Dutch naturalisation fees 2026: applying separately costs EUR 824 more

Discussion of Dutch citizenship in expat circles is almost always about the conditions: how many years of residence, which language level, whether the original passport has to go. The fee line is rarely mentioned, and it happens to be the one part you can work out precisely before you file, and the one part where a wrong assumption costs several hundred euros. The IND fee table changes every 1 January and the 2026 version, up 4.4 percent, runs to 31 December. It sets a single naturalisation request at EUR 1,139, a joint request by spouses or registered partners at EUR 1,454, and each co-naturalising child under 18 at EUR 168. Two people filing separately therefore pay EUR 2,278 against EUR 1,454 together, a difference of EUR 824, and adding a child is not a second adult fee.

• Naturalisation: EUR 1,139 single, EUR 1,454 joint, EUR 168 for a co-naturalising child under 18.
• The option procedure is a separate and much cheaper route: EUR 241 single, EUR 412 joint, EUR 27 for a co-opting child. Not everyone qualifies, but for those who do it is EUR 898 less than naturalisation. Establish which route applies before filing.
• Amounts change each 1 January and the table states they are valid from 1 January to 31 December. Filing in December or in January can mean a different number. (source 1, source 2)
• The fee is payable when you file, not when you are approved, and it is not refunded if the request is refused. That is what makes trying it and seeing an expensive strategy.

Hokimi field note: list everyone in the household who intends to apply, check first whether the two adults can file jointly, which requires marriage or a registered partnership, then add each child under 18 at EUR 168 and compare the total against filing separately. The gap usually covers a language exam. Read the amounts off the IND page on the day you file.