Requirements for being granted permanent right of residence

You can be granted permanent right of residence if you have stayed in Norway for a continuous period of five years while holding a residence card as a family member of an EU/EEA national.

Some people can be granted permanent right of residence before five years have elapsed

If your family member is in Norway as an employee or self-employed person, you can both be granted permanent right of residence after a shorter residence period if he or she

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

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).