One of the perks of obtaining citizenship is being given a Norwegian passport. The document allows unrestricted travel across the EEA for those who did not already possess the right. 

This privilege can also come with faster passport queues when returning to Norway or travelling to countries with automated gates for EEA passport holders. 

The Norwegian passport is also the 20th most powerful passport in the world. It allows visa-free travel to 127 countries around the globe. In addition, visa on arrival is granted when travelling to another 47 countries, while only 24 nations require a visa from a Norwegian passport holder. 

However, it can take a while to obtain a Norwegian passport after you are granted Norwegian citizenship. 

READ MORE: Eight key advantages of Norwegian citizenship

Once you have received a citizenship decision from the UDI into your digital mailbox, you can book an appointment for a Norwegian passport and ID card. 

This can be done one week after you have received the decision. The passport and ID card are handled by the police rather than the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). 

You are required to wait a week so that the National Population Register can be updated to reflect that you are a Norwegian citizen and not a foreign national. 

When you can book an appointment with the police, you will need to head to the website of the Norwegian police force and use their portal to book an ID card and passport. You can order both in the same appointment. 

Should you only wish to hold the passport, you can choose to only apply for that. 

The portal allows you to try and book an appointment closest to you. Appointment slots can be available within two to six weeks, depending on where you live and whether there is a high demand for passports at the time of your application. 

At the police appointment, you are required to bring the letter and citizenship decision from the UDI. You are also required to bring your residence card, as well as your passport (from your other nationality) or valid identification. 

A passport costs 570 kroner, and the ID costs the same. If you order both together, you pay 920 kroner instead. 

The expected delivery time is not guaranteed, but currently, it takes around a week for both passports and national ID cards to arrive. 

Those granted Norwegian citizenship while aboard should contact their nearest embassy or mission to see if they can order their first Norwegian passport there. 

If not, they may be required to travel back to Norway to get the passport. This is complicated by the fact that once citizenship is granted, one’s residence permit ceases to be valid. 

This means it can be challenging to prove you have the travel rights of a Norwegian citizen when travelling between countries. At the Norwegian border, you will likely be asked why you are travelling on a foreign travel document and why you do not have a Norwegian passport. 

EEA passport holders should have an easier time returning to Norway than those from outside the EEA.