The northern country among picturesque fjords warmly welcomes foreigners
Basic requirements for obtaining
Norwegian citizenship
If you have a valid residence permit, you can apply for Norwegian citizenship. In addition to other requirements, you must meet the following:
– be over 12 years old (does not apply to stateless persons – persons without citizenship, as well as to children whose father or mother are Norwegian);
– have documents proving your identity. Usually a valid passport is required in such cases;
– be a resident of Norway and intend to live there in the future;
– satisfy the conditions for obtaining a residence permit (see exceptions below);
– have resided in Norway for a total of 7 years within the last 10 years (see exceptions below);
– complete a 300-hour course in Norwegian language or have a certificate confirming sufficient knowledge of Norwegian or Sami languages (this applies to persons aged 18 to 55 whose applications were submitted after September 1, 2008);
– not have criminal convictions and not be subject to compulsory psychiatric treatment;
– agree to renounce your original citizenship, as it is automatically cancelled when you become a Norwegian citizen.
Remember that you must have a valid residence permit while your citizenship application is being processed. The residence permit is not extended solely because you have submitted your application. Therefore, if necessary, you should request its renewal at least one month before its expiration date.
Application for permanent residence
and calculation of period of stay
When you submit an application for citizenship and it is being processed, you must remain in the country.
If you received a residence permit before arriving in Norway or are a Norwegian by nationality, your period of residence will be calculated from the date of entry into the country. If this date cannot be determined, the period of residence will be calculated from the time of your registration with the police or the population registration department, or from another date that you can document.
If you received a residence permit while in Norway, your period of residence will be counted from the date of application for the residence permit. Illegal stay in the country will not be included in the period of residence. The period between the expiration of the residence permit or work permit and the submission of a new application will not be included in the calculation of your residence time.
Exceptions to the general rules,
regarding the application for permanent residence
If you came to Norway before the age of 18, you must have lived there for at least five of the last ten years.
If you are married or registered (or live together) with a Norwegian citizen, the time you have lived in the country, or the full duration of your marriage or cohabitation, must be at least seven years.
If you belong to one of the Nordic nationalities, it is sufficient to have lived in Norway for two years to obtain Norwegian citizenship.
If you are stateless and over 18, you must have lived in Norway for at least the last three years.
In some (rare) cases, other exceptions may be made, but this requires very strong grounds. Overall, Norway is favorably disposed to increasing its population through law-abiding citizens from other countries.
Based on materials from the website «Offshore Express».