Employee/self-employed Documents you can hand in when applying for permanent right of residence

When you are applying for permanent right of residence, you must hand in documents that show

• that you have lived in Norway continuously for at least five years, and
• that you have had a basis for residence (been an employee, self-employed person, student, lived here with sufficient funds or is the family member of such a person) in Norway for all those years.

If you are under the age of 18, one of your parents must meet with you. It is sufficient that only one parent meets with you.

What documents you need to hand in, will vary depending on the basis of your residence in Norway. If you have had more than one basis of residence, you must provide documentation showing all of your basis of residence.

You must hand in your passport or national ID card. Whether you need to provide any further documentation depends on your situation.

When you go to the police, you must show the original and hand in a copy of each document.

Documents you must hand in with your application

• valid passport or national ID card

Documents an employee can hand in

If you have been working continuously for the last five years, you do not need to provide documentation showing this. The UDI collects the information we need from the Tax Administration.

If you have not been in continuous employment for the past five years, or you believe that you have met the requirements for permanent residence at an earlier date, you must hand in documentation for all the years that you have had a right of residence in Norway.

If you have stopped working, or have had periods without work, you may have retained your right of residence as an employee on certain conditions. You must hand in documentation showing why you have not been employed. This can be:

• documentation from a doctor showing that you are or have been temporarily unable to work due to illness or accident,
• documentation from NAV showing that you are involuntarily unemployed and have registered as a job seeker with NAV,
• documentation that shows that you have started a vocational education

If you believe that you have obtained a permanent residence permit before you have spent five years in Norway, please hand in the following documentation:

• documentation from NAV that shows you have taken early retirement or become and old-age pensioner
• documentation showing that you have become permanently incapacitated for work after having stayed in Norway for a continuous period of more than two years
• documentation showing that you have become permanently incapacitated for work as a result of an accident at work or occupational illness that entitles you to full or partial public benefits
• documentation showing that you have worked and stayed in Norway for a continuous period of three years in the past and are now working in another EEA country and commuting to your place of residence in Norway at least once a week.

Examples of documents a self-employed person can hand in

If you have been self-employed, you must hand in documents showing your income from your business for five consecutive years. To document this, you can hand in:

• transcript from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities / Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises
• client contracts, outgoing invoices for completed assignments
• approved accounts for the last five years
• documentation of reporting of VAT

Right of residence on other grounds

If you have had periods of residence on the basis of sufficient funds, been a student, or have been supported by a family member who is an EU / EEA Boger, you must provide documentation showing this. See the checklists for other EU / EEA citizens and for family members.

Documentation of absence that does not interrupt the calculation of the continuous stay

If you have been abroad for more than 6 months during one year, you must hand in documentation that this is due to

• pregnancy or childbirth
• serious illness
• research stays, studies or vocational training
• secondment or military or civil service