How many Norwegian citizenship applications are rejected each year?
While most Norwegian citizenship applications get approved, not everyone is successful in their bid to become a citizen of Norway. We look at the latest figures and the most common reasons behind the rejections.
After spending some time in Norway, many immigrants start thinking about Norwegian citizenship - especially now that dual citizenship is also available.
There are plenty of benefits that come with Norwegian citizenship, which we cover in more detail here.
However, the process of getting citizenship can be an uphill battle, and even if you try your best to fulfil all the prerequisites and pass all the tests, you might not make it.
Thousands of applications get rejected each year
If your citizenship application does get rejected, know that you're not alone.
"A total of 39,246 people were granted Norwegian citizenship in 2022, and 2,452 applications were rejected," Per-Jan Brekke, a press and public relations team leader at the Norwegian Directorate for Immigration (UDI), told The Local Norway.
According to Brekke, the most common reason behind rejected applications is not passing the required tests – such as the citizenship test, the test in social studies in Norwegian, or the oral test in Norwegian.
However, while failing a test is the most prevalent one, there are also other reasons why people's applications get rejected, including not completing training in Norwegian or mandatory training in Norwegian and social studies, not meeting the residence time requirement, or committing various criminal offences.
Brekke also pointed out that not meeting the permanent residence permit or right of residence conditions, not being at least 12 years of age, or not suitably clarifying your identity are also among common roadblocks to getting citizenship.
Re-applying for citizenship
And now, some good news. In Norway, even if your first application is rejected, you can apply for citizenship again.
Furthermore, as Oda Gilleberg at the UDI told The Local in December of 2022, "there is no upper limit to how many times a person may re-apply."
The most important thing is to attentively read the rejection letter that you will receive from the Norwegian authorities, as it will specify which requirements you need to meet before you re-apply.
Once you're confident you tick all the boxes, you can try again.
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After spending some time in Norway, many immigrants start thinking about Norwegian citizenship - especially now that dual citizenship is also available.
There are plenty of benefits that come with Norwegian citizenship, which we cover in more detail here.
However, the process of getting citizenship can be an uphill battle, and even if you try your best to fulfil all the prerequisites and pass all the tests, you might not make it.
Thousands of applications get rejected each year
If your citizenship application does get rejected, know that you're not alone.
"A total of 39,246 people were granted Norwegian citizenship in 2022, and 2,452 applications were rejected," Per-Jan Brekke, a press and public relations team leader at the Norwegian Directorate for Immigration (UDI), told The Local Norway.
According to Brekke, the most common reason behind rejected applications is not passing the required tests – such as the citizenship test, the test in social studies in Norwegian, or the oral test in Norwegian.
However, while failing a test is the most prevalent one, there are also other reasons why people's applications get rejected, including not completing training in Norwegian or mandatory training in Norwegian and social studies, not meeting the residence time requirement, or committing various criminal offences.
Brekke also pointed out that not meeting the permanent residence permit or right of residence conditions, not being at least 12 years of age, or not suitably clarifying your identity are also among common roadblocks to getting citizenship.
Re-applying for citizenship
And now, some good news. In Norway, even if your first application is rejected, you can apply for citizenship again.
Furthermore, as Oda Gilleberg at the UDI told The Local in December of 2022, "there is no upper limit to how many times a person may re-apply."
The most important thing is to attentively read the rejection letter that you will receive from the Norwegian authorities, as it will specify which requirements you need to meet before you re-apply.
Once you're confident you tick all the boxes, you can try again.
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