SNBN Newsletter December 3: Formation document opens the door to dual nationality

Yesterday, D66 and CDA released a joint coalition government document, explicitly not intended as a final document, but as a starting point for discussions with other political parties. This document can be downloaded here .

Among other things, it states:

• By modernizing the nationality law , Dutch citizens abroad will not lose their nationality any faster than in our neighboring countries Germany, Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom.

The fact that there is now, in 2025, finally a clear guideline for Dutch citizens abroad (co-signed by the CDA, which has had rather variable positions on this topic) is a huge gain and, in our opinion, a recognition of years of lobbying in the form of letter writing (by readers and followers!), motions at conferences, media appearances, personal conversations in the House of Representatives, and public actions such as full-page newspaper advertisements.

[As a background: the lobby to open up dual nationality for Dutch citizens living outside the Netherlands, including the recovery of involuntarily lost Dutch nationality, began in 2011 – at that time under the name " Staying with the Netherlands ."]

The scaled-down network of embassies is also discussed (think of the queues for passport renewal):

• Recently, the Netherlands has weakened its position on the world stage: by drastically cutting development aid and closing diplomatic posts, we retreated. This has to change. We will invest in international cooperation and confidently regain the lead in Europe, in trade and diplomacy. From water management and food security to chip machines: we have much to offer the world.

For example, the trial of digital voting and the right to maintain a Dutch bank account abroad are not mentioned. At the same time, this probably shouldn't be interpreted as a contradiction, but rather as a lack of fit within the main document. Several steps have already been taken on both issues recently.

What's next?

The coming period (weeks?) will reveal which parties will join in working on this coalition agreement to develop it into a broader coalition agreement. The SNBN will, of course, ensure that nothing contained therein is deleted.

The hundreds of letters sent to politicians by readers and followers around the world this past week have had a huge impact. Within a few days, we received copies of nearly 1,000 emails—and likely many more were sent. Thank you for this swift global response!

Based on this coalition agreement, we will enter 2026 with a cautious sense of optimism. Of course, we will continue to publicly raise the alarm and question members of parliament.

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Amsterdammers Abroad: Permit required for Pied-à-Terre

We've received this message from the municipality of Amsterdam for all Amsterdam residents living abroad. Do you work abroad but still have a home in Amsterdam where you occasionally stay? Then it's important to pay attention. From January 2026, you'll need to apply for a permit to keep this home as a second residence .

The municipality of Amsterdam aims to combat vacancy and make more housing available to residents with this new regulation. The permit requirement for a second home applies to homes where no one lives or is registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP).

If you own a pied-à-terre in Amsterdam, you are required to apply for a permit from the municipality starting mid-January 2026. Failure to do so will result in you being prohibited from using the property as a second home and risking a fine. The requirements and application procedure can be found on the website page Applying for a second home (pied-à-terre) permit of the municipality of Amsterdam.