Want to apply Citizenship for people who hold a residence permit in Norway
The applicant is the person who wishes to become a Norwegian citizen.
If you are a citizen of two or more countries, and one of them is an EU/EEA country, please choose this country.
When you apply, the UDI will consider which group you belong to, and whether you fill the requirements. Here you can check for yourself what the requirements are for the most common group of applicants. Remember that you may belong to more than one group.
What group do you belong to?
-
Over the age of 18
If you hold a valid residence permit in Norway and you live here on a permanent basis, you can apply for Norwegian citizenship. Your residence permit must be valid both when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed. Applying for Norwegian citizenship does not mean that you have a valid permit to stay in Norway. It is therefore very important that you renew your permit in the normal manner no later than one month before it expires.
Requirements for Norwegian citizenship
- You must pay an application fee.
- You must have clarified your identity. As a rule, you are required to have presented a passport.
- You must be resident in Norway and intend to continue living here in future
- You must be permanently resident in Norway when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed.
- If you are between the ages of 18 and 67, you must normally have completed approved tuition in the Norwegian language or document adequate knowledge of Norwegian or Sami and have passed an oral Norwegian test and a social studies test.
- If you over the age of 15: You must order a criminal record certificate (external website), which you must hand in with the application. If you have been convicted or fined by the police or if you are under investigation for a criminal offence, you might have to wait longer to become a Norwegian citizen.
- From 1 January 2020, it is not a requirement that you give up your original citizenship to become a Norwegian citizen. You can have one or more citizenships in addition to a Norwegian citizenship. Even so, if the country you are a citizen of now does not allow that you have more than one citizenship, you can still lose this citizenship when you become a Norwegian citizen. You must make sure what the rules are in the country you are now a citizen of. You can for example look for information on an official website which belongs to the authorities in this country or ask an embassy. You do not have to inform Norwegian authorities that you wish to keep your previous citizenship.
- You must hold or meet all the requirements of permanent residency permit. If you do not already have a permanent residency permit and do not have an application for permanent residency for processing when you apply for citizenship, it is not sufficient that you meet the requirements for permanent residency at the time you hand in the application for citizenship. You must meet the requirements when your application for citizenship is being processed by UDI. This means for example that the requirement for income (self-sufficiency) must be met the last twelve months before the application for citizenship is being treated.
- You must have stayed in Norway for a total of seven of the past ten years and have held residence permits that were each valid for at least one year.
If you were born in Norway or came here before you reached the age of 18, there is a shorter residence period requirement. You must have stayed in Norway for a total of five of the past seven years and have held residence permits that were each valid for at least one year.
-
Spouse, registered partner or cohabitant of a Norwegian citizen
If you hold a valid residence permit in Norway and you live here on a permanent basis, you can apply for Norwegian citizenship. Your residence permit must be valid both when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed. Applying for Norwegian citizenship does not mean that you have a valid permit to stay in Norway. It is therefore very important that you renew your permit in the normal manner no later than one month before it expires.
Requirements for Norwegian citizenship
- You must pay an application fee.
- You must have clarified your identity. As a rule, you are required to have presented a passport.
- You must be resident in Norway and intend to continue living here in future
- You must be permanently resident in Norway when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed.
- If you are between the ages of 18 and 67, you must normally have completed approved tuition in the Norwegian language or document adequate knowledge of Norwegian or Sami and have passed an oral Norwegian test and a social studies test.
- If you over the age of 15: You must order a criminal record certificate (external website), which you must hand in with the application. If you have been convicted or fined by the police or if you are under investigation for a criminal offence, you might have to wait longer to become a Norwegian citizen.
- From 1 January 2020, it is not a requirement that you give up your original citizenship to become a Norwegian citizen. You can have one or more citizenships in addition to a Norwegian citizenship. Even so, if the country you are a citizen of now does not allow that you have more than one citizenship, you can still lose this citizenship when you become a Norwegian citizen. You must make sure what the rules are in the country you are now a citizen of. You can for example look for information on an official website which belongs to the authorities in this country or ask an embassy. You do not have to inform Norwegian authorities that you wish to keep your previous citizenship.
- You must hold or meet all the requirements of permanent residency permit. If you do not already have a permanent residency permit and do not have an application for permanent residency for processing when you apply for citizenship, it is not sufficient that you meet the requirements for permanent residency at the time you hand in the application for citizenship. You must meet the requirements when your application for citizenship is being processed by UDI. This means for example that the requirement for income (self-sufficiency) must be met the last twelve months before the application for citizenship is being treated.
- You must have stayed in Norway for at least three of the past ten years and have held residence permits that were each valid for at least one year.
- In addition, your combined residence period and marriage period must be at least seven years.
-
Children under the age of 18 who have one Norwegian parent or apply together with one parent
If you hold a valid residence permit in Norway and you live here on a permanent basis, you can apply for Norwegian citizenship. Your residence permit must be valid both when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed. Applying for Norwegian citizenship does not mean that you have a valid permit to stay in Norway. It is therefore very important that you renew your permit in the normal manner no later than one month before it expires.
Your parents must apply
Since you are under the age of 18, your parents, or the parent who has sole parental responsibility for you, must apply for Norwegian citizenship on your behalf. If your parents are dead or have forfeited their parental responsibility, your guardian has to submit the application.
If you are over the age of 12, you have to consent to an application for Norwegian citizenship being submitted on your behalf.
Requirements for Norwegian citizenship
- You must have clarified your identity. As a rule, you are required to have presented a passport.
- You must be resident in Norway and intend to continue living here in future
- You must be permanently resident in Norway when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed.
- If you over the age of 15: You must order a criminal record certificate (external website), which you must hand in with the application. If you have been convicted or fined by the police or if you are under investigation for a criminal offence, you might have to wait longer to become a Norwegian citizen.
- You must have stayed in Norway continuously for the past two years and have held residence permits that were each valid for at least one year (applies if you are over the age of two).
- This means that you cannot have been abroad for more than two months per calendar year during the past two years.
- Nor can you have stayed in Norway without a valid permit for more than two months in total during the past two years, reckoned from the date on which we make a decision in your case.
- If you are under the age of two when you apply, there is no residence period requirement, but you must have applied for or hold a residence permit before we make a decision in your case.
- Read more about how to calculate the length of your residence period.
- From 1 January 2020, it is not a requirement that you give up your original citizenship to become a Norwegian citizen. You can have one or more citizenships in addition to a Norwegian citizenship. Even so, if the country you are a citizen of now does not allow that you have more than one citizenship, you can still lose this citizenship when you become a Norwegian citizen. You must make sure what the rules are in the country you are now a citizen of. You can for example look for information on an official website which belongs to the authorities in this country or ask an embassy. You do not have to inform Norwegian authorities that you wish to keep your previous citizenship.
-
Children over the age of 12 who apply on their own
If you hold a valid residence permit in Norway and you live here on a permanent basis, you can apply for Norwegian citizenship. Your residence permit must be valid both when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed. Applying for Norwegian citizenship does not mean that you have a valid permit to stay in Norway. It is therefore very important that you renew your permit in the normal manner no later than one month before it expires.
Your parents must apply
Since you are under the age of 18, your parents, or the parent who has sole parental responsibility for you, must apply for Norwegian citizenship on your behalf. If your parents are dead or have forfeited their parental responsibility, your guardian has to submit the application.
If you are over the age of 12, you have to consent to an application for Norwegian citizenship being submitted on your behalf.
Requirements for Norwegian citizenship
- You must have clarified your identity. As a rule, you are required to have presented a passport.
- You must be over the age of 12.
- You must be resident in Norway and intend to continue living here in future
- You must be permanently resident in Norway when you apply for Norwegian citizenship and while your application is being processed.
- You must have stayed in Norway for a total of five of the past seven years and have held residence permits that were each valid for at least one year.
- If you over the age of 15: You must order a criminal record certificate (external website), which you must hand in with the application. If you have been convicted or fined by the police or if you are under investigation for a criminal offence, you might have to wait longer to become a Norwegian citizen.
- From 1 January 2020, it is not a requirement that you give up your original citizenship to become a Norwegian citizen. You can have one or more citizenships in addition to a Norwegian citizenship. Even so, if the country you are a citizen of now does not allow that you have more than one citizenship, you can still lose this citizenship when you become a Norwegian citizen. You must make sure what the rules are in the country you are now a citizen of. You can for example look for information on an official website which belongs to the authorities in this country or ask an embassy. You do not have to inform Norwegian authorities that you wish to keep your previous citizenship.
- You must hold or meet all the requirements of permanent residency permit. If you do not already have a permanent residency permit and do not have an application for permanent residency for processing when you apply for citizenship, it is not sufficient that you meet the requirements for permanent residency at the time you hand in the application for citizenship. You must meet the requirements when your application for citizenship is being processed by UDI. This means for example that the requirement for income (self-sufficiency) must be met the last twelve months before the application for citizenship is being treated.
Important messages
- The deadline for applying to take part in the identity clarification programme for Iraqis as been extended
- Norway allows dual citizenship from 1 January 2020
- Somali citizens who do not have refugee status must obtain a Somali passport
- Somalis who apply for Norwegian citizenship must have a Somali passport