I would like to apply for my Dutch nationality and return to the Netherlands with my family.

Questioner

I was born in the year 1984 Netherlands in Bergen op Zoom. I lived in the Netherlands until I was 28 years old. I have a completed Mbo level 4 Adm. Legal employee public administration diploma and have studied 1 year of HBO education public administration but not completed. In 2009 I got married to my wife who lived in Turkey and with our marriage reunion she also came to live in the Netherlands. We lived in the Netherlands until 2012 and then returned to Turkey due to private circumstances. Now my question is I have always had a residence permit for an indefinite period when I lived in the Netherlands now the validity expired in 2017. I would like to apply for my Dutch nationality and return to the Netherlands with my family. How can I do this, can you help me with this? greetings,

Lawyer

You indicate that you have a residence permit for an indefinite period and have lived in Turkey since 2012. With a permit for an indefinite period, you may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 6 consecutive months. Or you may stay outside the Netherlands for a maximum of 4 consecutive months per calendar year for 3 consecutive years. Because you have stayed outside of Nuderland for longer than the stated period, your residence permit may have been withdrawn. If this is the case, you cannot become a Dutch citizen. If you have had your main residence in the Netherlands, and your residence permit has not been withdrawn, you may be entitled to Dutch citizenship under certain conditions. See the following link for this: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/nederlandse-nationaliteit/nederlander-worden