As a member of an EEA national's family your right to residence in Norway is connected to the EEA national's (sponsor’s) right of residence. If you, as a non-EEA national, wish to stay in Norway for more than three months, you must apply for a residence card.
Where can you apply?
You can apply through your local police district, from a Norwegian foreign service mission or at the service centre for foreign workers. If you are subject to a visa requirement, you must have a visa to enter Norway
What must be enclosed with the application?
- Application form
- A copy of a valid passport
- Documentation of the family relationship (e.g. birth certificates of children, marriage certificates of spouses, documentation of partnership, transcript from population register, joint rent contracts/purchase contracts, joint loans etc. with a cohabitant, documentation of cohabitants expecting or having children together).
- Documentation that the person you are applying for family reunification with has right of residence pursuant to the EEA regulations (registration certificate or other documentation).
- Documentation that you are supported, if you are:
- child or grandchild over the age of 21.
- parent or grandparent of the sponsor or the sponsor’s
spouse/partner or cohabitant.
- other family members who have no other family in their
home country and who are members of the EEA national’s
household and are supported by him/her, or family members
with serious health problems who can only be cared for by
the sponsor.
You must show the original documents of the above documentation when you submit your application.
If the person whom you are applying for family immigration with is here as a student or has right of residence on the basis of sufficient funds (own funds or permanent periodical benefits), you must enclose a declaration from the sponsor in your application stating that he/she will finance your stay in Norway. The person who lives in Norway must also have health insurance (e.g. European health insurance card).
If you are applying for a residence card as a child, and only one of your parents is to live in Norway, you must enclose the written consent of the other parent. If not, you must submit either a court order or a birth certificate showing that the parent in Norway has sole care and control for you.
Which family members are entitled to residence?
- Spouse/partner. There are no requirements for financial support and accommodation.
- Cohabitant. Both of you must be over 18 years of age, have lived together in a permanent and established cohabitation relationship for at least two years and intend to continue living together in Norway. Neither of you can be married to other people. There are no requirements for financial support and accommodation.
- Cohabitant who has or is expecting a child with the person in Norway, although you have not lived together for two years.
- Children, grandchildren etc. under the age of 21. There are no requirements for financial support and accommodation.
- Children, grandchildren etc. over the age of 21 when they are supported by you.
- Parents, grandparents etc. when they are supported by you. The person in Norway cannot be a student.
- Persons who will get married in Norway with an EEA-citizen with right of residence. The fiance’s right of residence is only valid for 6 months and it must be likely that marriage will be entered into in this period.
The UDI can also grant residence cards to other family members supported by the person living in Norway, or who are part of his/her household in the home country. This must be documented.
What permit must the person you are applying for family immigration with have?
1) The person living in Norway is an EEA national
If you are applying for family immigration with an EEA national who has right of residence or a registration certificate in Norway, you can be granted a residence card pursuant to the EEA regulations although you are not an EEA national.
2) The person living in Norway is a Norwegian national or EEA national who has a permit pursuant to the general regulations
If you apply for family immigration with a Norwegian national or an EEA national who holds a permit pursuant to the general regulations, you must as a rule apply for family immigration pursuant to the general regulations.
Exemptions
In some cases, you will nonetheless fall under the EEA regulations as a family member of a Norwegian national. This will apply if the Norwegian national has:
- established family life with you in another EU/EEA/EFTA country.
- exercised his/her right to free movement (been an employee, self-employed, service provider, had sufficient funds or student) there, and has
- returned to Norway with you.
As a family member, you can then choose which regulations will form the basis for your application.
If the person living in Norway is an EEA national, has a permanent residence permit (previously called settlement permit) and meets the requirements for being granted a permit pursuant to the EEA regulations (e.g. is living in Norway as an employee), you can also choose which regulations you wish to use.
- If you are not an EEA national, you can choose to apply for family immigration pursuant to the EEA regulations (apply for a residence card) or apply pursuant to the general regulations.
- If you are an EEA national, you can register through the registration requirement scheme or apply pursuant to the general regulations.
3) The person in Norway is a Nordic citizen
Nordic citizens do not need to register to stay in Norway. If you want to come to Norway to live here with a family member who is a Nordic citizen, you can
• get registration certificates if you are an EEA national
• apply for a residence card under the EEA regulations, if you are not an EEA national
• apply for family reunification (temporary residence permit) in accordance with the Immigration Act and regulations for third country nationals.
It is required that the Nordic citizen living in Norway can provide documentation of the right of free movement (is employed , self-employed, a service provider, a student or has sufficient funds).
Content and duration
A residence card will normally be valid for five years unless the person you are applying for family immigration with holds a right of residence that is shorter than this. The residence card will state how long you can legally stay in Norway.
In principle, the residence card entitles you to work and run a business anywhere in Norway, unless otherwise specified in the decision. Pursuant to Norwegian law, you must be over 15 years of age to take up employment.
Permanent right of residence
After a period of five years’ continuous residence in Norway, family members of EEA nationals who are not EEA nationals themselves will be granted right of residence here. Read more about how to obtain permanent right of residence.
Case processing time
See the list of the UDI’s expected case processing times at www.udi.no/saksbehandlingstider.
You can not appeal the decision
You can not appeal the decision when you have applied for a residence card, but you may apply again.
Further questions?
If you have further questions about this topic, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, the nearest police district or the the UDI's Information Service for Applicants(OTS).
