Eindelijk! Ik ben bijna een nederlander! Na negen maanden krijg ik een bericht van de IND dat ze hebben “u verzoek om naturalisatie met een positief advies voorgedragen aan Hare Majesteit de Koningin”. Maar ik ben heel bang dat Hare Majesteit het nu een beetje druk heeft! Daarom zeker dat de brief zegt het kan nog steeds even duuren, 8 tot 12 weken.
After nine months I’m ALMOST Dutch! Today I received a letter from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service that my request for Dutch citizenship has been forwarded to the queen with their recommendation for approval. The Queen at the moment is also very busy, what with a new grandchild and all, so this last step can still take between 8 to 12 weeks but at least the end if in sight!
I haven’t mentioned this bureaucratic fun-ride before as it is one of those things that doesn’t make for good blogging. Dutch bureaucracy can take on proportions that would defy even Kafka’s imagination and has been responsible at times for reducing me to hair-tearing, teeth-clenching, fetal-position-rocking combinations of rage and tears.
And as to why I want Dutch citizenship? Well that’s another long and very practical story, to do with pensions, children and the flexibility to travel and live and work in both Australia and Europe. Plus, I’ll be dammned if I’m ever going to go through the ‘inburgering’ process again!
postcards from the north 