MPs Erlend Wiborg, Sylvi Listhaug, Helge André Njåstad, Bjørn Larsen, and Rune Midtun introduced a proposal to tighten Norway's citizenship rules. The proposers asked the government to submit legislation requiring, among other things, ten years of residence, Norwegian language proficiency at B2 level, a test on Norwegian values, a loyalty oath, and self-sufficiency for citizenship applicants. The Standing Committee on Local Government and Public Administration recommends that the Storting reject the proposal.
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These are the proposals in the document, not decisions. See the votes for the outcome.
The Storting calls on the government to submit legislation requiring that children born abroad to a Norwegian mother or father must demonstrate a genuine connection to and regular contact with the biological parent holding Norwegian citizenship in order to qualify for Norwegian citizenship themselves.
The Storting calls on the government to submit legislation establishing the following criteria for Norwegian citizenship applicable to all applicants: minimum ten years of residence; passing a Norwegian language test at B2 level; passing a test on fundamental Norwegian values; taking a loyalty oath modelled on the Danish system. An applicant who has been sentenced to an unconditional prison sentence longer than 90 days may never be granted Norwegian citizenship. For unconditional sentences of 90 days or less, existing rules on waiting periods apply.
The Storting calls on the government to submit legislation requiring self-sufficiency for the previous five years as a condition for Norwegian citizenship (with an exemption for pensioners). This means applicants must demonstrate self-sufficiency by earning a salary equivalent to at least 3.2 times the basic amount in the National Insurance scheme.
The Storting calls on the government to conduct a review and present a proposal for a statute of limitations on revocation of citizenship, and to report back to the Storting within a reasonable timeframe.
The Storting calls on the government to submit legislation tightening requirements for acquiring Norwegian citizenship, including: evaluating the Norwegian language requirement and considering raising the oral proficiency requirement from B1 to B2 level; reducing the number of exemptions from the Norwegian society knowledge test and citizenship test; requiring applicants to have no outstanding public debt, including unpaid taxes or outstanding repayment obligations for public benefits; establishing that serious breaches of integration agreements or citizen contracts may have consequences for eligibility to acquire Norwegian citizenship.
Document 8:128 S (2025–2026) – Private member's bill from MPs Erlend Wiborg, Sylvi Listhaug, Helge André Njåstad, Bjørn Larsen, and Rune Midtun on tightening citizenship requirements – is not adopted.