Advantages of Dutch passport compared with an Irish passport after Brexit?

[Hottrotters]

I have recently applied for Dutch nationality through the option procedure as latent Dutch (born to Dutch mother and British father before 1985).

Once it is granted to me (hopefully), I can apply for a Dutch passport and my adult daughters would also be able to use the same option route. Both my daughter are also entitled to Irish passports as their father is Irish and one of them has acquired the Irish passport and has let her British passport expire.

The Dutch process and passport are much more expensive, are there any advantages to a Dutch passport over an Irish one? I would like to ‘pass on’ the Dutch nationality, but I doubt my daughters would bother because of the expense and trouble of maintaining 2 or 3 passports. At present they do not intend to live or work outside the UK.

Have you checked if the Netherlands allow dual citizenships and under which circumstances?

Yes, it is allowed when acquired through option procedure. Both girls British and Irish since birth and don’t have to give those up.

At present they do not intend to live or work outside the UK.

So, why bother with a Dutch passport at all?

I would think the Irish has benefits over the Dutch, as it allows the right to live and work in both the EU and UK, whereas I think the Dutch would only allow the right to do so in the UK. Probably less relevant as they’re entitled to British too.

Sorry I meant Dutch only allows in the EU (not the UK!)

Irish passport is the best you can possibly have. Part of the EU and provides special treatment in UK.

The reason for me claiming a nationality/passport other than British is to regain the EU rights we previously had. Secondary is the annoying travel delays when visiting EU countries on a British passport (while my husband goes in the EU line in a fraction of the time).

There is also an emotional connection (for me) as I spent a lot of time in the Netherlands as a child and would like to retain the link as I visit 2-3 times a year and would like my daughters to keep the connection, although naturally they feel more of a connection to Ireland.

Yes, I agree with the comments about the Irish passport providing access to the UK and the common travel area as well as the EU. I guess I am overthinking it. My father could have claimed an Australian passport but never did - I was worried about them losing something further down the line. But I don’t see either Ireland or the Netherlands leaving the EU.

Irish is advantageous because currently you don’t need to have both passports, with a Dutch passport you must have a British passport to enter the U.K.

Renewing a Dutch passport in the UK is a serious hassle. They Dutch government has outsourced the process to a company that mainly deals with visas. Their offices are dirty disorganised places that are unpleasant to deal with.

Dutch passport had lots of disadvantages like your rights lapse if you don't renew it. If you're daughters ever go to like there, it will make their children's citizenship more complicated if they're already Dutch, rather than choosing it as the best option later. Irish is easier.

I worked in the Netherlands between 2020 and 2025. I passed through Schiphol airport weekly. There was never any delays due to a UK passport.

Whilst an EU passport may allow quicker passage at passport control, it’s does not result in luggage appearing on the carousel faster than non-EU luggage. The same applies to queues for hire car, trains, taxis, buses. There are no separate lines for EU and non-EU passports.

Schiphol is well organised and has many more non-EU channels than EU. As does Berlin and Charles de Gaulle. The reason is simple. EU is approximately 5% of World population. Also, 10% of EU GDP is tourism. Hence they have more non-EU channels.

This is an anti Brexit thread in disguise.

I have not been to an EU airport that has the same line for EU and non EU. I normally take the Eurostar to the Netherlands and so I can’t answer for Schiphol.

What I dislike is having to queue at airports e.g. Stockholm and Berlin both of which I have visited quite recently, in the ‘non EU’ queue which is normally massive while my husband goes quickly through the EU queue. I also find it intrusive to be asked the reason for my visit, who I was travelling with and asked to show my return ticket.

I have paid several hundred pounds for copies of birth marriage and death certs, an acpo check plus getting the documents notarised, as well as the option cost itself. All this would be unnecessary if it wasn’t for Brexit.

So yes, I am anti Brexit, especially on behalf of my 91 year old mother who had to apply for settled status as she had the audacity to retain her Dutch nationality, and pay UK taxes for 65 years.

The point of the thread was to ask if anyone had a good reason for a Dutch passport over an Irish one, as my daughters have the choice.

I have never been to Stockholm. So, can’t moment.

Is your husbands luggage in the carousel faster than anyone else’s as he has a UK passport?

I have been through Berlin several times and there has neve been long queues. My Spanish SIL got through passport control a little quicker, but he had to wait at the carousel longer than I did with a UK passport. So, I had to wait for him before we went to the taxi rank.

In the years I worked in the Netherlands I all I had was a letter from client saying why I was entering the country. Notarised passport was not necessary.

There is an EES app which allows non-EU passport holder to pre register their biometrics. However, the only two EU members to use this app are Portugal and Sweden even though all member states were supposed to have done so by April 2026.

So, I would say your issues are arising due to the failure of the EU countries you visit not utilising the app.