Nationality - what would you do?

[Dahlemma]

My 21 yo son has dual British and Dutch nationality. Born and lived in uk, Dutch father. He’ll lose his Dutch nationality if in the next 10 years he doesn’t live in a Dutch territory or EU country.

I can envisage that he will live in Holland or the EU in that time, however if he doesn’t, he’ll have to relinquish one of his passports. Obviously it’s 10 years away and things change however if the choice was to be made now, which would you keep?

IMO it's only a hassle if one of the passports are useless! You'd never live in your home country so that's OK
But, despite Brexit, the UK isn't that far down the shitter. At the moment.

OP, if he HAS to choose, a passport that gives access to several countries is obviously better than one. But as both the UK and the Netherlands allow dual nationality, this is a non-problem. He can live in Holland and keep his British passport. Job done

Yes I agree, that’s the optimal solution. It doesn’t have to be NL, it can be any EU country but he’s half Dutch and don’t I know it 🤣

Is it a rule of the Netherlands that he has to give up his British citizenship? Because as far as I am aware, British citizens can have additional citizenships...

Danes not born in Denmark and not been living in Denmark loose the Danish citizenship at 21 yo if they have more than one citizenship.

If born in Denmark or been a citizen 3 months no problems.

Yes, it’s the Dutch rules that are the issue. Keeping both is the goal but if he had to choose, he’s veering to retaining his Dutch citizenship. Lots of detail to consider, thanks to the responses here

https://www.government.nl/topics/brexit/question-and-answer/i-hold-dual-nationality-british-and-dutch.-how-will-brexit-affect-me

Well this page says you either have to apply for a new passport or live there for a year out of 13.

It's not that complicated apparently.

UK citizenship doesn't have residency rights attached for dual nationals so the choice is obvious

But surely then he’d have no right to live here?

Why do you think he has to choose? His dual nationality predates Brexit, so according to the Dutch government guidance as long as he maintains the residence requirements for the Dutch passport he can retain both. And he won't lose the UK passport.

But if it came down to a decision. Take the EU passport every time.

That’s the issue though, maintaining the residency rights to Dutch citizenship. As others have said, it’s a non issue on the basis he has free movement but he needs to make that happen. He’s a resourceful fella, he’s got family in Holland, so I think he’ll make it a priority.

His dad has had never taken dual nationality and obtained the right to remain after Brexit.

But it’s not just about a passport and travel - it’s about his CITIZENSHIP . He needs to have citizenship of the UK if his home is in the UK. Otherwise he will lose his right to live here, to vote, to access the NHS and other public funded services.

@Helar access to the NHS and public services is nothing to do with citizenship, it's residency that counts.

Yes - the only thing his dad can’t do is vote in general elections. He’s otherwise domiciled here for tax etc

I would go and live in the Netherlands if that’s what he needs to do to have an Eu passport. He can visit the UK for up to 6 months in one year. It’s doable.

I agree with this. An EU passport is much more useful.

So he can be British and Dutch or only British, right? Are you sure he has to live in the EU, sounds like renewing Dutch passport within 13 years all the time is OK, also the 13 years starts January 2021? Or is it renew passport (or other ID card) AND live in EU within the 13 year period?

Given you’re not choosing between (say) South Sudan and the US - one with little benefits in the eyes of other countries, the other with many - I think you’ve got the tail wagging the dog.

Your son needs to live his life wherever his work and family etc take him. Residency and maybe eventually citizenship follow from that. Unless you’re fleeing somewhere bad to go somewhere better, you really don’t need to be thinking in these terms. Realistically, there’s nothing to choose between the two unless for your son specifically there is for career/family reasons - in which case the decision makes itself.

Are you sure? My child has Dutch citizenship and is a dual citizen. He is the same age as your son and just needs to keep his passport up to date. No residency requirement.

So my son said what you have said (albeit through speaking to an Italian consulate as an aside to his work who looked it up) bit my reading of this says different. My son was born in UK, we got Dutch passport when. He was weeks old. If I’m reading this wrong then I’m more than happy to be corrected

www.government.nl/binaries/government/documenten/forms/2017/06/16/factsheet-could-i-lose-my-dutch-nationality-automatically-and-how-can-i-avoid-this/22404921_RO_JENV_A4_FS_Nationaliteit_EN_V2.pdf

Apologies for typos/grammar, I’ve mislead my specs!

^misplaced 🤦🏼‍♀️

He can be both if he meets Dutch residency reqs, or only one or the other if doesn’t

This is very reasoned, thank you

If it were me I would take advice from an immigration lawyer on the consequences of renouncing citizenship.

I would be very very cautious. In addition to any immediate consequences, consider that rules can also change in the future and he would be making himself essentially into a foreign person with no automatic right to actually live in his home country.

Our family has been affected by such an issue, in a different country - not being citizens seemed unimportant at one time but rules changed and it became a difficulty in unanticipated ways many years down the line.

That says that the 13 year period stops under certain circumstances. I guess you need to work out your own situation but all we have to do is maintain the passport.