin trends to better support foreign talent and workforce planning.

Media mentions

Awards
WirtschaftsWoche names Fragomen to its "Best Law Firms 2025" list and Partner Axel Boysen to its "Best Lawyers 2025" list in the field of migration law for private individuals.

Awards
Fragomen is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Legal Guide 2025.

Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna discusses the potential option of decentralizing work permit issuance in Canada, emphasizing the need for clear coordination between the provincial and federal governments.

Video
Fragomen FC hosts are joined by Manager Alexander Hood to examine how immigration rules are reshaping global football, from EPL transfers to the rise of international transfers into the Women’s Super League.

Media mentions
Partner Aaron Blumberg noted that enhanced screening measures, including social media vetting, may be contributing to delays in US student visa processing.

Media mentions
Associate Ilaria Iovieno outlines how recent UK immigration reforms will impact construction employers and their ability to sponsor overseas talent.

Media mentions
Senior Manager Jonathan Hill noted that stricter UKVI audits and asylum claim reviews are driving more student visa action plans.

Media mentions
Partner K. Edward Raleigh and Associate Anna I. Perina explore how changing immigration enforcement is affecting workforce planning and compliance for US employers.

Blog post
Corporate Services Manager Asfandyar Sheikh and Assistant Corporate Services Manager Ka-Ying Leung provide guidance for businesses on the legal and procedural requirements for amending their AoA in Saudi Arabia.

Blog post
Counsel Susan Steger discusses how US employers can navigate ongoing green card delays and shifting visa bulletin trends to better support foreign talent and workforce planning.

Media mentions

Awards
WirtschaftsWoche names Fragomen to its "Best Law Firms 2025" list and Partner Axel Boysen to its "Best Lawyers 2025" list in the field of migration law for private individuals.

Awards
Fragomen is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Legal Guide 2025.

Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna discusses the potential option of decentralizing work permit issuance in Canada, emphasizing the need for clear coordination between the provincial and federal governments.

Video
Fragomen FC hosts are joined by Manager Alexander Hood to examine how immigration rules are reshaping global football, from EPL transfers to the rise of international transfers into the Women’s Super League.

Media mentions
Partner Aaron Blumberg noted that enhanced screening measures, including social media vetting, may be contributing to delays in US student visa processing.

Media mentions
Associate Ilaria Iovieno outlines how recent UK immigration reforms will impact construction employers and their ability to sponsor overseas talent.