Nobel Physicist Andre Geim Learns He Lost Dutch Citizenship After Acquiring UK Nationality

Andre Geim, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, announced that he has been stripped of his Dutch citizenship. The scientist, who obtained UK citizenship in 2001 after moving to Manchester University and receiving a knighthood from the UK, only learned recently that this status had caused him to lose his Dutch nationality.

According to The New York Times (NYT), Geim explained that despite having become a British citizen a decade ago, there were no immediate issues or signs of conflict until advised by the Dutch embassy in London to surrender his passport or face possible interventions from Interpol. The reason was the Netherlands’ strict regulation against dual citizenship, meaning that acquiring UK citizenship automatically led to the loss of his Dutch citizenship.

“THIS IS VERY UPSETTING AND STRANGE,” Geim said via email.
He described himself as personally feeling both Dutch and British, emphasizing his strong ties to the Netherlands, where he studied and worked during the 1990s at Radboud University.

The scientist had previously received a knighthood from the Netherlands for his contributions to science. However, acquiring UK citizenship to enjoy the privileges of the “Sir” title from Britain created complications under Dutch law, which considers voluntary citizenship change as a reason for automatic loss of Dutch nationality.

Geim explained that although it’s possible for a non-Dutch person to be knighted or receive honors, the use of titles like “Sir” or “Dame” is only permitted for citizens. To be eligible, he had to acquire UK citizenship, but that resulted in losing his Dutch nationality—unintentionally, and only discovered years later.

The case highlights the rigidity of Dutch nationality laws, which do not accept dual citizenship in most cases, and how voluntary renunciation of one citizenship can result in automatic loss of the other, complicating the lives of international figures like Geim.