If you as an EEA national have had continuous legal residence in Norway for at least five years, you can apply for a document certifying permanent legal residence. Members of your family may also be entitled to permanent residence, regardless of their citizenship.
Who can be granted permanent right of residence in Norway?
EEA nationals
As an EEA national, you have permanent right of residence if you have had a residence or work permit or right of residence in Norway for a continuous period of five years, either as employee, self-employed person, service provider, person with sufficient funds, student, family member or a combination of the above. The document certifying permanent legal residence is issued on application and it is valid indefinitely.
Members of EEA nationals' families who are not EEA nationals
If you are a member of an EEA national’s family but you are not an EEA national, you can apply for a permanent residence card if you have had legal residence in Norway for five consecutive years. A permanent residence card is valid for ten years. The card is renewed automatically (no need to apply).
Exemption from the five years’ continuous legal residence requirement
You may be granted permanent right of residence in Norway without a continuous period of five years’ residence if you:
- are retiring and you have resided legally in Norway for at least three consecutive years. You must also have worked the last 12 months in Norway.
- have resided in Norway for more than two consecutive years and have become permanently incapacitated for work. If your incapacity for work is the result of an accident at work or occupational illness which gives you full or partial entitlement to public benefits, no requirements are made of the duration of your residence.
- have worked and resided in Norway for three consecutive years, work in another EEA country but still reside in Norway and commute to your place of residence at least once a week.
What is not considered a breach of the ’continuous residence’ requirement?
- Less than six months’ continuous residence abroad in the course of 12 months.
- Residence abroad due to pregnancy, childbirth, research stays, serious illness, studies or vocational training, for no longer than 12 months.
- Residence abroad as a result of military or civilian national service.
EEA nationals who are family members of employees in Norway may be granted permanent right of residence although the employee is not entitled to permanent residence if:
- the employee dies and the family member has legally resided in Norway for a continuous period of two years, or
- the employee dies as a result of an accident at work or an occupational illness
How to apply
You can register your application for a document certifying permanent legal residence or a permanent residence card electronically online. You must subsequently appear in person at a police station or the service centre for foreign workers to submit documentation of five years' continuous legal residence. Applications for a document certifying permanent legal residence or permanent residence card must be submitted to the police where you live or at the service centre for foreign workers.
What must be enclosed with the application?
You must document that you have resided legally in Norway for a continuous period of at least five years.
You must document that you have met the requirements for all of the five years you have resided in Norway. The documentation you must enclose depends on the basis for your residence in Norway.
You can document that you have had a residence permit or that you have been registered for the last five years. In addition, you must submit documentation that you have a basis for residence at the time of application.
You can, for example, submit one of the following documents as confirmation that you have resided in Norway for a continuous period of more than five years:
- Transcript from the population register
- Tax returns for the last five years
- Certificate of Pay and Tax Deducted
- Travel document with entry stamp
- All the applicant's employment contracts for the last five years
- Semester card, admission to an approved educational institution
- Insurance payments received
- Benefits received from home country
- Bank statements
You can appeal the decision
