Circumvention marriage and pro forma marriage


If the main reason why you are getting married or engaged is that you want to come to Norway, it is called circumvention marriage (marriage of convenience).

You can be denied a residence permit if UDI thinks it is likely that the main reason you married a person living in Norway is to get a basis for a residence permit in Norway.

A circumvention marriage is a marriage where the main reason you got married is that you want a residence permit in Norway. However, the marriage can be real and formally valid.

A pro forma marriage is a marriage that you get married only to obtain a residence permit in Norway. A pro forma marriage is a marriage without any actual basis in reality.

To investigate whether a marriage is a circumvention marriage or a pro forma marriage, UDI will consider:

  • how long you have been together
  • how much contact you have had
  • what you know about each other
  • age difference
  • whether marriage is unusual in the culture of the country you come from
  • if you have previously applied for a residence permit in Norway or another country.

If UDI considers that the marriage is a circumvention marriage or a pro forma marriage, UDI can reject your application and may consider expelling you from Norway and other Schengen countries for at least two years.

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