Registration certificate EEA

English

Registration scheme
Right of residence for nationals of EU/EEA/EFTA countries The registration scheme applies to nationals of EU/EEA/EFTA countries. If you are an EEA national who wishes to stay in Norway for more than three months, you must register with the police. In order to be issued a registration certificate, you must have a valid identity card or passport and document that you satisfy the requirements for one of the grounds for residence. It is also a requirement that you do not become a burden on the public welfare system in Norway.
Other important fact sheets concerning the EEA area: duty to report for job seekers residence cards for family members who are not themselves EEA nationals permanent right of residence See all fact sheets for the EEA

certificate. It is valid indefinitely and does not have to be renewed. What grounds for residence mean you are entitled to a registration certificate? You can be issued a registration certificate if you are an EU/EEA/EFTA national and can document that you are: a self-employed person a service provider a student have sufficient funds and medical insurance covering all risks an EEA national who is the family member of an EEA national with a registration certificate. What documentation do you need to register? Regardless of the grounds for residence, you must always document your ID by presenting: a valid passport or a valid identification card You must also refer to your: advance registration (completed online application form) Other documentation requirements depend on what you are going to do in Norway. Information about what documentation requirements apply is presented below: Employees must enclose: an employment certificate (see the form at www.udi.no) or an employment contract that is in accordance with the provisions of the Working Environment Act. We recommend that you use the standardised form: employment certificate. If you are employed by a staffing agency, as an on-call temp, a temporary employee or similar, you must present a completed employment certificate.

Who has to register? All EU/EEA/EFTA nationals who are going to stay in Norway for more than three months must register. If you are a Nordic national, you do not need to register. How do I go about registering? First, you register in advance online and enter information about why you are staying in Norway at https://selfservice.udi.no/. You then go to your nearest police station or the police at a Service Centre for Foreign Workers. There, you must document your identity and present documentation of the grounds on which you wish to stay in Norway. The police will retrieve and check the information you have entered. The police decide whether you will be registered and issue a registration

Self-employed persons must enclose: Proof that they are self-employed, for example a transcript from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities in the Brnnysund Register Centre. If relevant, contracts with clients, documentation of rental/purchase of a company car, premises and equipment, invoices, value added tax (VAT) paid and similar. Persons with sufficient funds must enclose: Documentation that you have sufficient funds (money) to support yourself and your family, for instance bank deposits and real property or regular pension or insurance payments that are at your disposal in Norway. Private medical insurance or a European Health Insurance Card. Students must enclose: Confirmation of admission to an approved educational institution Private medical insurance or a European Health Insurance Card. A personal declaration stating that you have sufficient funds (finances) to support yourself. Service providers must enclose: The employment contract with an employer in their home country or another EEA country. Documentation of an agreement between the client in Norway and your employer concerning the assignment and its duration (the service must be of a temporary nature). You can also be a self-employed person in your home country or another EEA country and hire out your company/yourself to perform a service for a client in Norway. In such case, you must submit documentation about your company. Family immigration with EEA nationals. Who is considered to be a family member and what has to be documented? If you are an EEA national and wish for a registration certificate on grounds of family immigration with an EEA national, you must present: The registration certificate of the EEA national you came together with or wish to be reunited with.

If the EEA national with whom you wish to be reunited is a Nordic national, he or she will not have a registration certificate. In such case, documentation must be obtained that the sponsor is resident in Norway. Examples of such documentation can be the Nordic nationals employment contract and pay slips, or proof of admission to a study programme and a semester card. If you are not an EEA national yourself but you have a family member who is an EEA national, you must apply for a residence card. Documentation of family relationship Furthermore, you must always submit documentation of your family relationship with the person with whom you wish to be reunited. The type of documentation required will vary depending on what kind of family relationship is involved. Below is a list of absolute requirements for documentation for the different categories of family relationships. There may be more requirements than those listed here. Spouse/partner You both have to be over the age of 18. A marriage certificate or partnership certificate Cohabitant You both have to be over the age of 18. You must be able to document that you have lived together in a permanent and established cohabitation relationship for at least two years. You must continue to live together in Norway. Neither of you can be married to other people. Cohabitant who has a child or children with an EEA national with right of residence in Norway, even though you have not lived together for two years. A birth certificate for the joint child or children A cohabitant who is expecting a child with an EEA national with right of residence in Norway can be issued a residence card even though they have not lived together for two years. A pregnancy card or other documentation certifying that you are expecting a child together.

Directorate of Immigration (UDI) P.O. Box 8108 Dep. NO-0032 Oslo Office address: Hausmannsgate 21
Last updated: 17.07.2012

Tel.: (+47) 23 35 15 00 Fax: (+47) 23 35 15 15 www.udi.no Email: udi@udi.no

Children, grandchildren etc. under the age of 21. Birth certificate (birth certificates if there are several generations involved) A declaration of consent from the other parent if the child is under the age of 18 years and will only travel together with or be reunited with one of the parents. If it is not possible to obtain a declaration of consent, documentation of sole parental responsibility is required or a court ruling in which parental rights are clarified. Children, grandchildren etc. over the age of 21 who are provided for by the EEA national who is the sponsor or the sponsors spouse, partner etc. Birth certificate (birth certificates if there are several generations involved) Documentation that a need for provision exists Documentation showing that the person has been provided for and shall continue to be provided for by the sponsor. Parents, grandparents etc. who are provided for by the EEA national who is the sponsor or the sponsors spouse, partner etc. Birth certificate (birth certificates if there are several generations involved) Documentation that a need for provision exists Documentation showing that the person has been provided for and shall continue to be provided for by the sponsor. Other family members who may be entitled to a registration certificate: Foster children who are under the age of 18 and have a known identity. Birth certificate The child must be an established member of the EEA nationals (sponsor's) household and have confirmation from the authorities in his/her home country that he/she can settle in Norway. Documentation of subsistence Medical insurance that covers all risks. Full siblings who are under the age of 18 and have a known identity. Birth certificate Directorate of Immigration (UDI) P.O. Box 8108 Dep. NO-0032 Oslo Office address: Hausmannsgate 21
Last updated: 17.07.2012

Documentation that he/she does not have parents or other care providers in his/her home country. The Norwegian child welfare authorities must as a rule have approved the sponsor as a care provider. Documentation of subsistence Medical insurance that covers all risks. Fiancs who are going to marry an EEA national in Norway who has right of residence. You both have to be over the age of 18. Neither of you can be married to other people. You must be able to document that you are boyfriend/girlfriend and/or cohabitants. The fiancs right of residence is only valid for six months and it must be documented that it is probable that marriage will be entered into during this period. Documentation of subsistence Medical insurance that covers all risks. People with nursing needs Documentation of serious health problems Documentation that you can only receive nursing and care from the sponsor in Norway. It is a requirement that the person with nursing needs has no other family members in his/her home country who can care for them. Documentation of subsistence Medical insurance that covers all risks. Duration and contents of the residence card If the conditions for registration are met, you will be issued a registration certificate. This certificate is issued free of charge and is valid indefinitely (does not have to be renewed). The registration certificate is only valid for as long as the conditions are met, i.e. as long as you satisfy one of the grounds for residence, for example as an employee or student. You can change your grounds for residence, for example by going from being an employee to becoming a self-employed person. You do not have to report this. You can apply for permanent right of residence after five years. Lapse of right of residence If you stay outside Norway for more than six months during a calendar year, the grounds for residence

Tel.: (+47) 23 35 15 00 Fax: (+47) 23 35 15 15 www.udi.no Email: udi@udi.no

lapse. Changes of address must be reported to the Population Register. In the case of a new stay in Norway, the EEA national must register again. Right of residence will nonetheless be retained if the absence is for valid reasons. In the case of pregnancy, childbirth, serious illness, studies or vocational training and secondment to another country, a continuous period of absence of maximum 12 months is accepted. Nor is the serving of military or civil national service deemed to interrupt the period of residence. Who decides? The police alone have power of decision in these cases. They will therefore not be sent to the UDI. You cannot appeal the decision If the police decide not to issue a registration certificate, you cannot appeal the decision. On the other hand, you can try to register again later if you believe that you meet the requirements and can present the necessary documentation. The rule that you cannot apply for permanent right of residence before you have stayed in Norway for a continuous period of five years applies to all applicants.

If you have registered your details in advance in the online registration system and are able to present the necessary documents in person to the police, you should be issued the registration certificate within a short space of time. In most cases it is possible to obtain a registration certificate immediately over the counter. Can I appeal if the police decide not to issue a registration certificate? No, you are not entitled to appeal a decision not to issue a registration certificate. However, you can try to register again later if you meet the requirements and can present the necessary documentation. Can I travel to Norway before I have registered? Yes, you can travel to Norway and stay in the country for up to three months before you have to register. It is not possible to register from abroad. However, you can register your details in advance in the online solution before coming to Norway. When can I start working? You can start working immediately after coming to Norway. You must apply for a residence card within three months of entering Norway, however. This also applies to your family members, regardless of nationality. What if I wish to be an employee, but have not been offered employment yet? If you are a job seeker, you must notify the police that you are a job seeker within three months of entering Norway. You can register your details in advance in the online solution. It is also a requirement that you have registered as a job seeker with the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). You then go to the police to be registered as a job seeker. You can then reside in Norway for up to six months after entering Norway. When you have found a job, you must register in order to be issued a registration certificate. What happens after I have been in Norway for three months? If you have not been issued a registration certificate or registered as a job seeker, you must leave Norway. There are no requirements as regards how long you must stay outside Norway. You can re-enter Norway whenever you like and stay in the country for another three months. It is important to know that, if you are actually resident in Norway, you must register or apply for a

Frequently asked questions

Who do I contact to be issued a registration certificate? You contact the nearest police district or the police at a Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA). Do I have to pay a fee? It does not cost anything to be issued a residence certificate. This applies to all grounds for residence pursuant to the EEA regulations. If you wish to apply for a temporary residence permit pursuant to the general regulations, see www.udi.no for information. Is it sufficient that I register my details in advance in the online solution? No, that only counts as advance registration. You must go to the police in person for an ID check and to present the necessary documents. Only then can you be issued a registration certificate.

How long will it take to process the request for a registration certificate? Directorate of Immigration (UDI) Tel.: (+47) 23 35 15 00 P.O. Box 8108 Dep. Fax: (+47) 23 35 15 15 NO-0032 Oslo www.udi.no Office address: Hausmannsgate 21 Email: udi@udi.no
Last updated: 17.07.2012

temporary residence permit and register with the Population Register. Is there any real difference between a registration certificate and a permanent residence certificate? In principle, both certificates are valid indefinitely. However, there are some differences that mean that people with permanent right of residence have more extensive rights. Firstly, if you have permanent right of residence, you can stay longer outside Norway without losing your right of residence. You also have better protection against expulsion or rejection on entry. Family members also retain their right of residence in Norway pursuant to the EEA regulations even if the parties divorce or the EEA national dies. Does an immigrants passport in an EEA country entitle its holder to residence pursuant to the EEA regulations? No, it is nationality that is the decisive factor. People with an immigrants passport in an EEA country are not deemed to be EEA nationals. If I have a residence permit in another EEA country, can I register in Norway even if I am not an EEA national? No, it is nationality that is the decisive factor. It is therefore irrelevant that you have right of residence or a residence permit in another EEA country. Can I apply for a residence card on the basis that I am a family member of a Norwegian national? Family members of Norwegian nationals are covered by the national regulations. It is a clear general rule that you must apply for family reunification pursuant to the general rules (temporary residence permit). There is one exception from this rule: if the Norwegian national has exercised rights under the EEA Agreement in another EEA country, the Norwegian national can invoke rights pursuant to the EEA Agreement on his/her return to Norway. In such case, your Norwegian family member must document that he/she has had a temporary residence permit in another EEA country, for example on the grounds of work or studies. Stays for tourism purposes and other short stays will not be sufficient.

You can also contact one of the Service Centres for Foreign Workers (SUA) in Oslo, Stavanger or Kirkenes. Please note that these centres are only open for visits in person. NAV answers questions about being a job seeker in Norway. Go there in person or send an email to post@nav.no. See also www.nav.no. NAV can also answer questions about National Insurance benefits. Your local tax office can answer questions about tax regulations. The address is available at www.skatteetaten.no. The Labour Inspection Authority can answer questions about employment relationships and the rights and obligations of employees in Norway. Information about the regulations is available at: www.arbeidstilsynet.no. Questions can be addressed to the Labour Inspection Authoritys information service, email: svartjenesten@arbeidstilsynet.dep.no, tel. (+47) 815 48 222.

Further information If you have more questions about this topic, you can contact the nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, the nearest police district or the UDI's Information Service or visit www.udi.no for more information in Norwegian and English. Directorate of Immigration (UDI) Tel.: (+47) 23 35 15 00 P.O. Box 8108 Dep. Fax: (+47) 23 35 15 15 NO-0032 Oslo www.udi.no Office address: Hausmannsgate 21 Email: udi@udi.no
Last updated: 17.07.2012