Naturalisation decisions get one year. RWN 9(4) is the article.

What RWN 9(4) actually says

Article 9(4): "Op een verzoek om naturalisatie wordt binnen een jaar na de indiening ervan een beschikking gegeven." In English: a decision on a naturalisation request shall be given within one year of the date of filing. The statute is unambiguous on the term. It is the longest term in the Dutch immigration-decision regime, reflecting the substantive depth of the citizenship check.

Twelve months is the term. Not eighteen, not "as soon as possible". RWN 9(4) is the figure to write into the Notice.

When the clock starts

The clock starts on the date the IND received the complete naturalisation request. The IND issues an automatic ontvangstbevestiging confirming the date. Like every other Awb-governed file, suspensions under Awb 4:15 apply: if the IND requests missing information under Awb 4:5, the clock pauses until the response is filed. The background-check process does not suspend the clock; it runs in parallel.

The background check

The naturalisation process involves a background check by the Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst (AIVD), the general intelligence and security service, where the IND has grounds to refer. The AIVD response can take many months. Importantly, the AIVD check does not formally suspend the RWN 9(4) clock unless the IND has invoked an Awb 4:5 request for further information. Most cases do not involve an AIVD referral; the standard background check is the IND's own.

Common applicant misconceptions

• "Naturalisation always takes 18 to 24 months." That is the IND's working-time estimate, not the statutory term. The statutory term is 12 months.
• "The background check pauses the clock automatically." No. Without a formal Awb 4:5 request, the clock keeps running.
• "I have to wait until I get a letter from the IND saying the term has passed." The IND will not write this letter. The applicant must compute the term and act.

The procedural lever after 12 months

1. 1
   Day 365 plus suspensions

   Compute the effective elapsed time. Take calendar days from receipt; subtract any Awb 4:15 suspension periods. If the result exceeds 365, RWN 9(4) is breached.
2. 2
   Notice of Default

   Address the IND at its naturalisation unit (typically the IND Postbus 3211, 2280 GE Rijswijk). Cite RWN 9(4) and Awb 4:17. The 14-day clock starts on receipt.
3. 3
   Daily penalty

   If the IND does not decide within 14 days, the daily penalty under Awb 4:17 begins automatically. Cap €1,442 after 42 days.
4. 4
   Court appeal

   After the daily penalty cap, the Awb 6:12 court appeal is open. Naturalisation appeals go to the Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak van de Council of State on hoger court appeal.

The double-citation pattern

Every naturalisation Notice of Default we draft cites both RWN 9(4) (the procedure-specific 12-month term) and Awb 4:13 (the general framework). The pairing makes clear that the substantive citizenship statute and the procedural administrative-law framework both apply. The daily penalty follows under Awb 4:17 regardless of which is cited as the operative term.

Where MigrationProvision sits

Naturalisation files are the longest-term immigration files we handle. We do not push files before the 12-month mark; the IND has the time. Once the 12 months have passed, we treat the file like any other Awb-governed delay: the Notice goes out at €8.75, the daily penalty follows automatically, the escalation step at €12.40 covers the Ombudsman complaint and the court-appeal bundle preparation. The naturalisation grant itself stays with the IND; we only push for the decision to be given.