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The Kingdom is not a member of the EU Commonwealth, but is listed as a member of the European Economic Area. Norwegians, on the basis of the agreement on the formation of the EEA, have the rights and preferences of residents of the Schengen area. Citizens receive high salaries and pensions, unemployment benefits, access to preferential loans, free education, and quality medicine.
Biometric passports with a strength of 5 allow you to visit 122 visa-free countries in 2024. In 46 more jurisdictions, holders are stamped upon arrival, and electronic permits are issued in 7. In 2020, the authorities introduced new samples that are protected from counterfeiting. The covers are made in the colors of the flag, decorated with the coat of arms, the name of the country is embossed in gold. Under ultraviolet light, daytime landscapes turn into nighttime ones with the moon and the northern lights. It takes 12-18 months to collect a dossier and wait for a passport.
How to get a passport
The terms and rules are determined by the immigration basis and the country of residence. All provisions are fixed by law in the form of paragraphs in the regulation «On citizenship».
According to section 4, the children of the subjects automatically become Norwegians. If a married couple only had a passport from the father who died before the birth of the child, this fact does not cancel the right.
The law will also apply to orphans found on the territory. Section 5 states that adopted children of subjects under the age of 18 also get a chance to receive a document.
They are issued to persons who have lost their citizenship for various reasons, including due to obtaining a second passport.
The right is returned after 24 months of non-departure and in the absence of outstanding criminal records.
Passports in the kingdom are issued to relocants after 8 years of residence. Applicants from Northern Europe are notified on the basis of 7 years of assimilation under the simplified regime.
Europeans from the EEA states become subjects after 36 months. Foreigners who moved to a Scandinavian country before they came of age receive the status after 5 years.
Justifications for naturalization:
- Family reunion. Immigration is possible for official and civil spouses who have lived together for at least 2 years, as well as dependents and parents.
- Employment. Competent employees who have managed to conclude contracts with Norwegian employers apply for citizenship.
- Commercial activity. The basis for self-employed/ businessmen is entrepreneurial permanent residence. They are issued to the sole owners of companies with licenses capable of earning at least 26,623 €.
- Training. Being in the country for an academic residence permit is not taken into account when calculating the period of settlement. Graduates have the right to immediately obtain a one-year residency without the consent of the UDI Department, find a vacancy, and eventually naturalize.
Eligibility criteria:
- knowledge of the language;
- lack of problems with the law in the past;
- positive visa history;
- financial self-sufficiency;
- demonstration of trustworthiness;
- professional competencies.
The process of obtaining citizenship consists of successive stages.
Applicants are determined with a purpose. Migrant workers are looking for jobs on the employment website. Sole proprietors and the self-employed develop business models, and students choose places to study at Study in Norway.
A long-term permit is required for entry and registration of temporary residence. They are issued at the invitation of employers, work contracts, after registration of the company, enrollment in an educational institution. Citizens submit papers through an accredited VC and undergo biometrics there. The review of the folder is delayed up to 4 months.
After arriving in the Scandinavian kingdom, people give the documents for the cards to the local police department, receive them before the expiration of the national visa.
After living 3-5 years on the territory, the folders for permanent residences are reassembled. Proof of permanent residence in the country for the last 2 years is attached to the main papers. The application is submitted one month before the end of the residence permit period. The status change takes 6 months or more.
Expats who have lived in the territory for 8 years have the right to apply for citizenship no later than 40 days before the end of the established period of assimilation. The Immigration Department, after checking the dossier, notifies of the decision by letter.
Persons aged 12+ are invited to the award ceremony. The celebration is organized by the governors of the districts 1-2 times a year. Adult subjects recite the oath of the King, approved in 2006.
The Law on Citizenship
The rules of acquisition of citizenship are regulated by national law. The provisions define the rights for persons with residence permits, family members with EU/ EEA citizenship, and Northern Europe. In 2022, at the initiative of the King, an amendment was made regarding the period of naturalization. For expats with high incomes, it has been reduced to 6 years. The authorities abolished the requirement to study social studies and language in courses, but raised the level of spoken language from A2 to B1.
The changes concerned obtaining dual status. Until the beginning of 2020, foreigners lived in the northern kingdom on the basis of residences and did not seek to apply for passports due to the need to give up the first one, despite social privileges. Due to the abolition of this provision, 19,600 relocants received citizenship in 2021, and in 2023 the number was 37,200. According to statistics, most of them were given to applicants from Russia, Sweden, and Eritrea.
Passport documents
To submit a folder, you need official papers translated into Norwegian and apostilled. The contents of the dossier:
- a questionnaire filled out at the Immigration Directorate;
- a special form with information about trips abroad during the naturalization period;
- an identity card and photocopies of pages;
- a scan of a permanent resident's card;
- proof of non-conviction issued no later than 3 months on the local police portal;
- a diploma of education;
- a linguistic certificate;
- a medical document on passing a medical commission;
- a certificate from work on a letterhead indicating the position and salary;
- an extract with the amount of the deposit.
How much does a Norwegian passport cost?
The price of the relocant's identification document is 560 €. During the naturalization process, foreigners pay fees for obtaining a residence permit. Different rates are set for the categories. Students pay 480 €, applicants for family residences – 990-1100 €. Entrepreneurs and specialists pay 550-600 € each. Permanent resident cards cost 330 €. Dependents under the age of 18 are exempt from paying fees. Transfers and legalizations cost 10-15 € per page.
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