To get a permanent residence permit (permanent oppholdstillatelse), you must — for most permit types — have lived continuously in Norway for the last three years with a permit that «forms the basis for a permanent residence permit». This residence time is called botid. That the residence must be continuous does not mean you can never travel out: the Directorate of Immigration (UDI, Utlendingsdirektoratet, the state agency for immigration cases) counts your stay as continuous as long as, in total, you have not been outside Norway for more than seven months during the three years. If you are a refugee or have a permit on strong humanitarian grounds, the botid requirement is five years. Below we explain how the time is counted, what interrupts it, and how trips affect it.

The main rule: three years of continuous botid

The main rule is that you must have stayed continuously in Norway for the last three years with a temporary permit that forms the basis for a permanent residence permit. This follows from the Immigration Act, utlendingsloven § 62 first paragraph (the act on foreign nationals' access to the realm, in force 2010). The requirement applies, among others, to many who have come through work or through family immigration with a Norwegian or Nordic citizen.

Botid is counted from when you got a permit that forms the basis for permanent residence — not from when you first came to the country. The three years are looked at backwards from the date you apply. In addition to botid, you must meet other conditions, such as requirements in Norwegian language and social studies. The calculation of botid is the topic here; the other conditions are in the overview of requirements for a permanent residence permit.

What counts as botid?

Only time with a permit that «forms the basis for a permanent residence permit» counts as botid. If you have a permit that does not give such a basis, that time does not count, even though you actually live in Norway.

Most permits for work and family form such a basis. Some short-term and purpose-specific permits do not, and they therefore do not build up botid. If you are unsure whether your particular permit counts, it is stated on UDI's own page for your permit type, or you can ask UDI directly. Do not assume that all time in Norway counts automatically — it is the permit type that decides.

How much time abroad can you have?

You can travel out, but not too much. When the requirement is three years of botid, UDI counts your stay as continuous as long as, in total, you have not been outside Norway for more than seven months during the three years (UDI practice as of July 2026). If you exceed this, the stay is no longer counted as continuous, and the botid can be broken.

This is a total limit. It is the total time abroad across the whole three-year period that counts, not the length of each individual trip. UDI does not state any separate upper limit for how long a single trip can be, as long as the sum stays within seven months. So several short trips and one longer trip are treated the same way — it is the total that decides.

Example: You have had a work permit for three years. During the period you have been on holiday and visits in your home country for a total of five months. Then you are within the limit of seven months, and the stay is counted as continuous. Had the same trips added up to nine months, the botid would have been broken.

If you are planning longer stays abroad while you build up botid, you should calculate the total carefully. Read more about what applies when you are away from Norway in the guide on travelling outside Norway with a residence permit.

Exception: skilled workers and specialists on assignment for an employer

There is one important exception to the seven months limit. If you have a residence permit as a skilled worker (faglært) or as a specialist, you can stay outside Norway for up to 15 months in total without losing the right to a permanent residence permit. This is stated in the Immigration Regulations, utlendingsforskriften § 11-2 (regulation in force 2010).

The condition is that at least 8 of these months are due to assignments or travel for your employer, and that you can document it. The exception therefore applies only to this group and only to work-related stays abroad — not ordinary holidays. For everyone else, the main rule is still seven months.

Staying without a permit also breaks the botid

A separate point, alongside time abroad, is periods without a valid permit. You cannot have been without a residence permit for more than a total of three months during the last three (or five) years. A longer stay without a valid permit breaks the continuous residence time.

This is why it is so important to renew in time. If you apply for renewal too late and end up in a stay without a valid permit for over three months, the botid clock can in practice be reset. Make sure to keep up with the deadlines for renewing the residence permit. A slip in the renewal can cost you months or years of earned botid.

Five years of botid for refugees and certain others

Not everyone has a three-year requirement. For some groups the botid requirement is five years. This applies, among others, to people with protection (asylum), resettlement refugees, family members of a refugee, and people who have been granted residence on strong humanitarian grounds.

When the five-year requirement applies, the limit for time abroad is also higher: in total you cannot have been outside Norway for more than ten months during the five years. So the three-year limit of seven months does not apply here. Check which requirement applies to your permit before you calculate, so that you do not use the wrong number.

Do not confuse botid with lapse after two years

This is a common source of confusion: the rules above are about earning a permanent residence permit. After you have got it, a completely different rule applies. A permanent residence permit only lapses when you have stayed outside Norway continuously for more than two years (utlendingsloven § 62).

The seven months limit is therefore about building up botid before you get permanent residence. The two-year limit is about keeping a permanent permit you already have. Do not use one figure in the other situation. When you later have permanent residence and are considering longer trips, separate rules apply that you can read about in the guide on travelling with a residence permit.

How to document and apply

You apply for a permanent residence permit at UDI, at the earliest when you have earned enough botid. In the application you should be able to account for your stays abroad during the period, so that UDI can assess whether the stay is continuous. Keep documentation of trips and, if you are a skilled worker or specialist, of assignments for your employer.

If you get a rejection because UDI considers the botid broken, you can appeal. You send the appeal to UDI, which can change the decision or send the case on to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE, Utlendingsnemnda, the appeals body in immigration cases). If you are in doubt about your own situation, you can contact UDI before you apply, or seek free or low-cost legal help. A permanent residence permit is also a common step on the way to Norwegian citizenship, where separate and longer botid requirements apply.