1985 legislation, Dutch nationals born outside the Netherlands who also held the nationality of the country of their birth lost Dutch citizenship if they lived in the country of their birth for ten years after they turn 18 (and were still citizens or nationals of their country of birth). Those who were issued a Dutch passport or proof of Dutch citizenship on or after 1 January 1990 are deemed never to have lost Dutch citizenship. This exemption was put in place on 1 February 2001. Former nationals who were not issued a Dutch passport or proof of Dutch citizenship in 1990 or later were given a limited period of time to acquire Dutch citizenship by option, until 31 March 2005. Since 2003 Since 1 April 2003, following an amendment to the Netherlands Nationality Act of 1985, Dutch nationals with dual nationality will lose their Dutch citizenship if they hold a foreign citizenship and reside outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands or the European Union for ten years. In the case of Dutch nationals who possessed dual nationality on 1 April 2003 and who were then resident outside the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the European Union, the ten years started on 1 April 2003. The amendment lets Dutch nationals who hold foreign citizenship and reside abroad keep their citizenship by either having a principal residence in the Netherlands or another EU member state for at least a year or applying for a Dutch passport or proof of Dutch nationality before 1 April 2013, the end of the ten years. A new period of ten years starts on the day that the person is issued with a passport or proof of Dutch nationality. By acquisition of another citizenship A person over the age of majority who voluntarily acquired another citizenship before 1 April 2003 automatically lost Dutch citizenship. From 1 April 2003, loss of Dutch citizenship upon naturalisation in another country is still automatic unless at least one of the following exemptions applies: the person is born in the country of the other nationality and has a principal residence there at the time of acquisition of that nationality. if before turning 18, the person has had a principal residence in the country of the other nationality for an uninterrupted period of five years; if the person is married to another person who possesses the nationality that the Dutch person wishes to