SNBN Newsletter January 8

Urgent Call: Email (primarily) the VVD and JA21 now!

A happy and healthy 2026 to everyone!

There's hardly any time to start the new year in peace, as we're still in the middle of a cabinet formation – which the VVD recently joined.

Last month, we issued an urgent appeal to engage with politicians. At the time, the focus was primarily on the CDA and D66 parties, as they took the lead. Now that the VVD has also decided to participate, a new political reality has emerged: the VVD suddenly has much more power over all issues, including dual nationality, our core issue. To everyone who contacted the VVD last month: thank you!

And: another party could join the coalition formation, namely JA21. That's not necessary – it could also be a minority cabinet (D66-CDA-VVD). In any case, to gain sufficient support in parliament, other parties will also have to join, or at least not vote against.

Hence this second (and hopefully final) urgent appeal in this formation: to email the VVD and JA21 in particular – regardless of whether you are a member or not.

See the sample letter below with multiple topics, and the option to customize it further (your own background and a personal example always appeal). If you have no objection, please cc us at info@snbn.nl , so we can keep a complete overview and report back in the next newsletter.

The public email addresses of all politicians can be found here . Specifically for the VVD and JA21 parties:

• VVD (note: two representatives): Eric van den Burg – e.vdburg@tweedekamer.nl // Bente Becker – b.becker@tweedekamer.nl

• JA21: Diederik Boomsma – diederik.boomsma@tweedekamer.nl

The stakes: an agreement on opening up dual citizenship in 2026! With fighting greetings,

the board of SNBN

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SAMPLE LETTER

Subject: Attention for Dutch people outside the Netherlands in the new coalition agreement, including opening up dual nationality

Dear [fill in yourself]

My name is [name] and I live in [for xxx years in ....]. From that perspective, I would like to kindly ask you, in the run-up to the new coalition agreement, to keep in mind several points that will have a significant impact on the daily lives of us, the more than 1 million Dutch people living abroad, in particular the following topics that the Foundation for Dutch People Outside the Netherlands (SNBN) has been advocating for some time:

1. Possibility of dual nationality and the recovery of involuntarily lost Dutch nationality – in line with almost all European countries, so that Dutch citizens abroad are not forced to renounce their Dutch nationality. This is an absolute priority for most Dutch citizens living abroad!

2. Trial digital voting from abroad – having to vote weeks in advance denies us full voting rights, as the campaign and parties' positions aren't yet fully defined. Moreover, international postal services are often (too) slow.

3. Passport renewals are being relaxed – in many places around the world, you sometimes have to wait months for a spot to become available.

4. Access to a Dutch bank account – for many of us, a Dutch checking account is essential for healthcare, education, insurance, and practical payment transactions.

5. Maintaining and supporting Dutch education abroad – crucial for children who will eventually (re)enter education in the Netherlands, and who are of great value to the Netherlands itself.

In addition, we have other important issues at stake, such as pensions , naturalization for our non-Dutch partners, maintaining a widespread consular network , and further digitalization of government services.

[Optional: Personal example / how this affects your family, work or mobility]

I sincerely hope your party will consider these points in the current discussions and that you will forward this email to the appropriate spokesperson. Thank you in advance for your commitment and dedication to the interests of Dutch people worldwide.

Yours sincerely,

[name] country of residence

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Without you, there would be no SNBN:

Help us!

The Foundation for Dutch People Abroad (SNBN) works daily, entirely voluntarily, to promote the interests of Dutch people abroad .

Whether it concerns nationality issues, voting rights, pensions, or other practical and political obstacles, we ensure your voice is heard in The Hague. But we can't do it alone. Our activities depend on the support of stakeholders like you. With your contribution—large or small, one-time or recurring—we can continue to stand up for the rights of Dutch citizens abroad. Every donation makes a difference . Together, we make policy fairer, more understandable, and more accessible for everyone with a Dutch passport, wherever you live in the world.

Thank you for your support!