The Kingdom of Norway annually occupies a leading position in the ratings of states in terms of the standard of living of the population. This fact makes it in the eyes of foreigners one of the most attractive countries for emigration. However, obtaining local citizenship is very time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Criteria for applicants
Norwegian law sets out the following criteria for applicants for citizenship:
- Reaching the age of majority (18 years old);
- Availability of a valid residence permit (hereinafter - residence permit), housing and stable income;
- Compliance with the residency requirement (from 3 to 7 years);
- No recorded cases of violation of local legislation;
- No previous convictions in the territories of other states;
- Fluency in the state language;
- Absence of severe mental and / or physiological pathologies (drug addiction, schizophrenia, AIDS, tuberculosis, etc.);
- Renunciation of past citizenship.
Some of the requirements of this list do not apply to minor children of applicants.
Prohibition on entering citizenship
According to local legislation, the following persons will not be able to become citizens of the state:
- Members of the armed forces or special services of other states;
- Wanted by Interpol;
- Suspected of having links with terrorist and / or criminal organizations;
- Criminally prosecuted in their home country for acts with the same punishment in the Norwegian Penal Code;
- Have a criminal record within the previous 10 years;
- Violating local migration legislation.
Foundations
The grounds for initiating the process in question are:
- Birthright;
- Natural naturalization:
- Marriage (or partnership) with a royal subject;
- Other grounds.
Buying real estate and / or doing business on the territory of the state, as well as investing in the local economy, are not sufficient grounds for nominating for citizenship.
Right of birth and origin
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The right is relevant for persons born:
- On the territory of the state (parents are Norwegian citizens);
- After 01.09.2006, incl. outside the state and / or official marriage (at least one of the parents is a Norwegian citizen).
If the applicant was born before the specified date, he can enter into citizenship by birth under the following conditions (parents are citizens of different states):
- Mother is a citizen of Norway (regardless of the status of the relationship);
- The father was a Norwegian citizen at the time of the child's birth (relationship status - official marriage).
Marriage or partnership
Conditions for the implementation of this basis:
- The status of one of the partners (official spouse or cohabitant) is a full citizen;
- The period of cohabitation is at least 3 years;
- The partner applying for citizenship has a valid residence permit (residency requirement - 3 years);
- The actual nature of the relationship (joint housekeeping, property ownership, etc.).
Revealing the fictitious relationship is fraught with imprisonment for a citizen, for his partner - deportation with a subsequent ban on entry, or imprisonment.
Naturalization
This opportunity is most common among foreigners (including Russians) seeking to obtain local citizenship. The main condition is full compliance with the above criteria (with the exception of situations due to objective reasons).
Moreover, in some cases, the residency requirement is reduced to:
- 5 years - for minor children of applicants;
- 2 years old - for minors, one of whose parents is a citizen of Norway;
- 2 years old - for citizens of other Scandinavian states.
Other grounds
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Other grounds for obtaining local citizenship:
- Family reunification (condition - residence on the territory of the state of close relatives who are citizens);
- Labor activity (priority - highly qualified specialists working in the fields of mining, gas and oil);
- Committing acts that local law equate to special services to the state (for example, representing Norway in international sports competitions);
- Granting the status of a registered refugee.
Possibility of obtaining dual citizenship
Norwegian legislation does not provide for the possibility of citizens having dual citizenship. Exceptions:
- Minor citizens of the Kingdom who were born outside of its borders and received a second citizenship automatically (persons belonging to this category are obliged to renounce one of their citizenships upon reaching the age of 18);
- Foreigners whose native legislation prohibits renunciation of citizenship.
Procedure
The following steps precede the submission of documents for obtaining Norwegian citizenship:
- Registration of a Schengen or national long-term visa of category D, corresponding to the purpose of stay;
- Crossing the border, migration registration at the police department at the place of residence;
- Obtaining a temporary residence permit (must be renewed annually);
- Residence for 5 years on the territory of the state (maximum period of absence - 2 months per year);
- Registration of an indefinite residence permit, residence on this basis for at least 2 years.
Within 7 years from the date of entry, an applicant between the ages of 18 and 55 becomes obliged to study at a local language school (course of study ~ 300 hours). Exceptions are persons who speak the state language at a sufficient level, or foreigners - graduates of local universities.
Upon reaching the appropriate qualification, the applicant has the right to apply for entry into local citizenship.
Preparation of documents
Before submitting an application, the applicant must prepare (including legalized translations of documents of a domestic sample):
- Application for granting citizenship of the Kingdom of Norway;
- A copy of a valid RF passport;
- Copies of passports - valid and canceled (for the last 10 years);
- A copy of a valid residence permit;
- Evidence - compliance with the residency requirement, housing availability and stable income;
- Certificate (or other similar document) confirming the knowledge of the state language;
- 4 photographs (30 × 40 mm);
- Certificates - from the local police (confirms the absence of recorded offenses), about the absence of a criminal record on the territory of the Russian Federation;
- Medical certificate of health status;
- Confirmation of renunciation of Russian citizenship;
- A document confirming the payment of the state duty;
- Other documents depending on the specific situation (birth certificate of a child, marriage, death of a spouse, etc.).
Submission of documents
The documents are submitted to the police station at the applicant's place of residence. Also, the prepared kit can be sent remotely - through the website of the Directorate of Immigration.
Cost and terms
The state duty is paid before the submission of documents. Size - ~ 600 € per person. Minors are exempt from payment.
The term for the initial consideration of the application is individual; upon consideration, the applicant is summoned for an oral interview. The final answer is given no earlier than 6 months later.
Next steps
After confirming the possibility of acquiring citizenship, the applicant is summoned to the local municipality, where, in a solemn atmosphere, he takes an oath of allegiance to the ruling monarch and the people of Norway.A passport and a citizen's plastic identification card can be obtained from the local police station.
Possibility of failure
In case of revealing any inconsistencies and / or violations when submitting the above application, the approval is significantly delayed, or the application itself is rejected.
The most common reasons for refusal to grant Norwegian citizenship are:
- Recorded cases of violation of local and / or foreign laws;
- Lack of necessary documents, or their non-compliance with the established criteria;
- Forgery of documents and / or information.
The appeal of the refusal is carried out by contacting the agency for work with foreigners no earlier than 6 months from the date of receipt of the refusal. The condition for a successful appeal is the elimination of the revealed inconsistencies. The maximum number of appeals is 3.
Obtaining Norwegian citizenship requires strict adherence to the rules established for this procedure. At the same time, according to statistics, more than ⅓ of applications for citizenship are not satisfied. However, a positive result (provided it is achieved) justifies all the efforts expended.
