Singaporean-Dutch woman torn over which passport to give up, seeks advice online: ‘What would you choose and why?’

SINGAPORE: A woman holding both Singaporean and Dutch citizenship is struggling to choose which passport to surrender, with each country offering something she is reluctant to lose.

In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, she asked fellow Redditors for their two cents, saying: “I need to give up one citizenship soon but am having a hard time choosing. For context: I was born and raised in Singapore with one Singaporean parent and one Dutch parent, and I spent the last few years in the Netherlands.”

Both citizenships, she said, have their own upsides. On the one hand, Dutch citizenship would give her access to the European Union. On the other, she appreciated what Singapore had to offer, from its “food and tropical weather to its lower taxes and low crime rates.”

The dilemma, however, is that her appreciation for Singapore comes with mixed feelings. She said she felt “so trapped” while growing up here, and worries that holding on to Singapore citizenship might bring back that feeling.

At the same time, she is hesitant to give it up because life in the Netherlands has its downsides too. In her words, “the food and weather are horrible in the Netherlands, along with high taxes and crime.”

With no clear winner in sight, she turned to fellow Redditors for advice on what they would do in her shoes.

“Any advice is welcome. What would you choose and why? Thanks!”

‘No one can really make that decision but you’

Many commenters urged the woman to retain her Singaporean citizenship, pointing out that giving it up could mean losing the right to return to it permanently.

One user wrote, “I wish someone told me at 18 that I could never get an SG passport back once relinquishing. The Netherlands will keep that door open for you; Singapore has a door shut permanently.”

Another commenter shared that they had given their British-Singaporean children similar advice.

“This is my answer as well. My kids are British / Singaporean and will also have to make a choice. Despite being British myself, I told them that they should choose Singaporean citizenship. Because if they change their minds later, they can get British citizenship back (one time!), but if they renounce Singaporean citizenship, it is forever. Hope this helps!”

Others, however, suggested that the woman consider where her loyalties lay, which country felt more like home, and where she could see herself settling in the years ahead.

One fellow Dutch Singaporean commented, “I’m also half Dutch and grew up in Singapore with dual citizenship. I grew up also feeling trapped in Singapore and ended up choosing NL because I moved here and was 100% sure I do not want to return to Singapore. It all boils down to where you see your future. They are both great places to live, work, and have their pros and cons. No one can really make that decision but you—I knew I never wanted to feel ‘trapped’ again.”

Another added, “I'm half Singaporean, half Irish. I also chose my Irish passport. Don't be foolish; there are tons of benefits with an EU passport. No regrets at all, I still visit my Singapore family every few years.”

According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), once a renunciation declaration has been registered, the individual will cease to be a Singaporean citizen. This action is final and cannot be reversed.

Additionally, a person may renounce Singapore citizenship only if he or she is at least 21 years old, is of sound mind, and has already become a citizen of another country.

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