The legal framework
Citizenship by application is governed by the Nationality Act and the Nationality Regulations. Under Section 7 of the Nationality Act, you are entitled to citizenship if you meet all the conditions at the time UDI makes its decision. Under Section 27, the application is submitted to the police or a Norwegian foreign mission, which prepares the case, and UDI’s decision can be appealed to UNE.
The main conditions
Section 7 of the Nationality Act requires that, at the time of the decision, you:
have clarified your identity;
are at least 12 years old;
are, and will remain, resident in Norway;
meet the conditions for a permanent residence permit under Section 62 of the Immigration Act;
have resided in Norway for a total of eight of the last eleven years with residence permits valid for at least one year;
meet the requirements for oral Norwegian and the citizenship test in Section 8; and
have not received a criminal penalty or special criminal sanction, or have served the waiting period under Section 9.
You have no right to citizenship if fundamental national interests or foreign-policy considerations weigh against it. A complete police certificate, which also shows any charges or indictments, must accompany the application.
Clarified identity
Under Section 1-1 of the Nationality Regulations, you must normally present an original passport or other identity document with sufficient reliability. Section 1-2 allows exceptions, for example where your former home country lacks a functioning central administration, or where you had good reason to leave without such documents and your safety means you should not contact its authorities. Your stated identity must then be shown to be more likely than not correct.
Shorter residence periods
The Act provides shorter periods for some groups. In each case, the residence must be with permits valid for at least one year, and time spent as an applicant is included:
sufficient income under Section 10: six of the last ten years, if your income in the last year with a final tax assessment meets the requirement in Section 6-1 of the Nationality Regulations;
recognised refugees under Section 16 a: seven of the last ten years;
persons who arrived in Norway before the age of 18 under Section 11: five of the last seven years; and
spouses, registered partners and cohabitants of Norwegian citizens who live together under Section 12: five of the last ten years, and residence and time living together must add up to at least seven years.
Citizens of another Nordic country need only two years’ residence under Section 13 and are exempt from the permanent residence condition. Sections 14 to 16 contain separate rules for EEA citizens, former Norwegian citizens and stateless persons. Under Section 20, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic and Swedish citizens aged 18 or over may instead acquire citizenship by notification after seven years’ residence without a custodial sentence or special sanction.
How residence is calculated
Chapter 3 of the Nationality Regulations sets out how residence is counted. If you were granted a permit before entering Norway, the period runs from your arrival. If you applied from within Norway, it runs from the date of the application, provided the permit was granted.
Under Section 3-3, time between the expiry of one permit and a new application is, as a rule, not counted. Under Section 3-4, if your total stays abroad in a calendar year do not exceed two months, they count as residence in Norway. If they exceed two months, the entire period abroad is deducted.
Oral Norwegian and the citizenship test
Under Section 8 of the Nationality Act, applicants aged 18 to 67 must have reached at least level B1 in an oral Norwegian test and passed the citizenship test. The age limit of 18 is calculated from the date of application. The B1 requirement took effect on 1 October 2022, with transitional rules for earlier applications.
Section 4-1 of the Nationality Regulations exempts applicants who can document, among other things, a grade of 2 or higher in Norwegian or Sámi from Norwegian schooling, or higher education in Norwegian or Sámi corresponding to 30 credits. Some groups must instead reach level A2, unless weighty reasons justify a full exemption. These are:
persons aged 55 or over who came to Norway as asylum seekers or resettlement refugees;
persons aged 55 or over who receive disability benefit;
persons who cannot reach B1 because of particular health reasons or personal circumstances beyond their control; and
stateless persons.
Under Section 4-2, the exemptions from the citizenship test include a passed social studies test in Norwegian under the Integration Act, qualifying grades in social studies, and relevant higher education. An exemption may also be granted for health reasons, other weighty reasons or personal circumstances beyond your control. Under Section 4-3, Nordic citizens who understand Norwegian or Sámi are exempt from both requirements.
Criminal records and waiting periods
Under Section 9 of the Nationality Act, a person who has received a criminal penalty or special criminal sanction is not entitled to citizenship until a waiting period has expired. The period runs from the date of the final judgment or, for a fine, from the date the fine was accepted. Any sentence must also be completed and any probation period served.
Chapter 5 of the Nationality Regulations sets the length of the waiting period according to a table based on the sanction. For community sentences, youth sentences and fines, the calculation is based on the alternative prison term. Repeated sanctions lead to additions, while simplified fines, waivers of prosecution and referral to the mediation service do not trigger a waiting period. Under Section 30 of the Act, processing may be suspended while you are under criminal investigation.
Children
Under Section 17 of the Nationality Act, children under 18 of a person who acquires or has acquired citizenship are entitled to citizenship on application, if they meet the conditions on identity, residence in Norway and criminal record. Children over two must have lived in Norway for the last two years with permits valid for at least one year. Children aged 12 or over may also apply in their own right under Section 7.
Under Section 31, an application for a child is submitted by the parents jointly or by the parent with sole parental responsibility. Children aged 12 or over must consent, and younger children must be given the opportunity to express their views.
Dual citizenship, loss and reacquisition
Since 1 January 2020, Norwegian law no longer requires you to give up your existing citizenship when you become a Norwegian citizen. The rules of your other country may still mean that you lose that citizenship, so you should check them before applying.
Under Section 22 a, a person who lost Norwegian citizenship by acquiring another citizenship, or by failing to give up another citizenship, may reacquire it by notification. The person must clarify their identity, and certain criminal sanctions or pending charges exclude reacquisition. Unless the person previously acquired Norwegian citizenship by application, they must show at least six months’ residence in Norway before the age of 22.
Under Section 24, a person who acquired Norwegian citizenship at birth loses it at 22 if they have not lived in Norway for a total of two years, or in Norway and other Nordic countries for a total of seven years. You can apply to keep your citizenship if you have sufficient ties to Norway, and the application must be submitted before you turn 22. Loss does not occur if it would make you stateless.
Revocation and loss for serious offences
Under Section 26, a decision granting citizenship can be revoked if you knowingly gave incorrect information or concealed matters of significant importance. A person with dual citizenship may also lose Norwegian citizenship under Sections 26 a and 26 b, after serious offences or on grounds of fundamental national interests. In each case, loss may not occur where it would be disproportionate, and in cases concerning children the child’s best interests must be a fundamental consideration.
Fees
Under Section 32 of the Nationality Act, a fee may be charged for applications and notifications. UDI’s website states the current rules.
How we can help
We assist with planning and preparing applications for citizenship, calculating residence periods, and appeals to UNE. Advokatfirmaet Sterk AS can review your residence history and records before you apply. Contact us to discuss your case.
This article provides general information as of 29 October 2026 and is not legal advice for your specific situation.
