- Ways to apply
- Citizen by birth (§ 4) · Retention at 22 (§ 24) · Reacquisition by notification (§ 22a)
- Dual citizenship
- Kept, however you apply
Each answer assumes none of your ancestors became a citizen of another country before their child was born. Below is what changes each answer.
On this page›
- 01Who qualifies
- 02Dates that matter
- 03Through your mother
- 04Keeping your citizenship
- 05Ways to apply
- 06The documents
- 07What it takes
- 08Where the records live
- 09Law changes
- 10Other options
- 11Sources
Who qualifies, generation by generation
LIKELY
Can you claim Norwegian citizenship through a parent?
Citizen by birth (§ 4)
A child of a Norwegian parent is Norwegian from birth. Born abroad, you keep it past 22 by living in Norway or applying to keep it before then.
What would settle itWhether your parents were married at your birth, or paternity was established under the rules then in force.
- A child becomes a Norwegian citizen at birth if the father or mother is a Norwegian citizen, parentage following the Children Act. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 4 ↗
- A person who acquired Norwegian citizenship at birth but has not lived a total of two years in Norway, or seven years in Norway and other Nordic countries, loses it at 22; an application to keep it must be made before then, and loss never leaves anyone stateless. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 24 ↗
- Six months’ stays in Norway before 22, or living in Norway when the decision is made, count as sufficient ties; a late application is still heard if the applicant is not substantially to blame for the delay or losing citizenship would be unreasonable. Nationality Regulations (statsborgerforskriften), FOR-2006-06-30-756, Chapter 9: loss through absence from the realm, §§ 9-2 and 9-3 ↗
- Norway has permitted dual citizenship since 1 January 2020, so keeping Norwegian citizenship does not cost you your other one. Act of 20 December 2018 No. 121 amending the Nationality Act (abolition of the single-citizenship principle, in force 1 January 2020) ↗
What changes the answer
- POSSIBLE
If someone in your family became a citizen of another country before the next person in your family was bornCitizen by birthNorway stopped stripping citizenship for taking another one on 1 January 2020. Whether your parent was still Norwegian when you were born turns on the date they naturalized.
- POSSIBLE
If you were born before 2005A child of a Norwegian parent is Norwegian from birth, but citizenship lapses at 22 for those born abroad without two years in Norway, unless an application to keep it was made first. Whether yours survived is the question.
- POSSIBLE
If the parent is your mother and you were born before 2005A child of a Norwegian parent is Norwegian from birth, but citizenship lapses at 22 for those born abroad without two years in Norway, unless an application to keep it was made first. Whether yours survived is the question.
If someone in your family became a citizen of another country before the next person in your family was born, 2 more cases›
- POSSIBLE
If you were born before 2020Reacquisition by notification (§ 22a), then descentBefore 2020 a Norwegian who took another citizenship lost Norwegian citizenship, so it did not pass to you at birth. Since 2020 your parent can take it back by simple notification, but that does not hand it on to a child already born; an adult child needs their own option.
- POSSIBLE
If the parent is your mother and you were born before 2020Reacquisition by notification (§ 22a), then descentBefore 2020 a Norwegian who took another citizenship lost Norwegian citizenship, so it did not pass to you at birth. Since 2020 your parent can take it back by simple notification, but that does not hand it on to a child already born; an adult child needs their own option.
UNLIKELY
Can you claim Norwegian citizenship through a grandparent?
No grandparent option
Norwegian citizenship passes only from a parent who held it at your birth. A parent born abroad usually lost it at 22, and anyone who naturalized elsewhere before 2020 lost it then, so it rarely reaches grandchildren. Without one, the road to Norway is residence and naturalisation.
What would settle itWhether your parent is still Norwegian (a current passport, or a retention decision before 22), or regains it by notification; then the parent rule applies to children born afterwards.
- Citizenship is acquired at birth from a Norwegian father or mother; the Act has no provision for grandparents. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 4 ↗
- A person who acquired Norwegian citizenship at birth but has not lived a total of two years in Norway, or seven years in Norway and other Nordic countries, loses it at 22; an application to keep it must be made before then, and loss never leaves anyone stateless. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 24 ↗
- Until 1 January 2020 taking another citizenship ended Norwegian citizenship, and children born afterwards did not inherit it; the person who lost it can regain it by notification, but that does not reach children already born as adults. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 22a ↗
UNLIKELY
Can you claim Norwegian citizenship through a great-grandparent?
No grandparent option
Norwegian citizenship passes only from a parent who held it at your birth. A parent born abroad usually lost it at 22, and anyone who naturalized elsewhere before 2020 lost it then, so it rarely reaches grandchildren. Without one, the road to Norway is residence and naturalisation.
What would settle itWhether your parent is still Norwegian (a current passport, or a retention decision before 22), or regains it by notification; then the parent rule applies to children born afterwards.
- Citizenship is acquired at birth from a Norwegian father or mother; the Act has no provision for grandparents. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 4 ↗
- A person who acquired Norwegian citizenship at birth but has not lived a total of two years in Norway, or seven years in Norway and other Nordic countries, loses it at 22; an application to keep it must be made before then, and loss never leaves anyone stateless. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 24 ↗
- Until 1 January 2020 taking another citizenship ended Norwegian citizenship, and children born afterwards did not inherit it; the person who lost it can regain it by notification, but that does not reach children already born as adults. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 22a ↗
The dates that matter
- 2020
- 2020
- 2020
- 2020
Claiming through your mother or grandmother
In Norway’s rule, the answer changes when the ancestor you descend through is a woman:
- POSSIBLE
If the parent is your mother and you were born before 2005A child of a Norwegian parent is Norwegian from birth, but citizenship lapses at 22 for those born abroad without two years in Norway, unless an application to keep it was made first. Whether yours survived is the question.
In the law’s words
Dual citizenship with your home country
You keep your citizenship.
On every open route, the rule lets a citizen of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina or South Africa keep that citizenship.
Every way to apply, and the law behind it
The law
- A child becomes a Norwegian citizen at birth if the father or mother is a Norwegian citizen, parentage following the Children Act. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 4 ↗
- A person who acquired Norwegian citizenship at birth but has not lived a total of two years in Norway, or seven years in Norway and other Nordic countries, loses it at 22; an application to keep it must be made before then, and loss never leaves anyone stateless. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 24 ↗
- Six months’ stays in Norway before 22, or living in Norway when the decision is made, count as sufficient ties; a late application is still heard if the applicant is not substantially to blame for the delay or losing citizenship would be unreasonable. Nationality Regulations (statsborgerforskriften), FOR-2006-06-30-756, Chapter 9: loss through absence from the realm, §§ 9-2 and 9-3 ↗
- Norway has permitted dual citizenship since 1 January 2020, so keeping Norwegian citizenship does not cost you your other one. Act of 20 December 2018 No. 121 amending the Nationality Act (abolition of the single-citizenship principle, in force 1 January 2020) ↗
What would settle an unsure case
- Whether your parents were married at your birth, or paternity was established under the rules then in force.
- Whether you lived two years in Norway, or were granted retention, before you turned 22; a late application is possible only where you were not substantially to blame.
The law
What would settle an unsure case
- Your parent’s naturalization date against 1 January 2020 and against your birth.
The law
What would settle an unsure case
- Whether the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) will include a minor child in a parent’s § 22a notification; an adult child’s own route is residence-based naturalisation.
- UNLIKELY
Through a grandparentNorwegian citizenship passes only from a parent who held it at your birth. A parent born abroad usually lost it at 22, and anyone who naturalized elsewhere before 2020 lost it then, so it rarely reaches grandchildren. Without one, the road to Norway is residence and naturalisation.
The law
- Citizenship is acquired at birth from a Norwegian father or mother; the Act has no provision for grandparents. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 4 ↗
- A person who acquired Norwegian citizenship at birth but has not lived a total of two years in Norway, or seven years in Norway and other Nordic countries, loses it at 22; an application to keep it must be made before then, and loss never leaves anyone stateless. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 24 ↗
- Until 1 January 2020 taking another citizenship ended Norwegian citizenship, and children born afterwards did not inherit it; the person who lost it can regain it by notification, but that does not reach children already born as adults. Norwegian Nationality Act (statsborgerloven), Act of 10 June 2005 No. 51, § 22a ↗
What would settle an unsure case
- Whether your parent is still Norwegian (a current passport, or a retention decision before 22), or regains it by notification; then the parent rule applies to children born afterwards.
The documents, as the rule lists them
Citizen by birth (§ 4)
Through a parent
- Your parent’s Norwegian passport or birth record
- Your birth certificate
- Your parents’ marriage certificate, if any
Through a parent, if you were born before 2005
- Your parent’s Norwegian passport or birth record
- Your birth certificate
- Your parents’ marriage certificate, if any
- Any decision letting you keep citizenship, or a Norwegian passport issued to you
Citizen by birth
Through a parent, if someone in your family became a citizen of another country before the next person in your family was born
- Your parent’s naturalization certificate
- Your birth certificate
Reacquisition by notification (§ 22a), then descent
Through a parent, if someone in your family became a citizen of another country before the next person in your family was born, and you were born before 2020
- Your parent’s Norwegian birth record and naturalization certificate
Most countries also want proof that your ancestor didn’t become a citizen somewhere else before their child was born: the naturalization record with its date, or a letter saying there isn’t one.
What it takes: time, cost, the hard part, who decides
Citizen by birth (§ 4)
- Time
- 4–8 weeks for a first Norwegian passport once citizenship is confirmed; longer if the § 24 retention question needs UDI’s decision first.
- Cost
- About $200–400: certified copies, apostilles and the passport fee.
- The hard part
- If you were born abroad and are past 22, showing two years’ residence in Norway (or seven Nordic), or an application to keep citizenship filed before then.
- Who decides
- The Norwegian consulate for your address, or the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) for a § 24 retention decision.
- The first record
- Your parent’s Norwegian birth record, from Digitalarkivet (the National Archives of Norway), or the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten), which runs the National Population Register. Search Digitalarkivet’s parish registers and censuses by name and parish; for a record after the register began, order a fødselsattest from Skatteetaten with the fødselsnummer if known. digitalarkivet.no ↗
How it’s filed
- Where
- The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), through the Norwegian embassy or consulate for your address office list ↗
- How
- In person; no appearance needed
- Fee
- No fee
- Decision
- 1–9 months
What goes in the file (4)›
- Your parent’s Norwegian birth record or passport history
- Your own birth certificate
- Your parents’ marriage certificate, if any
- Evidence of residence or ties to Norway, if you are past 22 and were born abroad
What goes wrong (1)›
- A § 24 retention application is free and must be filed at a Norwegian embassy or consulate general before you turn 22; a case with no retention issue is essentially a passport application.
source ↗
Citizen by birth
- Time
- 3–6 months once the naturalization dates are documented; this is the reformed rule applying to a parent who naturalized on or after 1 January 2020.
- Cost
- About $200–500 in certified copies and translations.
- The hard part
- Fixing the exact date your parent naturalized abroad against 1 January 2020 and against your birth.
- Who decides
- The Norwegian consulate for your address.
- The first record
- Your parent’s Norwegian birth record, from Digitalarkivet (the National Archives of Norway), or the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten), which runs the National Population Register. Search Digitalarkivet’s parish registers and censuses by name and parish; for a record after the register began, order a fødselsattest from Skatteetaten with the fødselsnummer if known. digitalarkivet.no ↗
How it’s filed
- Where
- The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), through the Norwegian embassy or consulate for your address office list ↗
- How
- In person; no appearance needed
- Fee
- No fee
- Decision
- 3–12 months
What goes in the file (3)›
- Your parent’s Norwegian birth record
- Your parent’s naturalization certificate abroad, with its date
- Your own birth certificate
What goes wrong (2)›
- This is the reformed-era case: a parent who naturalized abroad on or after 1 January 2020 did not lose Norwegian citizenship, so the filing turns on documenting the date.
- Confirming citizenship held from birth is free; Norway charges only for naturalization applications and notifications.
source ↗
Reacquisition by notification (§ 22a), then descent
- Time
- A few months for the parent’s own § 22a notification to UDI; an adult child born before the notification needs a separate, residence-based naturalisation and is not carried along.
- Cost
- About $200–400 for the parent’s notification and copies; an adult child’s own naturalisation costs considerably more and takes years of Norwegian residence.
- The hard part
- Understanding that § 22a hands citizenship back to the parent, not automatically to a child already born; UDI’s own guidance is the place to confirm whether a still-minor child can be included.
- Who decides
- The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), by notification for the parent.
- The first record
- Your parent’s Norwegian birth record, from Digitalarkivet (the National Archives of Norway), or the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten), which runs the National Population Register. Search Digitalarkivet’s parish registers and censuses by name and parish; for a record after the register began, order a fødselsattest from Skatteetaten with the fødselsnummer if known. digitalarkivet.no ↗
How it’s filed
- Where
- The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), through the Norwegian embassy or consulate for the parent’s address office list ↗
- How
- In person; no appearance needed
- Fee
- About $337
- Decision
- 2–6 months
What goes in the file (2)›
- The parent’s Norwegian birth record and their old naturalization certificate
- Proof of the other citizenship the parent acquired, and its date
What goes wrong (2)›
- This route regains citizenship for the parent who lost it. The fee is NOK 3,200; applicants under 18 pay nothing.
- The parent must show six months’ stay in Norway before age 22 (unless they once naturalized in Norway) and attach a full police certificate.
source ↗
Fees are each office’s published fee, converted to U.S. dollars.
Where each record lives, and how to ask for it
birth
Digitalarkivet (the National Archives of Norway) for parish and census records; Skatteetaten (the Tax Administration), which runs the National Population Register, for a current record
Search Digitalarkivet’s digitized parish registers by name and parish for older entries; order a fødselsattest from Skatteetaten for a person on the current register.
- Takes
- 1–4 weeks
Good to know (1)›
- Digitalarkivet’s parish registers and censuses are free to search online.
source ↗
Translations
- Into
- Norwegian
- Who may translate
- Any certified translator
- About
- $20–$40 a page
Certificates in English or a Scandinavian language need no translation. Others are translated by a Norwegian state-authorised translator or a Norwegian mission. Foreign certificates carry an apostille.
source ↗
The passport
- Where
- The Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C., or the consulates general in New York or San Francisco, by appointment.
- Fee
- About $129
- Time
- 9–17 weeks
- NOK 1,290 ($129) for an adult at a Norwegian mission in the U.S.; NOK 770 ($77) under 16.
- A first passport needs a Norwegian national identity number and, if your parents were married, their marriage registered in the National Population Register before you book. The whole process usually takes 2 to 4 months.
source ↗
Recent and pending changes
We know of no pending bill or recent court ruling for Norway.
We re-read the official pages behind this guide every day. When one changes, a person checks the rule before we update anything here.
If descent doesn’t reach you
2 residence programs lead to Norway without an ancestor, each with its own law and road to citizenship.