How a Second Passport Lapses If You Don't Maintain It

A second passport can be lost automatically if the holder does not keep the citizenship formally active. Unlike a single nationality, many countries require a renewal, a declaration, or proof of a continuing link before a specific deadline; failure to meet the requirement results in loss of the passport and, for EU states, the associated EU rights.

The Netherlands – 13‑year renewal rule

• A Dutch citizen who also holds another nationality and lives continuously outside the Netherlands, the Kingdom’s Caribbean municipalities, and the EU loses Dutch citizenship after 13 years.
• The clock restarts when the holder obtains a new Dutch passport, identity card, or certificate of nationality; the issue date of the document governs, not the application date.
• A year of residence back in the Kingdom or the EU also resets the period.
• Exemptions apply to persons in the service of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, or an international organization the Kingdom represents, together with their spouses and unmarried durable partners.
• Between 2003‑2022 the period was ten years; thousands lost citizenship when a passport renewal was refused.
• The loss occurs automatically; after the 2019 CJEU Tjebbes ruling, the loss can be reviewed for proportionality, and citizenship may be restored retroactively if the consequences are deemed disproportionate.
• A proposed reform to make a single renewal sufficient has not passed.

Nordic countries – age‑22 retention requirement

All five Nordic states (Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Norway) strip citizenship from certain dual nationals who reach 22 years without a demonstrable connection.

• An application to retain citizenship is required; otherwise the passport lapses.
• The 2023 CJEU decision extended proportionality review to Denmark, Sweden, and Finland (EU members), but not to Norway and Iceland (EEA only).
• From 6 June 2026, Sweden will allow people who lost citizenship under the age‑22 rule to apply for reinstatement.

Ireland – discretionary revocation for naturalized citizens

• Under Section 19 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, the Minister for Justice may revoke naturalization if the holder lives seven continuous years abroad and fails to file an annual declaration of intent to retain Irish citizenship.
• The power applies only to naturalized citizens (not those by descent or birth) and excludes time spent abroad in public service.
• Revocation is not automatic; it proceeds through a committee of inquiry and ministerial discretion. No publicly reported revocations exist.
• The Supreme Court struck parts of the procedure as unconstitutional in 2020; the remaining provisions were reinstated by the 2024 Act and have been in force since 7 April 2025.
• Cautious naturalized citizens abroad therefore file the annual declaration.

Spain – three‑year declaration after acquiring another nationality

• Spanish nationals who acquire a second nationality lose Spanish citizenship three years after the acquisition unless they file a declaration with the civil registrar indicating the wish to retain Spanish nationality.
• The same three‑year window applies to those who already held the foreign nationality before reaching adulthood.
• For third‑generation Spaniards abroad (born and resident abroad, with a Spanish parent also born abroad), a declaration must be made within three years of turning 18; otherwise citizenship lapses on the 21st birthday.
• Recovery after loss normally requires residence in Spain.

Switzerland – loss at age 25 unless registered

• A child born abroad to a Swiss parent who also holds another nationality forfeits Swiss citizenship at 25 unless the birth is reported to Swiss authorities or the person files a written declaration to retain it.
• Any registration or issuance of Swiss identity documents counts as a retention act.
• The age limit was 22 before the 2018 Citizenship Act.

Belgium – loss at age 28 without retention

• A Belgian born abroad after 1 January 1967 loses Belgian nationality on the 28th birthday if:
  • they hold another citizenship,
  • their main residence has been outside Belgium from age 18 to 28,
  • they have not been posted abroad for the Belgian state or a Belgian company, and
  • they have not filed a declaration of retention.
• For those under 28 on 12 July 2018, obtaining a Belgian passport or identity card between ages 18‑28 defeats the loss; the renewal itself serves as the retention act.

General observations

• A single nationality rarely carries such maintenance obligations; the rules above apply only when a second passport is held, to avoid creating statelessness.
• Countries without such requirements include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Canada (which dropped its retain‑by‑28 rule in 2009), and Australia.
• The European cases tie the loss to the existence of a second passport; the EU rights that accompany the citizenship are also at stake.

Practical steps for dual‑passport holders

1. Map deadlines – List the specific retention dates for each second citizenship in a calendar.
2. Track document expiries – For the Netherlands, renew a Dutch passport, ID card, or certificate before the 13‑year limit.
3. File retention applications – Submit the required declaration or application before the age‑22, age‑25, or age‑28 deadlines in the Nordic, Swiss, and Belgian cases.
4. Maintain a declaration – Irish naturalized citizens abroad should file the annual intent declaration; Spaniards must submit the three‑year declaration after acquiring another nationality.
5. Monitor legislative changes – Proposed reforms (e.g., Dutch single‑renewal proposal) could alter requirements.

By treating each passport as a time‑bound asset rather than a permanent status, holders can avoid unexpected loss of citizenship and the accompanying rights.

Source article: www.imidaily.com