Whereas EU/EEA nationals are issued a permanent residence certificate, family members who are not themselves from the EU/EEA area will be issued a permanent residence card. A permanent residence card is confirmation that you have been granted the permanent right to reside and work in Norway. This also means that you will not require a visa to enter Norway.

How to obtain your residence card

To be issued your residence card, you must go to your local police station. You must book an appointment in advance. In most police districts you must log in to My Applications to book an appointment.

UDI is unable to book appointment with the police, so calling UDI for this purpose will not help.

If you are under the age of 18, your parents/guardian must accompany you to the police.  

Booking an appointment

If you filled in and sent your application online and booked your appointment online, you can now log in to book a new appointment.

What happens when you go to the police?

The police will take your fingerprints and photo, and will then order your residence card. 

How long will it take until you get your card?

It takes at least 20 working days from the date of your appointment with the police to receive the card by post. Please make sure that you are registered with the correct postal address and that your name is on your letterbox or your card will not reach you. If the card is lost in the mail, it will take another 10 working days to get a new one. 

If you are planning any trips abroad, you need to book your appointment with the police well in advance of your planned departure date. 

Remember to renew your card

A permanent residence card is valid for 10 years. You do not need to apply for renewal of your permanent residence card, but you must order a new residence card well before your card is set to expire.

You will be sent a permanent residence certificate, which confirms that you have been granted the permanent right to reside in Norway.

A permanent residence certificate is valid indefinitely and does not need to be renewed. You will not be issued a residence card, and you will not get a sticker or stamp in your passport. 

A permanent residence certificate confers more rights than a registration certificate. Among other things, you can stay abroad for longer periods without losing your right to reside in Norway, and you are better protected against expulsion and rejection. Family members of EU/EEA nationals also retain the right to stay in Norway after divorce or if the EEA national dies.

Please notify the Norwegian Tax Administration / National Population Register if you move to a new address either in Norway or abroad.

If you stay outside Norway for a continuous period of more than two years, you will lose your permanent right to reside in Norway. The same exemptions that apply to the calculation of absence when you apply for permanent right of residence also apply here.

In general, in order to reapply for permanent right to reside in Norway at a later time, you must first have stayed in Norway continually for another five-year period.

UDI can also revoke your permanent residence certificate if you have provided incorrect information to the immigration authorities, if a refusal of entry or stay has been imposed on you rejected, or if you have been expelled from Norway.