Passing the Inburgeringsexamen → applying to IND

The Dutch civic integration exam (Inburgeringsexamen) has five components — KNM (Knowledge of Dutch Society) + four language modules (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) + ONA (Orientation on the Dutch Labour Market). You must pass all five before DUO issues the Inburgeringsdiploma.

• With the diploma in hand, you submit a naturalisation application (naturalisatie) to the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst).
• The application is filed at your local gemeente (municipality), which forwards it to IND.
• Standard residence requirement: 5 years of legal residence on a valid permit (or as a permanent resident), plus the diploma and a clean record.
• Application fee: roughly €1,091 for a single adult (2026 figure; raised yearly). Joint applications with spouses or minor children use separate rates.
• Typical documents: passport, birth certificate (apostilled + translated into Dutch), Inburgeringsdiploma, BRP residence proof, statement of good conduct, and either willingness to renounce your original nationality or evidence of an exemption.

Decision → oath of allegiance before the mayor

• IND processing typically takes around 12 months (2026 figure; can stretch longer for complex files or pending renunciation).
• On approval, your gemeente schedules a naturalisatieceremonie: you sign the verklaring van verbondenheid (declaration of solemn allegiance) and take an oath of allegiance before the mayor (burgemeester) or deputy mayor. This ceremony is mandatory — citizenship does not take effect if you do not attend.
• After the ceremony, the Koninklijk Besluit (Royal Decree) is published; from that moment you are formally a Dutch citizen.
• Most gemeentes hold ceremonies on a regular calendar (for example, Naturalisatiedag on 15 December) plus ad-hoc dates.

ID card and passport

Once your citizenship takes effect, you can apply for a Dutch ID card or passport at your gemeente.

• Identiteitskaart (ID card) or paspoort (passport): applied for in person at the gemeente desk.
• Fees are roughly €50–80 depending on document type, age, and gemeente (2026 figure; adjusted annually).
• Standard production time is around 4–6 weeks; expedited service costs extra.
• Photos must meet ICAO biometric standards; many gemeentes have on-site photo booths.

Handling your original nationality (key change point)

The Netherlands has historically restricted dual citizenship and the default rule is that you must renounce your original nationality. However, the law (RWN art. 9) recognises broad statutory exemptions, including:

• You are a citizen of an EU member state, Switzerland, Norway, or Iceland.
• Your spouse is a Dutch citizen.
• Your country of origin makes renunciation legally impossible or imposes unreasonable cost or hardship.
• You hold recognised refugee status.
• Other exemptions enumerated in RWN art. 9.

Applicants of South Korean origin generally do not fall under these exemptions, so after naturalisation is approved you will normally need to complete a separate Korean nationality renunciation or loss notification through a Korean consulate. (Korean nationality law also provides for automatic loss when an adult voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality.) IND assesses exemption eligibility during the application; consult both IND and your home consulate before filing.

Tax and social security

• Naturalisation does not by itself change your Dutch tax position. Tax residence is based on woonplaats (place of residence), tied to your BSN.
• As an EU citizen you can move to other EU countries and slot directly into their tax and health systems.
• Social security: AOW (state pension) accrues with years of residence and totalises automatically across EU member states. The Korea–Netherlands social security agreement lets you aggregate qualifying periods between the two systems; check with NPS and SVB.
• If you keep assets abroad, separate home-country reporting may still apply — consult a cross-border tax adviser.

Voting rights and EU rights

• On becoming Dutch you immediately gain the right to vote and stand in elections to the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives), Provinciale Staten (provincial councils), gemeenteraden (municipal councils), and indirectly the Senate.
• You can also vote for the European Parliament.
• As an EU citizen you gain the right to live, work, and study freely across the EU.
• Note: non-EU foreigners with 5+ years of legal residence in the Netherlands already have municipal voting rights; on naturalisation you are simply registered automatically across all elections.

Effect on children's nationality

• When a parent naturalises, children under 18 can be included via meenaturalisatie and become Dutch alongside the parent.
• Children born to a Dutch parent acquire Dutch nationality at birth.
• Whether children retain their original nationality depends on that country's law — Korean-origin children may face a nationality choice obligation by age 22, so plan ahead.

FAQ

Q. Can I apply for citizenship if I only passed some of the five components? A. No. DUO only issues the Inburgeringsdiploma after all five components are passed, and IND will not accept a naturalisation application without it. Retake the missing component(s).

Q. What happens if I miss the oath ceremony? A. Your citizenship does not take effect. Attendance is mandatory. With a valid reason you can ask the gemeente to reschedule.

Q. Can I keep my Korean (or other non-EU) nationality? A. Usually no. The default rule requires renunciation. Exemptions exist for EU/spouse/refugee/legally-impossible cases, but typical Korean applicants do not qualify. Confirm both with IND and the Korean consulate.

Q. Is the application fee refundable? A. No — the fee is not refunded even if the application is denied. Prepare documents thoroughly before filing.

References

• IND naturalisation: https://ind.nl/en/dutch-citizenship/become-a-dutch-citizen-through-naturalisation
• DUO civic integration: https://duo.nl/particulier/inburgeren/
• Government portal: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/