Norway spouse and partner visa (family immigration)

For spouses and registered partners the marriage must be valid, recognisable in Norway if concluded abroad, entered into freely and not for immigration purposes, and you must plan to live together in Norway. Both of you must be at least 24. Cohabitants must both be over 18 and either have lived together for at least two years while unmarried, or have or expect a child together; the age requirement of 24 also applies.

People who want to marry in Norway can apply for a fiancé(e) permit if both are at least 24, unmarried and will marry within six months. It must be likely that you return home if the marriage does not take place; UDI says this makes such permits difficult to obtain for applicants from some countries, such as Türkiye. After the wedding you apply to renew on the basis of marriage.

UDI publishes a checklist for each country of application. Expect to provide the marriage certificate, civil status records showing your family relations, divorce or death certificates from earlier marriages, a questionnaire about you and your spouse that you complete yourself, and copies of all used pages of the reference person’s passport. The income documents depend on the reference person’s situation, for example tax returns, accounts, NAV decisions or proof of income abroad.

Original documents issued by public authorities must carry an apostille; passports are exempt. When you apply abroad, copies must be stamped by the authorities or a notary public, and copies of translations must be stamped as well. Documents not in English or Norwegian need translations.

The reference person must expect at least NOK 436,957 before tax in the first year of your permit, must have had about this income last year, and must keep it while UDI processes the case. The requirement rose from 2.7 to 3.2 times the National Insurance basic amount (G) for applications registered and paid from 1 February 2025; the future-income amount is adjusted every May. Introduction benefits no longer count as income.

If the reference person is a foreign national, he or she must hold permanent residence or a permit that can lead to it or that allows family immigration, and in some cases must also have worked or studied full-time in Norway for four years. If the reference person has protection, the income requirement is dropped when the family existed before arrival, the application is registered within six months of the grant and you attend the application centre within one year. A reference person on a study permit needs at least NOK 368,683 a year and one year of studies left.

The main rule is that you apply from abroad. You register online, pay NOK 11,900, and attend the Norwegian mission responsible for your place of residence, or its external service provider, to hand in the documents and give fingerprints; the mission creates the case in UDI’s system. UDI may interview the applicant and/or the reference person, and DNA tests may be requested. You receive monthly status updates by e-mail or SMS. A spouse who clearly meets all requirements may receive an entry visa (D visa) to travel to Norway while the case is pending.

Applying from Norway is possible if you already have a residence permit there, or if you qualify as a skilled worker and are staying legally, for example on a Schengen visa; you must then hand in the application to the police within 90 days of entry.

Report to the police within seven days of arrival to give fingerprints and a photo; the residence card is sent by post, so make sure your name is on the letterbox.

You may work in Norway, have the right to free training in Norwegian and social studies, and may travel in and out while the permit is valid. You must live together with your spouse. Renew the permit before it expires; if you apply in time you keep the right to work while you wait. Your own children can apply to join you, and the time counts towards permanent residence and citizenship.

A refusal can be appealed within three weeks of receiving the letter. The appeal is free, in English or Norwegian, and should contain new information. UDI reconsiders the case and passes it to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) if the refusal stands.