You may apply for an exemption if you are unable to take and pass the oral Norwegian test and the Norwegian citizenship test or the social studies test in Norwegian due to health reasons or other personal circumstances.
Health reasons and personal circumstances
Health reasons may include chronic or serious illness, or other long-term problems that make it difficult for you to take the tests.
Personal circumstances may, for example, include having reading and writing difficulties, or having a limited educational background from your home country and arriving in Norway as an adult.
Adaptations of the tests
The tests can be adjusted or adapted in various ways. If you require accommodations, you must contact the test centre where you will take the test(s). Examples of adaptations include:
- Taking the oral Norwegian test without a co-candidate
- Taking the Norwegian citizenship test orally
- Extra time to take the test(s)
- Taking the test(s) alone in a separate room
Read more about adaptations to the various tests:
Documentation and explanation
You may apply for an exemption from one or both tests if you can document and explain:
- Why you cannot pass the Norwegian citizenship test or the social studies test in Norwegian.
- Why you cannot pass the oral Norwegian test at level B1 with adaptations, or level A2 (which is the requirement if you cannot pass level B1).
- Why you cannot complete the test(s), even with adaptations.
How to apply for an exemption
If you wish to apply for an exemption from the test(s), you must submit the necessary documentation and an explanation of why. You should have attempted the test(s) recently before applying for an exemption. This will be taken into account when we decide whether to exempt you from the requirement.
You must submit:
If relevant, you must also submit:
- Supplementary Form 1 (pdf, 283 kB), completed by your doctor or other health professional, if you are applying for an exemption based on health reasons.
- Supplementary Form 2 (pdf, 378 kB), completed by your school, special education teacher, speech therapist, or the educational-psychological service (PPT), if you are applying for an exemption based on your ability to learn.
You must submit the documentation together with your application for Norwegian citizenship. You must always submit the main application form, which you fill in yourself. You must also submit supplementary forms if relevant.
UDI will consider whether you may be granted an exemption when we process your application for a permanent residence permit.
