In Norway, residency comes in two forms, permanent and temporary. When people first move to Norway, they will be granted a temporary resident’s permit or register their move with the authorities, depending on where they come from.
Eventually, they will be eligible to apply for permanent residence.
Permanent residence comes with a few requirements, such as language proficiency, not spending too long out of Norway in previous years, and meeting income requirements. You can find out what requirements apply to you when applying for permanent residence here.
Despite the rigorous requirements, permanent residence is a fantastic option for most and has several advantages.
READ MORE: How much do you need to earn to qualify for permanent residence in Norway?
You can stay indefinitely
The clue may be in the name, but permanent residence allows you to stay in Norway indefinitely. The obvious perk to this is it means no more applying for and renewing visas. This also means, apart from a potential citizenship application and the cost of obtaining permanent residence, no more application fees.
Permanent residence also grants you extra protection against expulsion from Norway, and those who have gained permanent residence retain the right to stay in Norway indefinitely if the person they moved to be with dies or the parties break up or divorce.
Less hassle if you want to switch jobs
A resident who previously held work permits will have much more career flexibility with permanent residence. If they choose to change occupations or take a break to study, they can do so freely without applying for a different type of residency permit.
Meanwhile, those with temporary work permits need to reapply when moving into a job that’s a different position to the one you were granted a permit for, even if it’s with the same employer.
This can make a career change on a skilled worker permit difficult as the permit is awarded for a job that requires your specific qualifications or education as a skilled worker. For example, you wouldn’t be able to move from accounting to graphic design on a skilled worker permit, whereas you could technically do so with permanent residence.
However, this is less of a perk for EEA citizens as they can stay in Norway and switch jobs and careers without re-registering with the police.
READ ALSO: What happens to work permit holders in Norway if they lose their job?
You can spend longer out of the country without losing your residence rights
When granted a temporary residence permit, you are typically told how long you can spend outside the country without losing your residence rights.
Typically, this would be a continuous absence of around six months, however, it may be longer or shorter depending on your own situation.
If you are granted permanent residence, you can spend a continuous period of two or two out of four years outside of Norway without losing your status as a permanent resident.
You can apply to become exempt from losing your permanent residence if you spend longer than this outside of Norway.
It can help you to obtain citizenship
Norwegian citizenship has become a popular choice for many long-term residents after the country relaxed its rules to allow dual citizenship in 2020.
To qualify for citizenship, you will need to either hold permanent residence or qualify for a permanent residence permit by the time the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) decides on your case.
Already holding permanent residence will mean you’ll pass this requirement.
In cases where language proficiency is required for permanent residency, there are also benefits.
While the language requirements for citizenship are higher (B1) than permanent residence (A2), the process is still beneficial.
The leap from A2 to B1 won't feel as if you are starting from scratch with your Norwegian.
Furthermore, the experience of sitting language tests will give you insight into the process.
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