Norway Announces How Many Years Foreign Spouses Must Live in Country to Get Citizenship
- Norway's citizenship rules treat foreign spouses of Norwegian citizens differently from other applicants, with specific residency thresholds to meet
- Foreign spouses must satisfy both a minimum years-in-Norway requirement and a combined residence and marriage period before qualifying
- The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration outlines several additional conditions applicants must fulfil before a decision is made on their case
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Norway has laid out the specific requirements that foreign spouses, registered partners, and cohabitants of Norwegian citizens must meet before they can apply for citizenship, and the bar is higher than many might expect.
According to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), the path to citizenship for a foreign spouse is not simply about how long a couple has been together. Several conditions must be satisfied simultaneously before an application can be considered.
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Norway citizenship: Residency years for foreign spouses
The core residency requirement states that a foreign spouse must have spent at least five years in Norway within the last ten years, with each individual residence permit having been valid for a minimum of one year. That alone, however, is not sufficient.
Norway adds a combined calculation on top of this: the total of a person's time living in Norway and the length of their marriage must add up to at least seven years.
This means that a couple married for three years would need the foreign spouse to have lived in Norway for at least four years to meet that threshold, provided all other conditions are also in order.
Norway citizenship: Other requirements for foreign spouses
Beyond the residency and marriage calculation, applicants must hold a valid residence permit or have applied to renew one at the time UDI processes their application. If a temporary permit is in use, it must be renewed at least one month before it lapses.
Applicants are also required to hold a permanent residence permit, or at minimum meet the conditions for one, by the time UDI makes its decision. Those who have not yet obtained a permanent permit are advised to apply for one before submitting a citizenship application.
Additional requirements include paying an application fee, having one's identity verified through a valid passport as a general rule, and being present in Norway both at the time of application and throughout the processing period. The applicant must also intend to continue living in Norway going forward.
One important clarification from UDI: applying for Norwegian citizenship does not, by itself, grant the right to remain in the country. Residency status and citizenship are treated as separate legal matters under Norwegian immigration law.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
