I just recently applied for citizenship and got the standard answer from the gemeente that the current wait time for the procedure for naturalisation is 6-12 months. Fair enough, I know they must hedge this answer to cover themselves.

Anyone out there that recently got your citizenship approved? If so, how long did your process really take?

Thx

I think it varies from gemeente to gemeente, I guess some are busier than others. I filed my application at the gemeente Leiden late March last year, got the letter from the IND that it was accepted around mid-August. I officially received my citizenship mid-October, during the 'ceremony'.

What exactly are they doing with the application that it takes 6 to 12 months?

Since I'm not married to a Dutch person, from the Middle East or an asylum seeker, I don't qualify. So, mine was zero months. (As opposed to making 75k per yearand then being told that I'm not integrated and have to borrow money from the government for a completely worthless course.)

Just over a year ago it took mine 10 weeks and 10 days.

No way! Which Gemeente are you in??

Apeldoorn, Gelderland

But it did seem as if last spring and summer the IND was exceptionally quick. There were a number of people who got the approval within 3 months. I haven't heard of any reports this winter, though.

i have to wait 3 years to get citizenship here in belgium cause the government wants to make sure for 3 years you have a residents for 3 years so i don't know how you got your citizenship that fast.

Do you mean you had to wait 3 years before you could apply.
You don't mean it took 3 years after you filed and application to get citizenship?
I believe the others are talking about how long the application process took.

Waiting time before application is three years for those married/partners (registered or not) of a Dutch subject, and five years for the rest. Of course, there are shorter times for those who were once Dutch or any other category falling under option instead of naturalization.

I got the letter about H.M. the Queen's decision to naturalize me about six months after I sent the last letter to my municipality (i.e. from the day I had a 100% complete dossier, and the municipality sent the dossier to the IND). Officially, answering your request takes up to twelve months since your dossier is sent to the IND.

About one and half months later I took part in the naturalization ceremony, and two weeks later I had my Dutch ID card and passport.

Why does it take so long? The IND says its functionaries are overloaded with work, and since your dossier is checked by lower level functionaries, till it is reviewed by middle level functionaries and your data are sent to the Queen for signing the naturalization decision, it may take a lot of time. Perhaps the time they use to study one dossier is not so large, but if they have thousands of dossiers waiting for being solved within twelve months that is something which takes longer. Anyway, within twelve months, they have enough time to check if you fulfill the legal conditions, they have time to double-check the documents if there's any suspicion about them, they have time to investigate whether you are a danger for the public morality, public order or national security, etc.