Many expats assume voting is for citizens only. In the Netherlands that is only partly true: depending on your passport, you may already be entitled to vote in some elections, and the paperwork is light. Here is who votes in what.
Who can vote in which election
Your rights depend on your nationality, as set out by the Kiesraad (the Dutch Electoral Council):
| Election | Who can vote |
|---|---|
| Gemeenteraad (municipal) | Dutch nationals; EU citizens registered in the municipality; non-EU nationals after 5 years’ legal residence |
| Europees Parlement (European) | Dutch nationals; EU citizens who register here (Y-32 form) |
| Tweede Kamer (national parliament) | Dutch nationals only |
| Provinciale Staten (provincial) | Dutch nationals only |
So an EU citizen who has just moved can vote in local elections straight away, and a non-EU resident gains that right after five continuous years here.
The stempas: your voting pass
For any election you can vote in, your gemeente posts you a stempas (voting pass) at least 14 days before polling day. The government’s election pages explain it tells you that you are registered and where your stembureau (polling station) is. On the day you bring:
- your stempas, and
- a valid legitimatiebewijs (ID): passport, ID card, or for some elections a Dutch driving licence.
No stempas, no vote at the station, so do not bin it as junk mail.
Registering for the European elections (EU citizens)
Municipal voting needs no form: if you are registered as a resident, the stempas arrives automatically. The European Parliament is different. As ProDemos explains, an EU citizen who wants to vote in the Netherlands for the European Parliament must register once with the municipality using the Y-32 form. The reason: you may vote only once across the EU, so registering here means you give up voting in your home country’s European election. Do it well before the deadline, not the week of.
Can’t make it on the day?
Two options:
- Volmacht: you authorise someone else (another voter) to cast your vote for you, by filling in the back of your stempas.
- Kiezerspas: lets you vote at a different polling station than your own, useful if you will be elsewhere.
Election vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de verkiezingen | the elections |
| de stempas | voting pass |
| het stembureau | polling station |
| het stemhokje | voting booth |
| het stembiljet | ballot paper |
| de volmacht | proxy authorisation |
| het legitimatiebewijs | proof of identity |
Where it connects
Voting is one more piece of Dutch civic admin, alongside the words you need at gemeente appointments, using DiGiD for government websites, and managing your BSN appointment at the municipality. It starts, like most things here, with being correctly registered at the gemeente.
The bottom line
EU citizens vote in Dutch gemeenteraad elections automatically once registered, and in European elections after the one-time Y-32 registration. Non-EU residents vote locally after five years. National and provincial elections are for Dutch nationals only. Watch for the stempas in the post, keep it safe, and bring it with ID to the stembureau. If you cannot attend, use a volmacht.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that helps you read official Dutch letters like a stempas or registration form, stempas, volmacht, stembureau, legitimatie, in five-minute lessons built on real documents, so civic paperwork is clear.
Frequently asked questions
Can expats vote in the Netherlands?
It depends on your nationality and the election. EU citizens registered with a Dutch municipality can vote in municipal (gemeenteraad) elections automatically and in European Parliament elections after a one-time registration. Non-EU nationals can vote in municipal elections once they have lived legally in the Netherlands for at least five continuous years. Only Dutch nationals can vote in the national parliament (Tweede Kamer) and provincial elections.
What is a stempas?
A stempas is your voting pass, sent by post by your municipality to everyone entitled to vote, at least 14 days before an election. It tells you that you are registered and where your polling station (stembureau) is. You must bring the stempas together with a valid identity document (passport, ID card, or for some elections a driving licence) to vote. Without the stempas you cannot cast your vote at the polling station.
How do EU citizens register to vote in European elections in the Netherlands?
EU citizens living in the Netherlands who want to vote here for the European Parliament must register once with their municipality using the Y-32 form. This is because you may vote only once in the EU: registering in the Netherlands means you cannot also vote in your home country’s European election. Municipal elections need no such form; if you are registered as a resident, the stempas comes automatically.
What is the best app to understand Dutch government and election letters?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the vocabulary on official letters, stempas, stembureau, volmacht, legitimatiebewijs, verkiezingen, in five-minute lessons built on real Dutch documents, so election and municipal mail is clear instead of intimidating.
