The path to permanent residence and citizenship
A permanent residence permit and Norwegian citizenship are two different things, with two different applications and two different sets of requirements. They're mixed up all the time, and that confusion costs people time.
The difference, in brief
A permanent residence permit means you can stay in Norway indefinitely. You keep your existing citizenship.
Norwegian citizenship means you become a Norwegian citizen, with a Norwegian passport and the right to vote in parliamentary elections.
For most people, permanent residence comes first, and citizenship several years later.
Where the tests come in
| Permanent residence | Citizenship | |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge of society | Samfunnskunnskapsprøven | Samfunnskunnskapsprøven in Norwegian, otherwise statsborgerprøven |
| Norwegian language | Requirement for Norwegian language training or documented skills | Requirement for Norwegian language skills |
| Residence period | Yes | Yes, longer |
One row is worth reading twice. A samfunnskunnskapsprøven taken in Norwegian covers both routes. Taken in another language, it only covers permanent residence.
The requirements depend on who you are
Residence period, income, language requirements and exemptions vary depending on which permit you've held, where you're from and how long you've been here. The rules also change over time.
So we'll say it plainly: UDI is the authority for your case. We explain the tests, because that's what we know about. We don't pretend to know what applies to your application.
What you can do something about today
The language choice on samfunnskunnskapsprøven. It's the one decision in the whole process that you make now, which has a consequence years down the line.