Dutch citizenship: what actually changed in 2026?

In 2026 a lot of similar sounding news appeared about Dutch citizenship. One place says the five year term has become ten years, another says B1 is needed instead of A2. On official pages you can find all three of A2, B1 and B2.

The reason is that several different rules get mixed together.

The general naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file term for Dutch citizenship is still 5 years today. The lowest language level accepted for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file is A2. B1 and B2 exams are accepted too. The 10 year term, and making B1 the new minimum for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file, are not in force yet.

Some things did really change in 2026. The asylum residence system and the application fees in particular.

The five year rule still applies

The general rule for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file is that you have lived in the Kingdom of the Netherlands lawfully and without interruption for at least five years before the application.

Most applications also ask for the following:

• Being 18 or older.
• Having no gap between residence permits that could affect the application.
• Holding a residence right that is accepted for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file, at the time of the application and while the procedure runs.
• Meeting the inburgering requirement.
• Having nothing in your situation that stands in the way on grounds of public order or national security.
• Giving up your current nationality where that is required.
• Attending the citizenship ceremony and making the verklaring van verbondenheiddeclaration of solidarity · Made at the citizenship ceremony.

The application goes to the municipality. The IND assesses the file. The IND's legal decision period for a naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file application is 12 months.

Five years does not apply to everyone. Different exceptions exist for situations such as a Dutch spouse or partner, statelessness, former Dutch nationality and long past residence.

For example, there is still an exception to the general five year term today for certain people who have two uninterrupted years of lawful residence immediately before the application and at least ten years of lawful residence in total, counting earlier periods.

Why are A2, B1 and B2 all correct?

This becomes easier once you separate two different systems.

Inburgeringsplichtthe duty to integrate · Not the same thing as the language requirement for naturalisatie is the compulsory integration process that certain people in the Netherlands have to complete.

The inburgering requirement for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file is the condition asked for in an application for Dutch citizenship.

Because the level of Dutch comes up in both, the rules are easily mixed up.

B1 under the Wet inburgering 2021

Many integration files that started after 1 January 2022 fall under the Wet inburgering 2021.

The municipality draws up a Persoonlijk Plan Inburgering en Participatie, the PIP. That plan sets out which leerroute is followed.

There are three routes:

Leerroute	Language level
B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021	Aims at B1, can be lowered to A2 under certain conditions
Onderwijsroutethe education route · The route for people aiming to go on to MBO, HBO or university	B1 or B2
Z-routethe self-reliance route · An integration route where passing the language exams is not compulsory	Passing the language exams is not compulsory

So it is not correct to say "since 2022 B1 is compulsory for everyone".

The B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021 really does aim at B1

The normal target of the B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021 is level B1.

The lezen, luisteren, spreken and schrijven exams can be taken at B1 level. Taking an exam at a higher level is possible too.

Where B1 is out of reach for someone, the municipality can lower the level to A2. For that, the person first has to have had at least 600 hours of suitable language education. The change is written into the PIP.

So the A2 you see here can also come from a level being lowered inside the B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021, rather than from the naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file rule.

Onderwijsroutethe education route · The route for people aiming to go on to MBO, HBO or university is B1 or B2

The Onderwijsroutethe education route · The route for people aiming to go on to MBO, HBO or university is meant in particular for people who want to go on studying.

On this route the language exams are taken at B1 or B2 level. The aim is to prepare the person for MBO, HBO or university.

That is why seeing B2 on DUO's official pages is normal as well.

The Z-routethe self-reliance route · An integration route where passing the language exams is not compulsory works differently

The Z-routethe self-reliance route · An integration route where passing the language exams is not compulsory is designed for people for whom the B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021 or the Onderwijsroutethe education route · The route for people aiming to go on to MBO, HBO or university is not suitable.

Here the lessons, the participatie and the eindgesprek with the municipality are what matters. Passing the language exams is not compulsory.

These three routes alone show why the sentence "the integration level is B1" is incomplete.

For naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file the minimum is still A2

For a citizenship application the situation is different.

Someone applying for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file can meet the language requirement today in one of these ways:

Exam	Level	Naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file
Inburgeringsexamen	A2	Accepted
Staatsexamen Nt2the state exam in Dutch as a second language · Programma I is at B1 level, Programma II at B2 Programma I	B1	Accepted
Staatsexamen Nt2the state exam in Dutch as a second language · Programma I is at B1 level, Programma II at B2 Programma II	B2	Accepted

The important word here is minimum.

A2 is the lowest level accepted for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file. B1 and B2 are accepted because they are higher levels.

Someone who holds a B1 or B2 diploma does not have to sit the A2 exam again.

Seeing "B1 verplicht" on an official page does not by itself mean B1 is required for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file. You have to look at whether the page is describing the B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021 under the Wet inburgering 2021 or the conditions for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file.

What is the Staatsexamen Nt2the state exam in Dutch as a second language · Programma I is at B1 level, Programma II at B2?

The exam you often see at B1 and B2 level is called the Staatsexamen Nederlands als tweede taal, Staatsexamen Nt2the state exam in Dutch as a second language · Programma I is at B1 level, Programma II at B2 for short.

It has two programmes.

Programma I is at B1 level. It is mostly used for study and work at MBO 3 or MBO 4 level.

Programma II is at B2 level. It is designed more for HBO, university and more advanced professional use.

Both programmes test four skills: lezen, luisteren, spreken and schrijven.

How are the five years on a criminal record counted?

One of the conditions for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file is openbare orde, public order.

This is sometimes summed up as "no conviction in the last five years". The real rule has more to it.

For example, some ongoing criminal cases can stand in the way of an application. The IND also looks at the type and the size of the sentence imposed.

In certain situations those can include:

• imprisonment or other sentences restricting liberty;
• a taakstraf of 36 hours or more;
• certain fines of 900 euro or more;
• several sentences accumulated within a given period;
• a rijontzegging of two months or longer.

After some sentences a 5 year rehabilitatietermijn applies.

Those five years do not always start on the date of the offence. The date the sentence was fully served, or the fine fully paid, can be the one that counts.

So someone with a conviction in the past should not work it out simply on the basis that "five years have passed since it happened".

The asylum system changed on 12 June 2026

One of the biggest real changes of 2026 was not in the nationality act itself but in the asylum system.

On 12 June 2026 the new asylum rules under the European Asiel- en Migratiepact took effect.

From that date it is no longer possible to apply for a new verblijfsvergunning asiel voor onbepaalde tijdpermanent asylum residence permit.

People who already held such a permanent asylum permit before 12 June keep their permit.

What lasts three years is the card, not the permit

This is one of the easiest points to misunderstand about the new system.

A new asiel verblijfsdocumentthe residence card · Not the same thing as the residence right itself issued after 12 June 2026 is valid for three years.

But the residence card and the residence right are not the same thing.

The verblijfsvergunning can remain valid until the IND decides to withdraw it.

The verblijfsdocumentthe residence card · Not the same thing as the residence right itself, the physical card, is valid for three years.

When the card expires it is renewed. The person does not have to make a fresh asylum application from scratch every three years.

This distinction matters especially for someone planning citizenship. Seeing a three year date on the card does not mean that lawful residence in the Netherlands is reset every three years.

What this means for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file

Asiel onbepaalde tijd is one of the residence types accepted for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file.

Because a new asiel onbepaalde tijd can no longer be applied for, the long term route for asylum status holders under the system from 12 June 2026 has changed.

One of the important options is EU-langdurig ingezeteneEU long-term resident status status.

The IND states that someone who has lived in the Netherlands for at least five years after receiving a valid asiel verblijfsvergunning can apply for EU-langdurig ingezeteneEU long-term resident status if the other conditions are met as well.

For this status, conditions such as income, inburgering, length of residence and public order are examined, depending on the person's situation.

In the standard calculation there is also the condition of not having been outside the Netherlands for more than six months in a row, or more than ten months in total, during the last five years.

EU-langdurig is an important route under the new asylum system, though it is not the only possible route for everyone. A person can also move later to another niet-tijdelijk residence status that is accepted for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file.

Is citizenship impossible with asiel bepaalde tijd?

That would be too firm a conclusion as well.

In the normal situation asiel bepaalde tijd is not enough on its own for anyone. But the IND does apply exceptions in some particular situations.

These can include stateless people under certain conditions, some nareiziger situations and some minor children.

In asylum files, then, you should not draw firm conclusions about the right to naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file from the type of residence card alone.

The policy manual was updated in 2026 too

For citizenship cases, municipalities and the IND do not look only at the text of the Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschapthe Dutch Nationality Act · Abbreviated RWN. The Handleiding RWN is used for the detail of how it is applied.

WBN 2026/1 took effect on 1 July 2026.

This measure did not change the general naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file term and did not introduce a new language level. Policy explanations, technical errors and some outdated references inside the Handleiding were corrected.

For example, old references to the afstand classification for South African nationality, which had changed earlier, were cleaned up. Explanations about the bereidheidsverklaring and other models used for certain types of citizenship case were updated as well.

So reading the 1 July change as "new citizenship conditions have arrived" would not be right. It was more an update about how municipalities and the IND apply the existing rules.

What does naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file cost in 2026?

The application fees were updated on 1 January 2026.

Application	Fee
Naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file, 1 person	€1,139
Naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file, together with a partner	€1,454
Child under 18 naturalising with a parent	€168
Stateless or asiel vergunninghouder	€847
Reduced application, together with a partner	€1,163
Optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law, 1 person	€241
Optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law, together with a partner	€412
Child under 18 included in an optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law	€27

The IND sets these fees again every year on 1 January.

A refusal of your application does not mean the fee you paid is returned. That is why it matters to check which naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file or optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law conditions you fall under before you pay.

Has the 10 year rule started?

No.

The government wants to raise the general naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file term from 5 years to 10 years. A wetsvoorstela bill · It changes nothing until it is passed and takes effect was prepared for this and an internetconsultatie was held in 2025.

But the bill is still at the preparation stage.

On the official Wetgevingskalender the order looks like this:

1. Voorbereiding
2. Raad van State
3. Tweede Kamer
4. Eerste Kamer
5. Bekendmaking

The bill is currently at the first stage.

So in a normal naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file application today the general term is 5 years, not 10.

The bill does not only turn 5 into 10

If the current draft is adopted, some exceptions will change as well.

For example, the draft provides for:

• raising the general term from 5 years to 10 years;
• changing some of the shorter residence exceptions;
• removing the exception based on two uninterrupted years of recent residence together with ten years of residence in total;
• changing some existing exceptions for former Dutch nationals.

The change for a Dutch spouse or geregistreerd partner is not as simple as "three years becomes five" either. The present system has different rules depending on marriage, living together and where you live. The bill changes parts of that structure.

Because there is no adopted law yet, the final text of the bill can still change.

If the change comes, what happens to applications already made?

The draft as it stands contains a transitional provision.

Under it, naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file applications made before the new rules take effect would be assessed under the old rules.

That would make the date of the application important, if the draft is adopted as it is.

But this provision is not a rule in force yet either. The bill can still be amended during the legislative process.

Will B1 become compulsory for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file?

The government wants to raise the minimum language level required for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file from A2 to B1 in the future.

This is a separate change from the 10 year naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file bill.

Today it is not in force.

So in 2026 two different sentences can be true at the same time:

The target level of the B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021 under the Wet inburgering 2021 is B1.

The minimum language level accepted for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file is still A2.

The fact that B1 and B2 exams already exist does not mean B1 has become the minimum for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file either.

Where things stand today

Situation	Rule that applies
Normal naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file term	5 years
A2 for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file	Accepted
Staatsexamen Nt2the state exam in Dutch as a second language · Programma I is at B1 level, Programma II at B2 Programma I	B1, accepted
Staatsexamen Nt2the state exam in Dutch as a second language · Programma I is at B1 level, Programma II at B2 Programma II	B2, accepted
Wi2021 B1-routethe B1 learning route · One of the three learning routes under the Wet inburgering 2021	Aims at B1, can be lowered to A2 under conditions
Wi2021 Onderwijsroutethe education route · The route for people aiming to go on to MBO, HBO or university	B1 or B2
Wi2021 Z-routethe self-reliance route · An integration route where passing the language exams is not compulsory	Passing the language exams is not compulsory
New asiel onbepaalde tijd application	Not possible since 12 June 2026
New asiel verblijfsdocumentthe residence card · Not the same thing as the residence right itself	Valid for 3 years
Asiel verblijfsvergunning	Can remain valid until the IND withdraws it
The general term becoming 10 years	Not in force yet
The naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file minimum becoming B1	Not in force yet

Which letters arrive after the application?

After a naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file application the IND sends an ontvangstbevestiging confirming that the application has arrived. It carries information about your file and the decision process.

If information or documents are missing from the file, an aanvulling can be requested as well. This does not arrive in every file.

The IND's legal decision period for a naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file application is 12 months.

After a positive decision the municipality invites you to the naturalisatieceremonie. At the ceremony you have to make the verklaring van verbondenheiddeclaration of solidarity · Made at the citizenship ceremony.

If the decision is negative, the letter states which route you can use against it and the deadline for doing so. For bezwaar the period is six weeks in many administrative decisions.

Optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law can be a shorter route

Some groups named in the law can use the optieprocedure instead of naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file.

Not everyone can use optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law.

An optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law application goes to the municipality and the normal decision period is 13 weeks. The municipality can extend that period once, by at most 13 weeks.

The fee for optiecitizenship through the option procedure · A shorter route to citizenship, only for the groups named in the law is lower than the fee for naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file as well.

How Letrin reads these letters

In the naturalisatienaturalisation · The application goes to the municipality, the IND assesses the file process, a few Dutch words in a letter from the IND or the municipality can change what stage your whole file is at.

For example:

• ontvangstbevestiging
• aanvullende documenten
• beslistermijn
• bezwaar
• zienswijze
• uitnodiging naturalisatieceremonie

When you photograph the letter in Letrin, we read the text on your phone itself. We show you in your own language which body the letter came from, what it says, what is being asked of you and by which date you have to act.

If there is a deadline, you can set reminders 7 days before, 2 days before and on the morning of the last day.

If a reply is needed, we prepare a draft in formal Dutch and show the translation in your own language next to it. You check it and send it yourself.

The photo never leaves your phone. Personal details such as your BSN, V-nummer, IBAN, name and address are detected on your device and covered before any text is sent.

Check it against the paper

Letrin helps you understand a letter, it does not give legal advice. If there is any doubt about your right to citizenship, your residence status or your objection period, check it with the municipality, the IND, Juridisch Loket or a suitable legal specialist.

The most important official sources:

• IND: conditions for naturalisatie
• Inburgeren.nl: A2, B1 and B2 for naturalisatie
• DUO: B1-route, Onderwijsroute and Z-route
• IND: asylum rules after 12 June 2026
• Overheid.nl: the status of the 10 year naturalisatie bill