You will have to satisfy the requirements for a permanent residence permit on the day when we process your application for citizenship

This stipulation differs from the rules that apply if you also have an application for a permanent residence permit in with UDI.

  • If you apply for permanent residency, you only need to meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit on the application date (i.e. the date when you hand in your documents at the police station). The income requirement (self-sufficiency) for the 12 previous months will be based on the 12-month period which ends on the application date.
  • If you do not have a permanent residence permit and you have not applied for one, then all requirements for a permanent residence permit must be fulfilled on the date a decision is reached concerning your citizenship application (i.e. the date on which your application for Norwegian citizenship is processed by UDI). The income requirement (self-sufficiency) for the 12 previous months will be based on the 12-month period which ends on the date when your application for Norwegian citizenship is processed (decision date).

In our experience, we find that many applicants who meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit on the day they submit their application for Norwegian citizenship, no longer meet the requirements on the day that we process their applications for Norwegian citizenship.

The waiting time for applications for Norwegian citizenship can be long, and an applicant’s status can change in this time. For example, we experience that many applicants no longer fulfil the income requirement when we process their citizenship application and, consequently, their application is rejected.

Relevant examples include:

  • You had enough income in the 12 months before you submitted your application for Norwegian citizenship, but your level of income no longer fulfils the requirement when your application is processed.
  • You were a school pupil or student during the two semesters immediately prior to submitting your application for Norwegian citizenship, but not during the two semesters before your application is processed by UDI.
  • You were under 25 years of age and taking part in primary or secondary education (with juvenile rights) for two semesters when you applied for Norwegian citizenship, but you are too old to qualify for juvenile rights when the time comes for UDI to process your application.
  • You were younger than 18 years and not subject to requirements for self-sufficiency when you applied for Norwegian citizenship, but you are 18 years of age at the time UDI processes your application. Consequently, requirements for self-sufficiency have come into effect. 
  • You were younger than 16 years and had no rights to training and testing in Norwegian language and social studies when you applied for Norwegian citizenship. However, you had become 16 years of age by the time UDI processed your application. Consequently, you must normally have completed mandatory training and testing in Norwegian and social studies, provided that you were issued your first permit that forms the basis for permanent residency before 1 January 2021.