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What are the implications of Brexit?
The United Kingdom withdrew from the EU on 31 January 2020. UK nationals are no longer EU or EEA citizens.
A transitional period from 31 January 2020 until 31 December 2020 was agreed upon, with the possibility of an extension. During this period, the United Kingdom was treated as a member of the EU. A similar agreement was made between the United Kingdom and the EEA countries and Switzerland, ensuring that the transitional arrangement also applied to Norway.
UK nationals and their family members who had a right of residence before the transitional period expired were still entitled to reside and work in Norway. They have had the opportunity to apply for a Brexit permit. The application deadline was 31 December 2021.
From 1 January 2022, any UK nationals and family members who wish to settle in Norway must apply for a permit in accordance with the standard regulations.
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I am a UK national and want to visit Norway. Do I have to apply for a visitor visa to travel to Norway?
No. UK nationals may enter and stay in Norway and the Schengen area without a visa. You can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days during any period of 180 days. If you need to stay longer than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit.
If you are a UK national residing in an EU/EEA country and hold a residence card from that country, you may stay in Norway for up to 90 days as a visitor before you must return to your country of residence.
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I have a family member from a visa-required country who has a residence permit in the UK based on the EU Settlement Scheme. Does my family member need a visa to visit Norway?
Yes, your family member needs a visa to visit Norway. Residence permits in the United Kingdom based on the EU Settlement Scheme do not grant visa-free travel to the Schengen area, including Norway.
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Do I need to go to the police station when I apply?
No. If you are applying for a residence permit under the Brexit regulations, you do not go to the police station when you apply. After you complete the online application, you will receive an email from the police with instructions to upload documents. Your case is then processed by the police or sent to UDI.
Once your application is granted, you will receive an automatic message to book an appointment with the police to give fingerprints and have your photo taken so that a residence card can be issued. You book the appointment through My Page.
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I have already given fingerprints and taken a photo. Do I have to do it again?
Yes, if you had your fingerprints and photo taken in connection with your previous permit, you are still required to have them retaken now.
However, if you first booked an appointment and appeared at the police station to submit your current application for a residence permit according to the Brexit regulations (did not follow the normal application procedure) and gave fingerprints and took a photo then, you do not need to do it again. Please note that an automatic email about booking an appointment is sent out when an application is granted. In this specific case, you can disregard that email.
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My residence permit is expiring. Can I continue to work while waiting for an answer to my new application?
Yes. You can continue to live and work in Norway, even if your residence permit has expired. If you apply for a residence permit according to the Brexit regulations, you can continue to work in Norway even if you applied after the one-month deadline before the expiration of your previous permit.
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My residence permit has expired. Can I travel out of Norway and come back again?
UDI cannot guarantee entry after your residence permit has expired.
Here is information about travelling without a valid residence card.
Please note that this applies even if you are visa-free. For further information, please consult our page Visit Norway without a visa.
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I have forgotten to renew my permit. What am I required to do?
You still have the right to live and work in Norway if you had a Brexit permit that expired, provided the conditions for continued residence are met. This means you must be an employee, self-employed person, student, or have sufficient funds to support yourself – or be a family member of such a person.
If you wish to travel or otherwise document your legal residence in Norway, you are required to apply for a new permit to obtain a valid residence card. You cannot get a residence card without a valid residence permit.
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I have been out of Norway for more than six months in the course of one year. I need to apply for a new permit. What should I apply for?
We recommend that you apply for a permanent residence permit so that we can assess whether the stay outside Norway falls under the exceptions. We accept stays abroad longer than six months if they are less than 12 consecutive months and are due to either:
- pregnancy or childbirth
- serious illness
- research stays, studies, or vocational training
- posting/secondment, or
- military or civilian conscription (here we can accept stays longer than 12 months)
If you have been out of Norway for more than six months in the course of one year, and your stay does not fall under any of the listed exceptions, you no longer have residence according to the Brexit regulations. If you wish to continue living in Norway, you are required to apply for a different permit.
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I do not think I meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit. Should I apply for a new temporary permit?
If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit, we recommend that you apply for a permanent residence permit anyway so that UDI can assess whether you meet the requirements.
If the requirements for a permanent residence permit are not met but you meet the conditions for a new temporary permit, we will grant a new temporary permit.
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I have not completed training in Norwegian and social studies. Can I apply for a permanent residence permit?
Yes. There is no requirement that you have completed training or passed tests in Norwegian and social studies to apply for a permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations.
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I have held a residence permit based on having sufficient funds. How do I document this when I apply?
You are required to provide documentation showing that you have had enough money to live in Norway for the last five years. You cannot have received financial social assistance or benefits from Norwegian authorities. You can document that you have had sufficient funds by uploading:
- bank statements, confirmations, or annual statements from your bank showing that you have had enough money in your account, or
- bank statements showing regular deposits into your account, in addition to documentation of the source of these funds, or
- documentation showing that you have received a pension from your home country, or
- documentation showing your spouse’s or cohabitant’s income in Norway.
This list is not exhaustive. When completing your application, you will also receive a checklist with suggested documents you can upload to show that you have had sufficient funds.
Once you have completed the application, you will receive an email from the police with instructions on how to upload the documents. It is also possible to forward documents to UDI later.
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I have a permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations. How long can I be out of Norway before I lose my permit?
Persons who have been granted a permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations can be outside of Norway for up to five years without losing their residence permit.
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I have a permanent residence permit and my residence card has expired. Do I lose the residence permit?
No. Please do not apply for a new residence permit, as you will still have your permit. However, we advise you to order a new residence card.
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I have a residence permit as a frontier worker under the Brexit regulations. Now I wish to move to Norway. Can I do that?
Yes. Both you and your family may apply for a temporary residence permit under the Brexit regulations for those living in Norway.
Please visit this page for a link to the application form. You can disregard the information stating that you must have resided in Norway previously, and you also do not need to justify why the application is being submitted late.
If you have a cohabitant or spouse with whom the relationship was not established before December 31, 2020, your cohabitant or spouse must apply for a temporary residence permit under ordinary Norwegian rules.
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I did not know that I had to apply. I have not held a Brexit permit. What do I do now?
The deadline for applying for a residence permit in Norway under the Separation Agreement between Norway and the UK expired on 31 December 2021.
This applies to you if you had a right of residence in Norway under EEA rules before 31 December 2020, but did not apply for a residence permit under the Separation Agreement (Brexit) by the application deadline on 31 December 2021:
If you did not apply by the deadline, your rights have, in principle, lapsed.
If you have not applied, you may still apply if there are special reasons why you were unable to apply before the deadline. If you apply now, you are required to explain why you did not apply by the deadline. UDI will then assess whether or not to process your case, based on your explanation.
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I am a family member of a British citizen with a Brexit permit. I have not had a permit before. Can I apply for a residence permit now?
Yes. If you are the child of a British citizen with a Brexit permit, you can apply for a residence permit under the Brexit regulations at any time.
If you are a family member other than a child, your relationship to the British citizen must have been established before December 31, 2020, for you to be able to apply under the Brexit regulations.
If the relationship was established after this, you must apply for a residence permit under ordinary Norwegian rules.
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I do not have a Brexit permit, but a different residence permit. Can I apply for a Brexit permit now?
No. If you have a different residence permit, you cannot apply for a permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations, even if you have lived and worked in Norway since before December 31, 2020. You must follow the rules that apply to the permit you hold.
Our application page provides information on how to apply for a permanent residence permit.
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How do I know that I have a residence permit under the Brexit regulations?
If you have a residence permit under the Brexit regulations, your residence card should state "SEPARASJONSAVTALEN EØS/EFTA-UK".
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What is the difference between a permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations and an “ordinary” permanent residence permit?
A permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations gives you better rights. For example, you can be outside Norway for five years before it lapses, compared to two years for other permanent residence permits.
The requirements for obtaining the different permits are also different. To meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations, you must have met the conditions for a right of residence for five continuous years (as under the EEA regulations).
This means that you must have lived in Norway and been an employee, self-employed person, student, or had sufficient funds to support yourself, or been a family member of such a person for five continuous years.
For an “ordinary” permanent residence permit, other requirements apply, which you can read more about on the Want to apply page.
Applying for a permanent residence permit under the Brexit regulations is free of charge.