The Norwegian Parliament has adopted a new law on citizenship. The law enters into force on 1st September.
Important changes
The new law brings several changes in the requirements that have to be fulfilled in order to be granted Norwegian citizenship. For instance, there are new rules for the calculation of length of residence. Before, the applicant had to have been a permanent resident for the past seven years continuously. The new law states that the applicant must have been a resident for seven of the last ten years.
In addition, the age limit for persons who wish to apply for Norwegian citizenship independently of the citizenship of their parents has been lowered from 18 to 12 years of age. Parents still have to give their consent if the applicant is under the age of 18.
Changes have also been made in regards to the citizenship automatically granted to children. Under the old law, the citizenship of a child born to a Norwegian father and a foreign mother depended on whether its parents were married or not. The new law makes both parents equal, with the result that all children with one Norwegian parent automatically becomes a Norwegian citizen at birth.
As a general rule, the new law does not allow for dual citizenship. Persons must still renounce their previous citizenship(s) in order to acquire a Norwegian one. If this is not documented, the Norwegian citizenship can be revoked.
Processing of applications which have already been received
Applications that have been submitted before 1st September 2006 will be processed according to the legal provisions, old or new, which favours the applicant. This means that applicants who do not fulfil the requirements for citizenship under the old law, may be eligible under the provisions of the new law.
Information about the new citizenship law:
