This stipulation differs from the rules that apply if you also have an application for a permanent residence permit in with UDI.

• If you apply for permanent residency, you only need to meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit on the application date (i.e. the date when you hand in your documents at the police station). The income requirement (self-sufficiency) for the 12 previous months will be based on the 12-month period which ends on the application date.
• If you do not have a permanent residence permit and you have not applied for one, then all requirements for a permanent residence permit must be fulfilled on the date a decision is reached concerning your citizenship application (i.e. the date on which your application for Norwegian citizenship is processed by UDI). The income requirement (self-sufficiency) for the 12 previous months will be based on the 12-month period which ends on the date when your application for Norwegian citizenship is processed (decision date).

In our experience, we find that many applicants who meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit on the day they submit their application for Norwegian citizenship, no longer meet the requirements on the day that we process their applications for Norwegian citizenship.

The waiting time for applications for Norwegian citizenship can be long, and an applicant’s status can change in this time. For example, we experience that many applicants no longer fulfil the income requirement when we process their citizenship application and, consequently, their application is rejected.

Relevant examples include:

• You had enough income in the 12 months before you submitted your application for Norwegian citizenship, but your level of income no longer fulfils the requirement when your application is processed.
• You were a school pupil or student during the two semesters immediately prior to submitting your application for Norwegian citizenship, but not during the two semesters before your application is processed by UDI.
• You were under 25 years of age and taking part in primary or secondary education (with juvenile rights) for two semesters when you applied for Norwegian citizenship, but you are too old to qualify for juvenile rights when the time comes for UDI to process your application.

• Unless you have a permanent residence permit or have applied for one, you must remember to renew your temporary residence permit while waiting for your citizenship application to be processed.
• Your application for citizenship will be rejected if you do not have a valid residence permit – or if you have not submitted an application to renew your temporary residence permit – by the time we process your citizenship application.
• Your application to renew your residence permit must be submitted before your previous permit expires.

It can take a long time to process an application for Norwegian citizenship. As a consequence, the vast majority of those who apply for Norwegian citizenship without a permanent residence permit, and without having applied for one, will need to renew their temporary permits during this time. If you have applied for a permanent residence permit, however, it is not necessary to apply to renew your residence permit.

If you have a permanent residence permit when you apply for citizenship, there is a greater chance that your application can be processed automatically and that your waiting time will be shorter.

If you do not have a permanent residence permit, your application for Norwegian citizenship cannot be automatically processed. Our system is not able to determine whether or not you meet the requirements for permanent residency, and your application will have to be reviewed by a case officer.