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NORWEGIAN CITIZENSHIP

Checklist: Am I eligible for Norwegian citizenship? 

Norwegian citizenship has plenty of benefits, but it is not a quick process, and it isn’t always clear whether you meet all the requirements. Here’s what you need to know about when you can apply and the requirements you’ll need to meet. 

Published: 20 February 2023 16:20 CET
Pictured is Trolltunga.
Here's how you can tell when you are eligible for Norwegian citizenship? Pictured is Trolltunga.Photo by Dong Zhang on Unsplash

Who is eligible? 

The most common route to Norwegian citizenship is through being a legal resident in Norway for long enough or being born to one of two Norwegian parents. The second route isn’t guaranteed for older adults. Secondly, it isn’t possible to qualify for Norwegian citizenship through ancestry. Therefore grandparents or great-grandparents don’t count. 

As the rules for citizenship through birth mainly apply to children, we will not focus on them in this article. However, you can find much more detailed information here. 

Residency rules 

The residency period you’ll have to wait to become eligible for Norwegian citizenship will actually depend on a few factors. 

Typically, you will need to have been a legal resident (meaning you have had valid residence permits or met the EEA regulations for the duration of this period) of Norway for six or eight years. 

This is due to the “sufficient income” requirements which allow those who have earned above a wage threshold to qualify for citizenship sooner. A sufficient income is a total income that covers at least three times the basic amount in the National Insurance Scheme (3G).

One thing to note is that this amount can change as the minimum is adjusted. The basic amount is updated every year. As of May 2022, it was 11,477 kroner. Therefore, a sufficient income for applications submitted before May 2023 and after May 2022 would be 334,431 kroner. 

Those with a sufficient income in the last year can apply for citizenship (provided they meet the other requirements) after six years. Those without a sufficient income can apply after spending eight out of the past 11 years in Norway. 

Those with a spouse or partner in Norway can apply after five out of ten years in Norway, provided their combined time living in Norway and in a relationship is more than seven years. Time living abroad can count towards this total. 

Researchers and those with Nordic citizenship are also eligible for citizenship quicker too. 

Are you aware of the language requirements? 

As of October 2022, you must have passed an oral Norwegian test at a minimum of B1 level to be considered eligible for citizenship if you are between 18 and 67. Those over 55 are only required to pass at the A2 level. 

You can find more information about the language test requirements here.

Do you have a valid passport? 

During the process, you will be required to verify your identity. This means you will need to present your passport and any other supporting documents to a police station. 

Therefore, having a valid passport is a must. 

Have you been convicted of any criminal acts? 

Being convicted of a criminal act can disqualify a potential applicant from requiring citizenship. This is because those convicted of crimes are blocked from citizenship as they are required to serve a disqualification period.  

The length of the disqualification period depends on the severity of the punishment. The shortest period is 2.5 years. 

Applicants aged over 15 are required to order a criminal record certificate which verifies their conduct while in Norway. This shouldn’t be ordered until you have an appointment with the police, however. In addition, the certificate must be no older than three months after submitting your application documents. Without it, your application will be rejected. 

Do you hold permanent residency/ are you eligible for permanent residence? 

To be eligible for citizenship, you must be simultaneously eligible for permanent residency or already the holder of permanent residence. 

This means that if you are a permanent resident and meet all the other requirements for citizenship, you are eligible. 

However, non-permanent residents will need to familiarise themselves with the permanent residence requirements and ensure they meet all of those to remain eligible for citizenship. In addition, they will need to remain eligible for permanent residence while the application is processed. This can take as long as 18 months. 

Have you passed the social studies or citizenship test in Norwegian? 

To be eligible for Norwegian citizenship, you must have passed either the social studies test or the citizenship test in Norwegian to qualify for citizenship. 

Social studies tests are typically taken when doing the language and social studies course that some foreign residents have to do. 

The citizenship test is a separate test which can also help one become eligible to become Norwegian.

Where to check if you are eligible and other things to know

Norway’s citizenship requirements can differ slightly depending on your own situation, so the best way to identify what directly applies to you is to use the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration’s (UDI) web portal. 

Once you enter your nationality and residence type, you’ll be given more specific information about what applies to you. 

And finally, it’s worth pointing out that you will need to pay an application fee in order to apply for Norwegian citizenship. 

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NORWEGIAN CITIZENSHIP

‘It’s not an easy journey’: The challenges of getting Norwegian citizenship

It’s a long road to Norwegian citizenship. Thankfully, The Local’s readers have shared their insights on what to expect from the process and their motivations for applying.

Published: 22 March 2024 13:06 CET
'It's not an easy journey': The challenges of getting Norwegian citizenship

The number of people applying for Norwegian citizenship has increased sharply since Norway allowed dual citizenship in 2020, and application levels have remained high since.

The possibility of taking up Norwegian citizenship without having to relinquish one’s current nationality has led to a significant increase in the number of potential applicants wondering what the process is like.

Thankfully, some of Norway’s newer, or future, citizens recently took the time to fill out a survey that we ran on the process, so a huge thanks to those who participated.

When it came to the reasons for applying in the first place, the reasons were more varied than just the appeal of dual citizenship.

Lindsay, originally from the UK but who has lived in Norway for more than 14 years, said it was partially about restoring some rights lost due to Brexit.

“Following Brexit, I have lost my right to move/work across Europe. I feared that my job would move to Copenhagen, and I wanted to be prepared. I was tired of the long passport queue at Schiphol Airport and endless passport stamping as I travelled home to visit family in the UK,” she responded.

Eduardo, from Mexico, also wanted to secure more rights. In his case, he wanted more flexibility compared to permanent residence.

“To have more rights and be able to live in Norway regardless of the time I spend abroad. With PR (permanent residence), you lose it if you live abroad for more than two years. Citizenship will allow me to accept a job outside of Norway and come back after a few years without problems,” he said.

Others said they saw Norway as their long-term home and that becoming Norwegian felt natural after so many years in the country.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) got top marks from readers for making the requirements easy to understand.

“The requirements were clear and straightforward. I took language lessons to prepare me specifically for the exams, and I learned the citizenship information off by heart. Documenting my travels in the 14 years since I moved here took a bit more time to collate,” Lindsay wrote.

However, those applying should also be warned that the application can be pretty lengthy, and some found collecting all the paperwork to be quite challenging.

“I cannot say it has been an easy journey, but I am sure it will be worth it. The paperwork, requirements and hoop jumping feel endless at times. And the language and social studies requirements are frustrating,”  said Yvette, who lives in Bergen. 

She added that the social studies and language tests made sense from an integration point of view.

Plenty of others also pointed to the language requirements as one of the more challenging aspects of the application.

“Learning a new language while working full time. The waiting time is bad, but from what I understand, that’s now the norm worldwide,” a reader living in Asker said when asked about the most challenging aspect.

Applicants typically need to pass an oral Norwegian exam at the B1 level, ranked as ‘intermediate’ under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The Local has spoken to language schools about how long it can take to meet the language requirements with lessons.

Bearing in mind that everyone’s capacity to learn languages is different, the schools said that reaching the required level would take around four and a half months of lessons, or 48 classroom hours, on top of 150 hours of independent practice.

When it comes to waiting times, the median waiting time as of early 2024 was 404 days. However, the directorate’s website estimates waiting times of 24 months on average.

READ ALSO: How long does it take to get Norwegian citizenship in 2024?

The waiting times meant Lindsay lost her job when her employer moved her role out of the country and wasn’t prepared to wait for her application to come through.

“It took me 19 months to get to the top of the pile. I lost my job in the process, as I had feared, my role moved to Copenhagen and my company were not prepared to wait for my citizenship to come through, and I was not prepared to abandon my application,” she said.

The cost of applying was another hurdle mentioned frequently. The application costs 6,500 kroner at the time of writing – however, language courses, social studies and citizenship exams all add to the overall cost.

Thankfully, if the thought of applying suddenly has you feeling overwhelmed, applicants also shared their tips.

“Start learning Norwegian immediately,” Yvette said.

“Take your time and be patient. This isn’t going to happen overnight, and you need to put in the effort,” the reader from Asker responded.

One reader, who has lived in Bergen for 11 years but didn’t leave a name, said being as thorough as possible would help.

“Make sure you have the correct documentation, check and check again. Be organised, rather have more than what is needed and make multiple copies of everything you hand in,” they said.

Meanwhile, Lindsay said that she wished she had applied even sooner.

“Go for it. As a Brit, I believe it makes me more attractive for roles in Norway. I wish I had prepared and applied as soon as the dual citizenship permission was in place,” she said.

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