Guide To Having A Norway Family Visa – Requirements, Application & More

If you want to join a close family member who is already in Norway, you can apply for a Norway Family Reunification Visa.

You can apply for a Family Reunification Visa if you are the spouse, registered partner, cohabitation partner, or child of a Norwegian citizen or resident. Depending on the sort of visa that the individual you want to join holds, there are different criteria and requirements.

In order to bring you to Norway, your family member must earn NOK 264,264 per year, pre-tax (about USD 28,800) and have a suitable location to live.

Family Reunification for Norway Work Visa Holders

Work Visa holders in Norway can bring the following family members to Norway with them:

• Spouse or registered partner
• The marriage must be valid
• Both partners must be in the marriage willingly
• You must be planning to live together in Norway
• The marriage must not be a marriage of convenience
• You must both be over the age of 24
• Cohabitating partner
• You must live together in Norway
• Neither of you can be married to someone else
• You must have lived together for at least two years OR you must have or be expecting a child together
• Children under the age of 18. (Including adopted or foster children)
• Dependent children over 18. You must be unmarried, and meet one of the following requirements:
• You must be between 18 and 21 years of age and have held a Norway residence permit for several years in the past.
• Your parents support you, and you are not employed nor pursuing studies independent of your family.
• You are dependent on your family on the basis of a health condition.
• Parent (only for visits up to 9 months).
• You must prove you intend to return home after the visit.
• You must not have visited your child in Norway in the past year, using this type of visa.
• Minor siblings.
• You must be full siblings
• You must be under the age of 18.
• There must not be anyone else in your country who can take care of you instead.

Family Reunification for International Students in Norway

To join your family member who is an international student in Norway you must be their:

• Spouse or registered partner
• The marriage must be valid
• Both partners must be in the marriage willingly
• You must be planning to live together in Norway
• The marriage must not be a marriage of convenience
• You must both be over the age of 24
• Cohabitation partner
• You must live together in Norway
• Neither of you can be married to someone else
• You must have lived together for at least two years OR you must have or be expecting a child together
• Child under the age of 18 – including adopted children.

Family Reunification with Norwegian Citizens

If you are outside the EU/EEA and you want to go to Norway to join your family member who is a Norwegian citizen, you will have to start the application online, on the UDI website, and then submit the required documents at the nearest Norwegian Embassy or Visa Application Center.

To bring you to Norway, your family member must:

• Make NOK 264,264 per year, pre-tax (approximately USD 28,800)
• Have made the same amount last year
• Not have received any financial assistance from NAV (økonomisk sosialhjelp) during the last 12 months.
• Be able to prove the legitimacy of your relationship.

Norway Family Reunification Visa Requirements

The documents you need when you apply for a Norway Family Reunification Visa are:

• Your passport. Also, bring copies of the used pages of your passport.
• The Application Form. You can download this after you apply online on the Directorate of Immigration website (UDI).
• Two passport-size photographs. They must be recent and have a white background.
• Your birth certificate.
• Proof of family relationship:
• Household registration documents
• Marriage certificate
• If one of the spouses was married before: Divorce documents or death certificate
• If your family member works in Norway:
• Their work contract, stating the duration of employment.
• The three most recent payslips.
• The most recent tax notice.
• A written declaration that they have not received social benefits in the last 12 months.
• If your family member is a student in Norway:
• Proof of their enrollment in the university.
• Proof they have enough income to support you and themselves.
• Evidence of any loans or grants they have received for their studies.
• If your family member is self-employed in Norway:
• Proof of their company registration.
• Proof of their monthly income.
• Their most recent tax settlement notice.
• A written declaration that they have not received social benefits in the last 12 months.
• The printed checklist of documents. You see this on the UDI page.
• Any additional documents, that the Norwegian authorities require, depending on your specific circumstances.

Document guidelines:

• Bring the originals and copies for each of the documents
• All the documents must be in English or Norwegian. If they are not, translate them (via a registered translator) and attach them along with the original document.
• Any civil documents, such as marriage or birth certificates have to be legalized by an Apostille.
• If you are unable to submit a certain document, enclose a written explanation as to why.

When to Apply for a Family Reunification Visa for Norway?

You can apply for a Family Visa at the same time your family member applies for their own Norway Visa for work, studies, etc. You will receive the decision at the same time, and you can travel to Norway together. However, you can also apply for after your family member has gone to Norway.

How to Apply for a Family Reunification Visa for Norway?

The application process for a Family Reunification Visa is:

• Gather the required documents for a Family Reunification Visa
• Register an account and complete the online application on the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website.
• If you apply yourself, from your come country:
• Make an appointment with the nearest Norwegian Embassy or Visa Application Center to hand in the documents.
• The Embassy/VAC sends the documents to the UDI.
• If your family member handles the application on your behalf:
• You send them the documents.
• They submit the completed application on the local police service for residence permits and protection or the service centres for foreign workers, depending on where they live.
• Wait for the UDI to process your application.
• If the outcome is positive, make an appointment with the police services in the area where you will live in Norway so you can register as a resident and receive your Residence Card.
• You make the appointment via the UDI website.
• Make sure the appointment is within the first week of your intended date of arrival.
• If you need an entry visa for Norway, the Norwegian Embassy will issue one.
• Travel and join your family member in Norway.

Note: If you will join a spouse, you will likely have to enter an interview, during which the visa officers of the Norwegian Embassy will ask you questions regarding your relationship. They will try to determine whether the relationship is legitimate, by asking questions such as how and where you met, about your wedding, each others’ family members etc.

Can I Work With a Norway Family Visa?

Yes, if you will join your spouse, who has a Work Visa, the Norwegian Family Visa allows you to work in Norway as well.

What Is the Duration of a Norway Family Reunification Visa?

Your visa will be issued in concurrence with the visa of your family member, between one and three years. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration will decide on the duration of the visa. This type of visa can be renewed and even lead to a Permanent Residence Permit.

Can I Renew My Norway Family Reunification Visa?

A Norwegian Family Visa can be renewed. You must apply for renewal at the local police station at least one month before the expiration date. Before applying at the station, you must complete the online application on the UDI website (like you did when you first applied) and schedule a delivery appointment.

Because getting an appointment may take some time, make sure you allow yourself enough time – apply more than a month in advance.

Can I Get Married in Norway?

You can marry in Norway if you have “legal stay” even if neither you nor your fiance are Norwegian citizens. Legal stay implies that you are either in the nation on a Schengen Visa, a Work Visa, or another sort of Norwegian Residence Permit, or that you are authorized to enter the country visa-free.

If both of you fit into one of the following categories, the procedure of getting married in Norway is relatively simple – the same as it is for two Norwegian nationals getting married:

• Permanent resident
• On refugee status as an asylum seeker
• An EEA citizen with permanent residence in Norway
• A Norwegian citizen

But if you will marry a Norwegian citizen or permanent resident, but you do not fall into either of the aforementioned categories, then you must apply for a certificate from the Norwegian Tax Administration.

Note: For citizens of certain countries, it can be difficult to get a Norway Visa simply to get married. That’s because the Norwegian authorities may doubt your intentions to return home should you not get married as you planned.

If you usually require a visa to enter Norway, even as a visitor, then you may face difficulties in your Marriage Visa application. In this case, the best outcome would be to get married first, and then apply for a Norwegian Family Reunification Visa.

Do I Have Health Insurance in Norway With a Family Visa?

A Family Visa (Residence Permit for Family Reunification) grants you Norwegian healthcare. You must see your fastlege (family doctor or general practitioner) for medical issues.

Medical care costs up to $260 per year (like a deductible). You get an exemption card and free healthcare for the rest of the year after receiving this much medical care. Under-16s and breastfeeding mothers receive the exemption card immediately, granting free healthcare. International health insurance provides supplementary coverage for private hospital care, medical evacuation, and overseas treatment.