This section provides an overview of how long it takes to process citizenship applications received by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
The period taken to process a case is calculated from the day you submit your application to the police until the day the UDI takes a decision on the case or until citizenship is granted.
Applications from which important information is missing take longer to process, and such applications may, in some cases, be rejected due to missing information or documentation.
Information for those who applies after September 6th 2012
Case-processing times for citizenship for those who applies after September 6th 2012
| Type of case |
Number of months |
|
Application for citizenship |
6 |
|
Notification of citizenship |
1 |
|
Application to retain citizenship |
2 |
| Appeal |
5 |
Information for those who applied before September 6th 2012
In September 2012, the UDI changed the way we process applications for Norwegian citizenship. We do this in order to reduce the case processing times.
During a period of transition to the new system, many of those who applied after September 6th 2012 will receive an answer before those who applied before September 6th. We understand that this may seem unfair, but we believe it is necessary in a transitional phase while we are establishing our new routines. When this transitional phase is over, we hope that the case processing times will be reduced for everyone.
Case-processing times for citizenship for those who applied before September 6th 2012
| Type of case |
Number of months |
|
Application for citizenship |
14 |
|
Notification of citizenship |
1 |
|
Application to retain citizenship |
2 |
| Appeal |
5 |
Case processing times varies
Information about case-processing times is only intended as a guide. Some cases make take shorter or longer time to process.
The case-processing times indicate how long it has taken us to process most of the applications in the last three months.
Not constant
The table is updated every third month and the information is changed if the case processing times are changed. This means that the case-processing times for your application can be changed after it has been submitted.
- Check that you meet the conditions for the permit you are applying for .
- Make sure you provide all the documentation required.
- Be sure to fill in all the necessary fields on the application form.
- If you meet the requirements to obtain the permit for which you are applying and submit a fully filled-in application and all the documentation required, the UDI will usually process your application within the period stated in the table at the time.
When the UDI receives the application it is recorded in the archive and then sent on to the unit that is to process the application. (Case-flow diagram for citizenship applications)
Applications are then examined by the units and it is established whether the applicant meets the relevant conditions, whether the forms have been filled in correctly and whether all the documentation is in place.
Incomplete applications may be sent to the local police district in order to obtain more information or documentation. In some circumstances the UDI will also directly contact parties to whom the applicant may have granted power of attorney (power of attorney form) in order to obtain information that is lacking. If important information is missing it can take longer than the specified case-processing time to process an application.
Once a decision has been taken, the official processing the case writes a notice of decision letter and sends it to the police district where the application was submitted or where the applicant intends to live. The police pass on the decision to the applicant. In the case of the granting of citizenship, the decision is sent directly to the applicant, whereas the letter conveying citizenship is sent to the police, who will pass it on to the applicant.
It takes a few days or weeks from when the UDI takes a decision until the applicant finds out the verdict. The length of that period is dependent, amongst other things, on the postal service and the workload of the police who are to pass on the decision.
Application form and notification form
Power of attorney form
