Citizenship In Norway: All You Need To Know

So you’ve fallen head over heels for Norway, and you’re ready to make your relationship status ‘officially Norwegian.’

Citizenship is the final frontier in your Scandinavian love story, granting you the key to a lifetime of fjords, free healthcare, and endless Koselig (cozy moments).

But first, let’s navigate the sea of paperwork ahead.

Let’s dive in!

How To Get Norwegian Citizenship

It is not an easy process!

If you hold a valid residence permit in Norway and you live there on a permanent basis, you can apply for Norwegian citizenship. Your residence permit must be valid both when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed.

Over and above that you will need to have had legal residency in Norway for at least eight years. This is what we call the period of stay condition. There are several exceptions from this general rule.

In the case scenario where you have been granted protection, the requirement is 7 years of residency. For people with sufficient income, there is a requirement for a six-year residence period.

What Does It Mean To Have Norwegian Citizenship?

The Norway passport ranks 8th in the world in the year 2023. This very much states that the advantages of it are plenty. Such as:

Having Norwegian citizenship opens up many professional opportunities, allowing you to work in the judiciary, diplomacy, army and police. People with Norwegian citizenship can also represent Norway in sports and run for office in the Norwegian government.
Citizenship of Norway permits voting in national elections and participate in elections in Norway. People with Norwegian citizenship can also take advantage of the help and care of the Norwegian consulate abroad, and receive better social security.
Citizenship allows you to live, work and study in Norway without restrictions.
Grants access to an average of 160 countries.

Since Norway moved to allow dual citizenship in 2020, there has been a dramatic increase in the people opting for its passport.

Norwegian Naturalization

It refers to the idea that after spending a specified amount of time period in Norway, you become eligible to become its citizen. Although this case scenario does not apply to everyone.

Norway citizenship requirements for naturalization

You must have resided in Norway for at least seven years.
You must have a valid permanent residence permit at the time of application.
You must have acquired a decent sum of knowledge of the Norwegian language and society, customs, and historical background.
You must live in Norway at the time of application and intend to continue living there as the application is processed and afterward.
You must hand in your criminal records, which may affect the time you have to wait to become a citizen or the conclusion of your application.

If you can prove that you meet all the naturalization requirements, you can begin your application process. Fill out the application form and start compiling a file with all documents, which prove you meet the requirements.

Pass Norway’s Citizenship Test

If you are applying for Norwegian citizenship, and are between 18 and 67 years of age, you are required to pass the citizenship test or the social studies test in Norwegian.

To learn an prepare for the test, you may take help from the following:

If you have only taken the social studies test in your own language, you must take it again in Norwegian.

There are certain conditions which allow you to take an exemption from the test

You have received a final assessment grade or examination grade in the subject (minimum grade 2).
You are unable to pass the test for reasons related to health or significant personal circumstances.
Your municipality has granted you an exemption from compulsory Norwegian social studies training and/or the Norwegian social studies test.

Pay The Naturalization Fees

There are also certain fees associated with applying for citizenship in Norway through naturalization. These are the fees you are obliged pay in order to do so:

Type of application Fee (NOK)Permanent residence permit for adults3.800Permanent residence permit for children under 18. Application to get back Norwegian citizenship for adults (new scheme from 2020).

There are a few more criteria related to payment that are specific for each case. Take the documents that prove you meet the naturalization requirements, such as your application form, the receipts to show you have paid all fees, and your naturalization certificate, to the application office.

The officers will go through your case, and if approved, you will get the citizenship certificate. The certificate now proves that you are a citizen of Norway and not just a permanent resident.

Norwegian Citizenship By Marriage

If you are married to, or are the registered partner or cohabitant of a Norwegian citizen, you must have lived in Norway for a total of at least five years during the past ten years.

In these cases, your combined residence period and marriage period must be at least seven years.

You must apply for a residence permit through family immigration with your spouse, and there are plenty of documents you must hand in with the application.

Norwegian Citizenship By Birth

All children born after 1 September 2006 become Norwegian at birth if the father or mother is a Norwegian citizen. Check with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) whether you are a Norwegian citizen if you have any queries.

The directorate is the agency that handles issues related to citizenship in Norway.

Nonetheless not all children who are born in Norway become Norwegian citizens. Children who are born in Norway, but have parents who are citizens of other countries, do not become Norwegian citizens when they are born.

Children by birth or adopted also automatically become citizens when their parents become Norwegian citizens.

What Type Of Citizenships Does Norway Offer

In order to apply for citizenship, you must first understand what type of citizenship you seek:

Temporary Residence Permit

This is the type of Permit you receive when you first move to Norway. It is valid for 1-3 years and is renewable. The most common are:

Residence permit for work (aka Norway work visa).
Residence permit for studying (aka Norway student visa).
Residence permit for family reunification (aka Norway family visa).

Permanent Residence Permit

This is the permit you receive after you have lived in Norway continuously for the last three years. You can then live and work there indefinitely, and just renew the residence card every two years.

Dual Citizenship

You have the same rights and obligations in relation to the Norwegian state as other Norwegian citizens.
You are entitled to have two passports, one from each country.
In principle, you are entitled to consular aid and help from the authorities of both countries. However, it can be difficult for Norwegian authorities to help you if you are staying in the country in which you have your other citizenship.

Norway Temporary Residence Permit Requirements

To be able to receive this permit, it is necessary to meet some requirements. The most common type of Norwegian work visa is the skilled worker visa, which is issued to someone who has found a job for a Norwegian employer and has a university degree or vocational training, which allows you to live and work in Norway legally.

Who Can Apply For A Norway Work Visa?

You have completed higher education
You have “special qualifications” which make you eligible for the job, even if you lack proper education.
You have found a job with an employer in Norway.
The job is full time.
The job does not pay less than it would pay a Norwegian citizen.
You are over the age of 18.
You do not have a criminal background.

Documents Necessary For Norway Work Visa

Your passport
The Norway work visa Application Form
Passport size photographs
Proof of an accommodation in Norway.
The employment form.
Your resume/CV.
Proof of your academic background,
Proof that your salary meets the income requirements.
Proof of previous employment experience.

It is a must to keep photocopies of all documents in hand as well as any extra document specified by the embassy. Hand in the completed application along with the documents at the embassy or a visa application center.

For the Norway student visa, the requirement is the acceptance into a Norwegian educational institution and enough funds to sustain yourself during your stay.

Who Can Apply For A Norway Student Visa?

Admission must be in a Norway college credited by NOKUT
Enough savings to sustain your expenses
Acquired accommodation in Norway

Documents Necessary For Norway Work Visa (Above 18 years old)

Your Passport.
Passport size pictures
Letter of admission
Proof of finances
Proof of accommodation.

There are additional requirements for minors, or individuals applying from a region other than that of which they are providing the passport of.

As for the Norway family visa, you must either be their spouse or child. They must be financially capable of maintaining you

Documents Necessary For Norway Family Visa

Your passport and passport size images
Proof of relationship
Birth certificate
Application form for family visa
Proof of your family members position in Norway

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Seeking Temporary Residence Permit

Every permit comes along with some pros and cons:

Advantages	Disadvantages
allows you to live and work in Norway	valid for a limited period
travel in and out of the country	doesn’t allow permit for minors
visit other Schengen States	pushes people towards taking loans to show proof of financial stability
can lead to permanent residency in Norway	study visa only allows access to selected colleges

Norway’s Permanent Residence Permit Document Requirements

The documents will be similar to those of the temporary residence permit. The reason for moving to Norway will be required, whether it is related to work, studies or family.

Adding to that a cover letter is required, obtained after completing and submitting the permit application form.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Seeking Permanent Residence Permit

Every permit comes along with some pros and cons:

Advantages	Disadvantages
it’s possible for non-EU/EEA citizens to apply for a permanent residence permit	requirement to learn the Norwegian language
granted extra protection against expulsion	can lose your permanent residence permit if you stay abroad for too long
can lead to citizenship in Norway	takes 3 years to get the permit

Norway’s Dual Citizenship Requirements

Adding to what was previously mentioned about dual citizenships, you must ensure that your country allows dual citizenship, or else you will lose your citizenship with that country.

In the case scenario where you, a Norway citizen, apply to a country which does not allow dual citizenship, it is necessary to inform Norway as your Norway passport will become invalid.

Dual Citizenship Between Norway/UK

Many Brits living in Norway had been facing the prospect of having to give up their British passport to claim Norwegian citizenship before 2020.

For British nationals, becoming Norwegian restores some of the rights they lost as a result of Brexit, such as freedom of movement across the EEA. Approximately 95 percent of applications from British nationals were successful last year.

To enter the UK, you must present its own passport and not that of Norway, and vice versa.

Dual Citizenship Between Norway/USA

Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to U.S. national parents may be both a U.S. national and a national of the country of birth.

An individual having one nationality at birth may naturalize at a later date in another country and become a dual national.

It goes without saying that to enter USA you must present its own passport and not that of Norway, and vice versa.

Claiming Asylum In Norway

You can apply for protection in Norway if you have been the victim of harassment and abuse (persecution) in your home country. You must be in Norway or at the Norwegian border to claim asylum.

How To Claim Protection

Contact the police as soon as you arrive in Norway.
Once the police have registered you as an asylum seeker, they will issue you with a special asylum seeker card.
You will be given a medical check, something to eat and overnight accommodation.
If you are granted asylum, you have to book an appointment with the police at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI)
You must renew your asylum seeker card every six months while you are waiting for your application for asylum to be decided.

The asylum seeker card is not an identity document. In other words, it is not valid proof of your identity.

The card affirms that you are allowed to stay in Norway while your application for asylum is being considered. An asylum seeker card does not give you permission to work in Norway.

Common Reasons For Citizenship Denial In Norway

You might not be able to apply for Norway citizenship, or it may be denied to you for the following reasons:

Unable To Have Identity Verified

This may be the case due to an expired passport. In the case of forged documents, it might even lead some to jail due to breakage of law.

It includes ineligibility due to residency requirements, security concerns, or violations of immigration laws.
A denied citizenship application may be the result of having a criminal record.
Failure to pay taxes is a common reason for rejection of citizenship.
Not meeting standards for good moral character.
Failure to register for selective services.
Not having had residency in Norway for the required and set time period.

In the scenario where your citizenship application is rejected, you will receive a letter from the citizenship authorities stating the cause of your rejection.

Unlike many different kinds of visas, an application denial can be appealed and, in some cases, revoked.

How Can You Lose Norwegian Citizenship

A person who acquired Norwegian citizenship at birth, but who has not resided in Norway for a total period of two years or in Norway and other Nordic countries for a total of seven years shall lose his or her Norwegian citizenship upon reaching the age of 22.

A person who loses their citizenship cannot continue to live in Norway, either for a limited period of time or for the rest of their life.

Re-naturalization Of Norwegian Citizenship

If you have renounced your citizenship in the past or have lost it for reasons that do not include criminal activity, you can apply for re-naturalization.

The process is the same as that of applying for naturalization the first time, in addition to this, you will have to give up all previous citizenship of Norway.

The law on losing citizenship, dual citizenship and retaining citizenship is inherently complicated, so much so that it is strongly advised to receive the counsel of dedicated legal professionals in the field of Norwegian immigration law.

Other Reasons Why You Should Attain Citizenship In Norway

Most of the people speak English as Norwegians love to practice their English as they have all studied it at school.

Another great plus is that university education is free as it is state funded.

Driving on the national tourist routes will provide you with many memorable moments as Norway has some of the most exquisite sites in the world.

Norway has a law called “allemannsrett” which gives you the right to put up a tent anywhere you like in Norway. If you are into hiking and camping, this makes Norway a paradise. It also makes things cheaper as hostels and hotels can be expensive.

Growing old in Norway is also very beneficial. If you fulfill certain requirements, elderly citizens over the age of 67 will receive a state pension of $1,000 a month. Workers also enjoy a shorter working week of 37.5 hours and they have longer paid holidays of 25 working days.

You can get banknotes at the ATMs, as many shops might necessitate customers to use Norwegian debit cards instead of an international debit card for their own convenience.

Be that as it may, almost all establishments now also accept electronic payment by card or phone. Once you have your bank account set up, you can do almost everything online.

Health care is more or less free for everybody in Norway.

The oil sector is the country’s largest and most important industry, constituting over half of Norway’s exports. On top of that, it is the third largest exporter of natural gas in the world, behind Russia and Qatar.

This goes to show the job opportunity in Norway not only very high but also increasing rapidly.

Oil, gas, seafood, and products from energy-intensive industry are among Norway’s main export commodities. These industries are rapidly increasing in size providing a vast range of employment opportunities.

It is estimated that the Norwegian government spends more than 6.6% of its GDP on education which is one of the highest in the world. It also has very high level of education and a very small dropout rate.

Conclusion

There you have it—your roadmap to becoming as Norwegian as lutefisk and midnight sun. As you embark on this journey to citizenship, keep in mind that every kroner spent and form filled is a stepping stone to a life in one of the world’s happiest countries.

So go ahead, take the leap; Norway is worth it.

Forever Home!

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