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MILITARY

Do dual citizens need to complete Norway’s mandatory military service? 

Citizens of Norway can be called up for national service, but how does this work in reality for dual citizens? 

Pictured is a Norwegian soldier.
Will dual citizens in Norway be required to do national service? File photo: A soldier from the Norwegian Armed Forces participates in the international military exercise Cold Response 22, at Setermoen, North of in Norway. Photo by Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Norway has compulsory military service ingrained into its Constitution, which outlines that every subject of the state “is equally bound to serve in defence of their country for a specific period of time”. 

This applies to all Norwegian citizens fit for service in the army from the year they turn 19. The requirement applies to both men and women equally. However, women born before 1997 are exempt. 

Foreign nationals who reside in Norway and have a permanent connection to the country may also be required to carry out military service unless an agreement with their country prohibits this. 

READ ALSO: Are the children of foreigners in Norway subject to compulsory military service?

When it comes to dual citizens, they are also subject to military service provided they are a resident of the country, and there is no agreement with the other country they are a citizen of that prevents such a service. 

Furthermore, Norwegian citizens who are also – or have been – citizens of a country with which Norway is at war are exempt from service in the Armed Forces.

Those aged up to 44 can be conscripted for national military service. For those who have been in the military after being conscripted or to officer school, the age limit is 55. 

However, despite seeming pretty nailed on that you will need to do military service, it works slightly differently in reality. 

So, how does it work in reality? 

If you gain citizenship after turning 19, the chances of being called up for national service during peacetime are pretty low. 

This is because, at 19, all men and women in Norway are required to meet the military for a muster.

At the muster, you will undergo health checks and be required to answer questions about joining the military. Essentially, they will try to gauge your interest. When it comes to military service, mutual interest is essential for the military. 

In most cases, if you aren’t interested in the army, they won’t be too interested in you. This is because the Armed Forces can typically conscript enough interested recruits. 

Only around 15 per cent of 19-year-olds are actually called up for military service after the muster. Even then, some are sent home or later deemed unfit. Still, some candidates are called up against their wishes and are required to undertake national service. 

If you are drafted, you can expect to serve between 12 to 18 months of unpaid military service. If you are conscripted from the muster for 18-and 19-year-olds, this is typically referred to as førstegangstjeneste or first-time service. 

You are far less likely to be called up for military service if you haven’t attended the muster for all 18-and-19 year-olds. 

While rare, you can also be called up for first-time service if you missed the muster for 18- and 19-year-olds. This is because, technically, the military can draft people up to the age of 28 for first-time service. Those who are older and have special expertise can also be called up. 

Although, in most cases, it is unlikely the military will call up someone who has not attended the national muster and has no interest in joining the military. 

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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.

'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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