Employee or self-employed person

Requirements for being granted permanent right of residence

In order to be granted permanent right of residence you must, as a rule, have been here continuously for five years and have had a right of residence throughout the period. That is, you must have been an employee, self-employed person, student, lived here with sufficient funds or been here as a family member of such a person.

If you are an employee or self-employed person, you can be granted permanent right of residence after a shorter period of residence in Norway if you

  • take early retirement or become and old-age pensioner after having stayed in Norway for a continuous period of more than three years and having worked here for at least the past twelve months
  • become permanently incapacitated for work after having stayed in Norway for a continuous period of more than two years
  • become permanently incapacitated for work as a result of an accident at work or occupational illness that entitles you to full or partial public benefits (in such case, no requirements apply as to how long you must have stayed in Norway)
  • have worked and stayed in Norway for a continuous period of three years in the past and are now working in another EEA country and commuting to your place of residence in Norway at least once a week.

In such case, these exemptions will also apply to family members who live with you. 

Calculation of residence period

The residence time is reckoned from the day you fulfilled the requirements to have a right of residence in Norway.

Absence that will not be deducted in the calculation of the residence period

'Continuous residence' means that you cannot have stayed abroad for more than six months during a year. We accept longer stays abroad if they are shorter than 12 continuous months and are due to either

  • pregnancy or childbirth,
  • serious illness,
  • research stays, studies or vocational training,
  • secondment abroad, or
  • military or civilian national service (in this case, we can accept stays that exceed 12 months).

If there have been periods when you have been involuntarily unemployed or if there have been temporary interruptions in your work period, or you have been unable to work due to a serious illness or accident, you must include this time in your residence period.