Integration and citizenship

Integration means being able to participate fully in Dutch society. Integration measures focus on language, education, the labour market and social support for migrants.

For most residence permits for migrants from outside the EU, integration requirements apply. Integration requirements involve learning Dutch and becoming familiar with Dutch society. Many migrants are required to take a civic integration examination in their country of origin before coming to the Netherlands. After five years of residence in the Netherlands, someone can acquire Dutch nationality (page in Dutch) through an option procedure (for certain groups) or naturalisation. In the case of naturalisation, migrants usually have to renounce their original nationality. If someone is stateless, a more flexible arrangement applies for acquiring Dutch nationality after statelessness has been recognised.

Please note: the publications on this page are from July 2024 onwards. For earlier publications, please switch to Dutch (the EMN PDFs of the publications on the Dutch pages are in English). The filter below is in Dutch and will be available in English towards the end of 2026.