Magnificent nature, temperate climate, as well as favorable economic and political conditions make Norway a very attractive destination for emigration. In addition, the leadership of this small northern country is quite loyal to the opportunity to replenish its population at the expense of law-abiding and respectable foreigners. Therefore, obtaining Norwegian citizenship is somewhat easier than in many other European countries. And yet, to acquire it, you must fulfill a number of requirements.
Instructions
Step 1
In accordance with Norwegian law, Norwegian citizenship can be obtained in two ways: 1) by inheritance, if one or both parents are Norwegian citizens (filiation); 2) as a result of an official application submitted by a foreigner residing in Norway and complying with the legal requirements (naturalization). It is easy to imagine that for most foreigners only the second option is possible.
Step 2
To obtain Norwegian citizenship, an applicant must meet the following conditions:
- be over 18 years of age (this does not apply to children with Norwegian parents);
- permanently reside in Norway for 7 years out of the last ten (for foreigners married to Norwegian citizens, this period has been reduced to 5 years);
- have a valid residence permit;
- not have a criminal record, not be a member of any terrorist groups or organizations and not suffer from mental illness (not be subjected to compulsory psychiatric treatment);
- complete a training course in Norwegian in the amount of 300 academic hours or have a document certifying sufficient knowledge of the Norwegian or Sami languages.
Step 3
It is important to remember that a valid residence permit must be present not only at the time of filing an application for citizenship, but also throughout the entire period of its consideration. The procedure for obtaining citizenship is not a basis for extending a residence permit, so if its term ends (usually a residence permit is issued for a period of 1 year), you must take care of its extension in advance, at least one month before the final date.
Step 4
There are also a number of exceptions to the established rules for obtaining Norwegian citizenship. In particular, for residents of one of the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), the period of required residence in the country has been reduced to 2 years. For people over 18 years old and without any citizenship at all, the conditions for obtaining Norwegian citizenship are significantly relaxed. Also, certain exceptions are provided for persons with “refugee” or “specialist” status. Each individual case is considered individually, therefore, full information on the conditions for obtaining citizenship can be obtained only from the relevant authorities.
Step 5
Any foreigner can apply for citizenship at the Norwegian Immigration Office or at any Regional Administration Office.
