Want to apply Permanent residence permit
With a permanent residence permit you can reside and work in Norway indefinitely. You will also be given extra protection against expulsion. If you spend too much time abroad, your permit may be revoked.
The information on this page is personalised for
The applicant is a citizen of : United States
Which alternative describes your situation?: I have a residence permit
When should you apply?
- The waiting times to get an appointment with the police can be very long. You should register the application online and book an appointment with the police at least three months before you meet the requirement for residence time or your residence permit expires.
- Usually, you must attend your appointment with the police and hand in your documents no later than one month before your residence permit expires. Only then is your application submitted. If you apply on time, you can work and stay in Norway on the same grounds as before, until you receive an answer to the application. This applies even if your residence permit expires while you wait. Adults and children over the age of 1 cannot hand in their application for permanent residence to the police earlier than three months before having the required residence time.
- Some applicants do not get an appointment with the police to hand in the documents on time, even though they have sent the application electronically and paid the fee well in advance. If you register an application online at least thirtyseven days before the expiry of your residence permit, but the first available appointment is after the expiry of your permit, you still have the same rights as before.
If your application for a permanent residence permit is rejected, the UDI or the police will renew your residence permit if you still fulfil the requirements.
If your previous residence permit expires before you get a new permit (permanent or renewed residence permit), you may have trouble traveling in and out of Norway. Without a valid residence card, you can be stopped by border control in other countries.
If you get a permanent residence permit, you can lose it if, for example, you stay abroad for too long.
Who are you?
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Child under the age of one year
How to applyPlease note! If the child is born in Norway, please check what type of residence permit you should apply for. There might be several options.
Requirements to get permanent recedence permit for children under the age of one
- the child must have been born i Norway.
- their parents
- has permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship before the child turns one year old, or
- fulfil the criteria for a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship before the child is one year old, and also hand in their application for a permanent residence permit or Norwegian citizenship before the child turns one.
- their parents are staying in Norway.
- their parents apply for permanent residence permit for the child before the child turns one.
If you do not meet the requirements, you should look at the rules for children under the age of 18 instead.
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Child under the age of 18
How to applyPlease note! If the child is born in Norway, please check what type of residence permit you should apply for. There might be several options.
Requirements for being granted a permanent residence permit
- You must have resided in Norway continuously for the past three years. For some groups, it is a requirement that you have stayed continuously in Norway for the past five years.
- You must have held residence permits that form the basis for a permanent residence permit. You must have held valid residence permits the whole time, and still hold one when you apply for a permanent residence permit.
- If you have been granted protection (asylum), the time you have had a residence permit will be counted from the date when you applied for asylum.
- If you are 15 years old or older: You cannot have been convicted of a criminal offence or been ordered to undergo enforced psychiatric treatment or care.
- If you are 16 years old or older, you may be required to complete mandatory tuition in the Norwegian language and social studies and pass the concluding tests, or document that you have been granted exemptions by the municipality
- If you have received a final assessment grade in Norwegian at upper secondary school or upper secondary school, this may provide grounds for exemption from the requirement for training in Norwegian. Please contact the adult education centre in the municipality you live for information. It is not sufficient to present a diploma from the upper secondary school or upper secondary school.
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Adult
How to applyRequirements for being granted a permanent residence permit
- You must pay an application fee.
- You must have resided in Norway continuously for the past three years. For some groups, it is a requirement that you have stayed continuously in Norway for the past five years.
- You must have held residence permits that form the basis for a permanent residence permit.
- If you have been granted protection (asylum), the time you have had a residence permit will be counted from the date when you applied for asylum.
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You must meet the requirements for your residence permit for the entire period that applies to you. If you for example are a skilled worker you must have had a job and income for the entire period. If you for example have had family migration as a spouse, you must have lived together with your spouse the whole period.
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When you apply for a permanent residence permit, you must hold a valid residence permit, and still meet the requirements for the one you hold.
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You must financially support yourself. This means that you
must fulfill the requirement for income for the last 12 months. - You cannot have been convicted of a criminal offence or been ordered to undergo enforced psychiatric treatment or care.
- You must normally have completed mandatory tuition in the Norwegian language and social studies and pass the concluding tests, or document that you have been granted exemptions by the municipality.
- If you have received a final assessment grade in Norwegian at secondary school or upper secondary school, this may provide grounds for exemption from the requirement for training in Norwegian and social studies. Please contact the adult education centre in the municipality you live in for information. It is not sufficient to present a diploma from the upper secondary school or upper secondary school.
Persons who can be exempted from one of more of the requirements
- Spouses and cohabitants of Norwegian citizens who are employed by a Norwegian embassy or consulate are exempt from the requirement for three years' residence in Norway and from the requirement for tuition in the Norwegian language.
- Persons who do not meet the condition for three years' residence in Norway can, in some cases, be granted permanent residence if, during the past year, they have held a residence permit that forms the basis for a permanent residence permit, and
- they have stayed in Norway for a long time (eight to ten years) holding residence permits, or
- they have lived for a long time on Svalbard, or
- there are particularly strong grounds of reasonableness.