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Reader question: Can you be granted Norwegian citizenship through ancestry?

Norwegian citizenship is an attractive proposition, especially as dual citizenship is allowed. What are the rules for becoming a Norwegian citizen if your relatives are from Norway? 

Published: 13 October 2023 15:15 CEST
Pictured is the city of Ålesund at night from a viewpoint.
Can you move to Norway and become a citizen if your grandparents were Norwegian? Pictured is the city of Ålesund at night from a viewpoint. Photo by Samuel Han on Unsplash

Question: My grandparents were Norwegian. Can I become a Norwegian citizen and move to Norway? 

Several countries allow foreign nationals to become naturalised if they are connected to the country through ancestry, such as grandparents. 

Norway only allows the first generation born to Norwegian nationals to become citizens. This means that you will not be eligible for citizenship if you have a Norwegian grandparent or grandparents.

The same applies to other extended family members. 

READ ALSO: Eight key advantages of Norwegian citizenship

What are the rules? 

All children born to a Norwegian citizen after September 1st 2006, automatically become Norwegian citizens at birth. The rule applies regardless of whether the child was born abroad or the child’s parents were married at the time. 

The rules for offspring before 2006 are tighter, though. Those born before this date are Norwegian citizens from birth if their mother was Norwegian.

They also become citizens if their father was Norwegian and married to the mother before the birth, if the father died before birth and was married to the mother at the time of his death. 

If the father was Norwegian and not married to the mother, those under 18 can easily become Norwegian citizens by handing in a notification of Norwegian citizenship. This can be done in Norway or from abroad. This rule will no longer exist when the last child born after September 1st turns 18. 

Those before 1979 are required to contact the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, as per the immigration directorate’s advice. 

If these rules do not apply to you, but you had a Norwegian parent when you were born, then you can apply for a residence permit. 

The residence permit requires one of your parents to have been Norwegian when you were born, and you are required to have an income of at least 296,550 kroner. This is on top of paying an application fee. 

Once you have a permit, it is possible to work towards becoming eligible for Norwegian citizenship through the other requirements, such as language skills, earnings, residence length, passing a citizenship exam, and obtaining a police certificate. 

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READER QUESTIONS

Reader question: Does Norway have a ‘golden visa’ option? 

Some countries offer visas to prospective residents who can pay their own way while living in the country. One reader wants to know whether Norway has such a scheme. 

Published: 10 April 2024 14:32 CEST
Reader question: Does Norway have a 'golden visa' option? 

Question: I want to move to Norway and would like to know whether an investment or property visa scheme is available, as other permit types may not be relevant to me. 

Do you have a question about Norway, or is there something about the country you’d like to know more about? You can send your questions to us at: [email protected]. 

Investment and property visa schemes, also called ‘golden visas,’ fast-track the residence and citizenship process for foreign residents who will be self-sufficient while living in the country or who might bring investment to the country. 

Such schemes offer residence through various methods, such as purchasing property or making a large investment or donation. 

Spain, Italy, and Greece are examples of countries that offer such residence arrangements, although the Spanish government has announced plans to crack down on them. 

When it comes to Norway, no such scheme currently exists for non-EEA nationals. The only residence permits on offer are for work, education, family reunification, and asylum seekers. More information on these specific permit types can be found on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration’s website. 

One workaround could be obtaining a skilled worker permit for self-employed persons. However, you will need to establish a sole proprietorship in Norway, and the business must require your skills as a skilled worker to operate. 

This means you must have completed a degree or studied a vocational program for three years, equivalent to a Norwegian qualification. More information can be found on the UDI’s website.

For residents who benefit from Freedom of Movement under the EEA regulations, EEA nationals with their “own funds” can move to Norway. 

You will need to live off your own funds in Norway and will not be entitled to financial assistance or benefits from the Norwegian authorities. You will also need to have the money to support the family members that you are bringing with you. 

In addition, you will need to take out an insurance policy that covers health services in Norway for 12 months. 

There are financial requirements. If you are single, you will initially need to have at least 158,621 kroner per year at your disposal. However, this isn’t really enough money to live on in Norway, so you would need to supplement this with work. Should you get a job, you will no longer be required to have health insurance. 

To prove you have the income to sustain yourself, you must provide a bank statement that proves you have the required amount, that you regularly receive money into your account, or a statement that shows you receive a pension from your home country. You will also need to be able to show where this money is from. 

Retirees are required to also have an S1 health certificate. 

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