Dutch nationality from Curaçao: naturalisation and option (requirements and 2026 fees)
Two roads, one counter
Dutch nationality is not granted by the Toelatingsorganisatie or the Curaçao government: it is processed at the Kabinet van de Gouverneur (Governor's Cabinet), always in person. There are two routes: option (optie), a declaration for those who already meet certain conditions, and naturalisation, the general route. This site's Naturalisation page covers only the later step: registering your new status with Immigration (XCG 615). Here we explain what comes before.
Option: 6 to 9 months, XCG 502
It is a declaration, not a discretionary application: if you fit the category, you have the right. The categories are set by the Kingdom Act on Dutch Nationality (RWN) and include, among others, those born in the Kingdom who have lived here legally since birth, people over 65 with 15 years of legal residence, and spouses of Dutch nationals with long residence periods. Each category has exact conditions: check them on the Governor's and the IND's websites before paying. The procedure takes on average 6 to 9 months from the declaration and ends with a ceremony with an oath or promise. Fees from 1 January 2026: XCG 502 (individual), 858 (joint) and 56 per minor opting together with a parent.
Naturalisation: about 12 months, XCG 2,373
- Of legal age and with 5 uninterrupted years of admission and legal residence in the Kingdom immediately before applying. If you have been married to and living with a Dutch national for at least 3 years, that residence period does not apply; it drops to 3 years if you have lived unmarried with your Dutch partner (both unmarried) for at least 3 years, and to 2 years if you have 10 years of admission and residence in the Kingdom (RWN, art. 8).
- Naturalisation test (naturalisatietoets) in Dutch and Papiamentu, unless exempt through certain diplomas or medical grounds.
- No danger to public order: a single fine for breaking the COVID curfew could not be used mechanically to refuse an option (
ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2022:294), but serious records do weigh. - Renounce your other nationality, "if necessary": the law requires it as a rule, unless it cannot reasonably be asked of you (for example, if your country does not allow renunciation), and it does not apply if you are married to a Dutch national, were born in Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten or the Netherlands and live there, are a recognised refugee, or your country signed the 1993 Second Strasbourg Protocol (RWN, art. 9). Your country allowing dual nationality does not by itself exempt you on the Dutch side: check your case.
- Fees from 1 January 2026: XCG 2,373 individual and 3,029 joint (standard rate); 1,765 and 2,423 at the reduced rate; 350 per minor naturalising with a parent. The procedure takes about a year.
What breaks "uninterrupted residence"
For a young man born in Aruba, full-time study abroad for more than 2 years, returning only for holidays, broke the continuity of residence required by the nationality route based on main residence since birth, even though the reason was academic and legitimate; the nationality law is the same throughout the Kingdom (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:124). For general naturalisation, the 5 years are counted with valid permits and no gaps: the same gaps we analyze in Residencia por tiempo indefinido (Spanish) affect you here.
Steps, in order
- Check whether you fit an option category; if so, it is the cheap and fast route.
- Gather: passport, residence permits for the last 5 years, apostilled birth certificate, and the test result or the diploma that exempts you.
- Book an appointment at the Kabinet van de Gouverneur and file in person; pay the fee in XCG.
- After the favourable decision: naturalisation ceremony (oath or promise).
- With your Dutch passport, register your new status with Immigration (Naturalisation page).
Sources: Kabinet van de Gouverneur: the naturalisation procedure and the option procedure (fees indexed annually, valid from 1-1-2026); Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap (arts. 8 and 9); rulings cited. Exact conditions per category are in the Governor's official brochure (available in Spanish and English). Not legal advice.