Norway Citizenship Requirements

Ordinary residence and absences

The baseline is eight years within the preceding eleven, normally with permits valid for at least one year; statutory permit exceptions and qualifying application periods can count. Foreign stays totalling no more than two months in a calendar year count as Norwegian residence; above that, the entire foreign stay is deducted.

Income-based and other cohorts

The sufficient-income cohort requires six qualifying years within ten. It uses the latest completed tax assessment, with a later favourable assessment allowed, and qualifying income or benefits of at least three National Insurance basic amounts. Recognised refugees have seven years within ten; those arriving before age 18 have five within seven.

Status, identity and conduct

At decision, applicants must ordinarily live in Norway and intend to remain, have established their identity, and have or satisfy the conditions for permanent residence. Criminal penalties can require a waiting period; national-interest or foreign-policy grounds can prevent entitlement. Residence time alone does not secure approval.

Oral Norwegian and civic knowledge

Applicants aged 18 to under 67 normally need oral Norwegian at CEFR B1 and the citizenship test. A qualifying social-studies test taken in Norwegian is an accepted alternative to the citizenship test. The age-18 boundary is assessed when applying.

Reduced standard is not a full waiver

Stateless applicants normally need oral A2 instead. The same reduced level applies to specified protection-arrival or disability-benefit cohorts aged at least 55. Relevant health or personal limitations may also reduce B1 to A2; full exemption needs weighty reasons. Listed education or prior-exemption evidence can satisfy separate language or civic-test exceptions.

Keeping another nationality

Norway has allowed another nationality alongside Norwegian citizenship since 1 January 2020, including for people applying to become Norwegian. No Norwegian notification to retain the previous nationality is required, but the other country's nationality law must also allow retention.

2026 changes remain proposals

The June 2026 proposal would replace the ordinary eight-within-eleven rule with eight continuous years and change some special cohorts. The consultation remains open until 19 October 2026; these proposed changes are not used as current requirements here.