Circumvention marriage


If the main reason why you are getting married or engaged is that you want a residence permit in Norway, it is called a circumvention marriage. This was previously called a pro forma marriage.

You can be denied a residence permit if UDI thinks it is likely that the main reason you married a person living in Norway is to get a basis for a residence permit in Norway.

To investigate whether a marriage is a circumvention marriage, UDI will consider:

  • how long you have been together
  • how much contact you have had
  • what you know about each other
  • age difference
  • whether marriage is unusual in the culture of the country you come from
  • if you have previously applied for a residence permit in Norway or another country.

If UDI considers that the marriage is a circumvention marriage, UDI can reject your application and may consider expelling you from Norway and other Schengen countries for at least two years.

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