The Norwegian parliament has decided to reduce the residence requirement for naturalisation for individuals with a ‘sufficient income’. Under amendments to the Citizenship Act, individuals who earn 319,997 kroner (ca. €31,500) or more per annum will only be required to have been resident in Norway for six of the previous 10 years.
By contrast, individuals who earn less than the prescribed amount – which corresponds to three times the basic earnings under the National Insurance Scheme – will need to have been resident for eight of the previous 11 years. Some concession has been made to those granted asylum in Norway, who will be required to have resided in the country for seven of the previous 10 years.
According to the government, the purpose of the change – which will apply from 1 January 2022 – is to ‘motivate participation in working life’.
The change follows the introduction of stricter language requirements for naturalisation, with new applicants on or after 1 January 2022 also required to demonstrate B1-level oral skills under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Until 1 January 2022, a lower A2-level language knowledge criterion will be applied.
For further information on citizenship policies in Norway, check out our country profile pages.
Featured image: Dmitry Valberg (CC BY-2.0)