Can I lose my right to reside?

Yes, an EU/EEA citizen or their family member can lose their right to reside. This can happen, for example, if the EU/EEA citizen is no longer employed, or if the family relationship has changed. Please see below for examples of different situations.

You are an EU/EEA citizen and lose your job involuntarily

If you are an EU/EEA citizen and lose your job involuntarily, for example due to dismissal or bankruptcy, the following applies:

  • You have worked in Norway for over a year: You still have right to reside, provided you register with NAV as a job seeker.
  • You have worked in Norway for less than a year: You still have right to reside for six months, provided you register with NAV as a job seeker.

You are an EU/EEA citizen and resign from your job

If you quit your job, you lose your right to reside in Norway as an employee.

You are here as a family member, but have been separated

Until the divorce

If you have been married to an EU/EEA citizen, but are now separated, you still have a right to reside until the divorce, as long as the EU/EEA citizen still lives and has the right to reside in Norway. You do not need to apply for a new permit in the period up to the divorce.

After the divorce

After the divorce, you may have a right to reside in Norway.

You are an EU/EEA citizen

After the divorce, you have the right to reside if you exercise the right of residence as an EU/EEA citizen. This means that you must work, be self-employed, a service provider, a student, or have your own means to support yourself.

You are a citizen outside the EU/EEA

After the divorce, you have the right to reside if, at the time of the divorce:

  • You are working, self-employed, provide services or have your own means to support yourself.
  • Have been married for at least three years at the time of your separation. One of these years must have been in Norway.

It is important that you meet both of these requirements at the time of the divorce, and that you continue to meet the requirements after the divorce, otherwise you will lose the right to reside.

You do not have the right to reside in Norway as a student after the divorce, unless you also meet the above requirements.

You are here as a family member, but the EU/EEA citizen has moved from Norway

As a general rule, you lose the right to reside, unless you met the requirements for residence on an independent basis before the EU/EEA citizen moved.

If you have parental responsibility for a child in Norway, you and the child may have the right to reside as long as the child attends school here.