Losing your Norwegian citizenship
You can lose your Norwegian citizenship in four ways
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You (or your parents) were granted citizenship in another country before 2020
If you became a citizen of another country after 1 January 2020
If you are a Norwegian citizen and you become a citizen of another country after 1 January 2020, you are allowed to have dual citizenship, according to Norwegian law.
Norway will not take away your Norwegian citizenship if you become a citizen of another country. You do not need to submit an application to Norwegian authorities to keep your Norwegian citizenship.
You must still check whether the country you wish to become a citizen of, accepts that you keep your Norwegian citizenship. You must check this with the authorities in this country.
If you became a citizen of another country before 1 January 2020
If you applied for, or clearly accepted citizenship in another country before 1 January 2020, you will normally have lost your Norwegian citizenship. You will not have lost your Norwegian citizenship if you were granted the new citizenship without asking for it.
If you have lost your Norwegian citizenship because you became a citizen of another country, you can submit a notification to get it back. Please see our information about requirements and how to submit a notification.
Rules for children
If you are a child under the age of 18, you will have lost your Norwegian citizenship if the person or persons who have parental responsibility for you have applied for, or clearly accepted, for you to get citizenship in another country, and you got it before 1 January 2020.
You can also have lost your Norwegian citizenship automatically if one of your parents were granted citizenship in another country. The legislation in the country in question decides whether this will happen automatically, but it can in any case only happen if
- you are under the age of 18,
- you are not married or a registered partner, and
- you other parent does not have Norwegian citizenship.
If your parent/parents changed citizenship before 1 September 2006, special rules apply. Please contact the UDI to clarify what rules apply in such cases.
If you have lost your Norwegian citizenship because you became a citizen of another country, you can submit a notification to get it back. Please see our information about requirements and how to submit a notification.
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You have not had a sufficient residence period in Norway before you reach the age of 22
- If you became a Norwegian citizen at birth, you will automatically lose your citizenship when you reach the age of 22 if you have not lived in Norway for long enough.
- This requirement only applies to people who became Norwegian citizens at birth, and not to people who were granted Norwegian citizenship later.
How can you avoid losing your Norwegian citizenship?
- To avoid losing your Norwegian citizenship, you must have lived in Norway for at least two years or in another Nordic country for a total of seven years.
- In order for a residence period to be included, it must have lasted for at least six consecutive months.
- If you have lived in Norway for long enough, you do not have to do anything to keep your Norwegian citizenship.
- You will not lose your Norwegian citizenship if losing it would leave you stateless.
If you have lived in Norway for less than two years before you turn 22, and you are also a citizen of another country, you must apply to keep your citizenship. You must to so before you turn 22.
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You apply to be released from your Norwegian citizenship
You can apply to be released from your Norwegian citizenship in three different situations:
- If you are living abroad and must be released from your Norwegian citizenship in order to be granted citizenship in another country.
- You live abroad and are a citizen of another country.
- It is not enough that you are registered as having emigrated from Norway, you must intend to remain abroad. You do not have to live in the country in which you are a citizen.
- You live in Norway, are a citizen of another country, and it would be unreasonable to refuse to release you.
- Such applications are only granted in exceptional circumstances. You must state why it would be unreasonable to deny your application. For example, wanting to avoid the obligations that follow from being a Norwegian citizen is not a valid reason.
How to apply
There is no special application form. It is enough that you write a letter to the UDI. You must document that you meet one of the three requirements for being released from your Norwegian citizenship.
If you live abroad, you must go to the nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate (external website)to deliver the letter. If you live in Norway, you must go to the police to deliver the letter.
Releasing children from their Norwegian citizenship
Children will not automatically lose their Norwegian citizenship if their parents are released from theirs. It is also possible to apply to have children released from their Norwegian citizenships, regardless of the age of the child and of whether the parents apply at the same time.
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The UDI revokes your citizenship
You can lose your Norwegian citizenship by having it revoked by the UDI. This can happen in two situations:
- The decision whereby you were granted a Norwegian citizenship is invalid.
- If, during the application process, you have provided incorrect or incomplete information, or if you have intentionally withheld important information, and this was very important to the decision to grant your application, we can revoke your Norwegian citizenship.
- If you were granted Norwegian citizenship and were given a deadline to renounce your other citizenship before 1 January 2020.
- If you lost your Norwegian citizenship for this reason, you can submit a notification to get it back. Please see our information about requirements and how to submit a notification.
- The decision whereby you were granted a Norwegian citizenship is invalid.