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RESIDENCY PERMITS

Can you travel in and out of Norway if you lose your residence card?

Many foreigners in Norway have a residence card which must be presented when you enter and exit the country. So, what happens if you misplace it?

Pictured is a Norwegian residence card for those who were granted residence under the withdrawal agreement.
These are the travel rules for when you lose your residence card. Pictured is a Norwegian residence card for those who were granted residence under the withdrawal agreement. Photo provided by the Norwegian Immigration Directorate.

Most of those from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) will need to be granted a residence permit, whether for workers, students or family members, to be a legal resident of Norway.

Once granted the right to live in Norway, you’ll receive a residence card or permit. The permit is your primary way of proving you are a legal resident of Norway and have a right to live in the country. 

However, there may be times when you will be left without a residence permit, such as if you’ve lost it, you’ve reapplied for residence and have yet to receive your card, or it expires. So what are the rules for travelling when you don’t have your card? 

Technically, you can leave Norway, but you will have a tough time travelling and may be refused entry to Norway and other countries while at the border. 

This is because the residence card is your only way of proving that you have the legal right to enter and proof that you haven’t overstayed in the EEA/EA as a third-country national. 

“Even if they have applied (for a new card) in time, they may have trouble travelling in and out of Norway while waiting for a new permit. This is because they don’t have a valid residence card. Without the residence card, they can be stopped at border control in other countries. They may also have trouble getting into Norway again when they return,” Per-Jan Brekke, a senior press adviser at the Norwegian Immigration Directorate (UDI), told The Local previously.

READ MORE: What are my rights while I wait for my Norwegian residence permit to be extended?

“If they are staying abroad when their residence permit expires, they risk not being allowed back into Norway,” Brekke added. 

Furthermore, if, for whatever reason, you don’t have your residence card and need to travel abroad, the UDI can’t provide you with any written confirmation or proof that you are a legal resident that can be used to enter Norway or other countries. 

“We can`t write confirmations that can be used for travel and which airlines and other countries’ authorities will accept. All travels without a residence card will therefore be at your own risk,” Brekke said. 

Additionally, the UDI writes on its website that you cannot have the process of getting a new residence card sped up if you are planning on travelling. 

For this reason, the UDI advises you not to leave Norway if you do not have a valid passport and residence card. 

READ MORE: How to replace a Norwegian residence card if you lose it

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RESIDENCY PERMITS

The Norwegian vocab you need to understand the citizenship process

Many people who have settled in Norway aim to become citizens. The process involves some specific terminology you'll want to familiarise yourself with.

The Norwegian vocab you need to understand the citizenship process

Norway, a country often dubbed the envy of the world due to its social safety net, high standard of living, and jaw-dropping natural sights, often leaves a lasting impression on those who move here.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that many who move to this Scandinavian country develop a connection to it, leading them to consider becoming Norwegian citizens.

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

However, the journey to Norwegian citizenship is not without its complexities. The process is layered with various steps and requirements that can vary depending on your background and individual circumstances.

Adding to the challenge is the specific terminology used in the citizenship process.

Basic considerations

Like any legal procedure, obtaining Norwegian citizenship (Norwegian:statsborgerskap) involves a host of specific terms and phrases that are crucial for applicants to understand.

In this article, we will focus on the process for European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals, as put forward by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

First of all, if you live in Norway with a valid residence permit (Norwegian: oppholdstillatelse), note that it’s essential to ensure that your residence permit remains valid not only when you apply but also while your application (Norwegian: søknad) is being processed.

If your permit is close to expiring, remember to renew it (Norwegian:å fornye) at least one month before it expires (Norwegian: å utløpe).

The requirements (Norwegian: kravene) for Norwegian citizenship aren’t uniform for everyone.

Factors such as age, who you are married to, and when you arrived in Norway can affect how long you must have lived in Norway before applying.

You can learn more about the application process – and challenges often related to it – in The Local’s deep dive on the topic.

Other key requirements: Application fee, language and social studies tests

An application fee (Norwegian: søknadsgebyr) must be paid when you submit your citizenship application (Norwegian: søknad om statsborgerskap).

Verifying your identity is usually done through presenting an ID document (Norwegian: ID-dokument), such as a passport (Norwegian: pass).

Applicants must have been residing permanently in Norway (Norwegian: bo fast i Norge) at the time of application and plan to continue living in the country.

Typically, applicants aged between 18 and 67 years must pass Norwegian language tests (Norwegian: norskprøve) and a social studies test (Norwegian: prøve i samfunnskunnskap).

You can find out more about the two tests here (for the Norwegian language one) and here (for the social studies test) in our explainers.

The standard citizenship requirement involves having lived in Norway for at least eight of the past eleven years, with each residence permit valid for at least one year.

There are several exceptions to this rule, relating to refugees (Norwegian: flyktninger) and asylum seekers (Norwegian: asylsøker), financially independent individuals, and those who were born in Norway or moved to the country before the age of 18.

Other requirements exist, which we cover in more detail in articles that focus on the application process itself.

Dual citizenship and other important details

Since January 1st, 2020, Norway has allowed dual citizenship (Norwegian: dobbelt statsborgerskap), which means you can retain another nationality (Norwegian: å beholde det andre statsborgerskapet) without losing your Norwegian citizenship.

However, it’s important to check the regulations (Norwegian: reguleringer) of your current country of citizenship because some countries do not allow dual citizenship.

Understanding the terms we highlighted above not only eases communication with immigration authorities (Norwegian: immigrasjonsmyndigheter) but also enhances your own understanding of the process’s requirements and expectations.

This, in turn, helps alleviate stress and build confidence, making the entire process more managable.

Note that, as we have explained, becoming eligible for Norwegian citizenship is a process which takes years.

When you finally submit your documents (Norwegian: å sende inn dokumenter), you could find out whether you have been successful in a couple of months or up to two years. 

The Local has an explainer that looks at why some Norwegian citizenship applications take much longer than others.

Keep in mind that if you’re unsure about any details of your citizenship application, it’s always best to reach out directly to the UDI.

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