# Moved to a New Municipality Before Applying for Permanent Residence? Update This

When you move to a new municipality, report your new address and check your police appointment, contact details and test centre. Here is the application checklist.

Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/flytte-kommune-for-permanent-opphold
Language: en
Publisher: SamfunnPrep
Author: Hlib Suslov
Published: 2026-10-02T11:51:17.16+00:00
Modified: 2026-10-03T13:18:43.569037+00:00
AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt

## Key takeaways

- Report your new address People registered in the Population Register report a move to the Tax Administration; others waiting for UDI notify the police under UDI’s guidance.
- Check the police appointment Moving does not automatically give you a new appointment. Check the location and clarify changes with the police.
- Notify the test centre The correct address on the candidate list matters if you are waiting for a test notice or certificate.

If you have moved to a new municipality before or while applying for permanent residence, your address must be correct. If you are registered in Norway’s National Population Register, report your move there. If you are waiting for a decision and are not registered in the Population Register, UDI says that you must notify the police within one week of moving.

## What do you need to do when you move to a new municipality?

**Start by checking where you are registered and where your application is in the process.** The Norwegian Tax Administration is responsible for the National Population Register. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) uses address information while you are waiting for a decision on permanent residence. The police often handle appointments and may process the application itself. A test centre handles test notices and test certificates. These responsibilities are different.

| Situation | Where do you report the move? | What should you check afterwards? |
|---|---|---|
| You are registered in Norway’s Population Register | The Population Register at the Norwegian Tax Administration | That your new residential address has been registered. |
| You are in Norway but are not registered in the Population Register, and are waiting for UDI | The police | That your case has the correct address. |
| You have booked an appointment with the police | The police or the appointment overview in “My applications” | Whether the agreed appointment location and time still work. |
| You have registered for a test | The test centre | That the notice and test certificate will go to the correct address. |

See [how to report a move in Norway](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/melde-flytting-norge) for the address change itself. This article concerns an application for permanent residence. The information was checked on **2 October 2026**.

## Deadline for reporting a move and notifying UDI

**If you are registered in the Population Register, report the move to it.** The Norwegian Tax Administration says that you can submit a change-of-address notification no earlier than 31 days before and no later than 8 days after moving. The service is free. UDI says that it receives your new address automatically from the Population Register after you have applied for permanent residence. Still, check that the change has actually been registered. A paid mail-forwarding service is not the same as reporting your move.

**If you are not registered in the Population Register, a different notification applies while your application is pending.** UDI says that you must report your move to the police no later than one week after moving. You can contact the police in your old or new place of residence. This is UDI’s guidance for people who are in Norway but are not registered in the Population Register. If you are abroad and move while your case is being processed, UDI instead refers you to the embassy or consulate where you submitted your application.

If you are moving shortly before applying, first check which residential address is registered. Note the date you moved and keep the receipt. If you have a separate **mailing address** from your home address, update it separately with the Tax Administration. This matters when documents are sent by post.

## What happens to your appointment with the police?

**Do not assume that a booked appointment is automatically moved to a different police district.** UDI says that you can find your appointment under “My applications,” while the police have the appointment calendar and answer questions about bookings. Log in and check the time, location and application the appointment relates to. Contact the police if moving makes it difficult to attend or if you are unsure which location should receive your documents.

If you have not booked an appointment yet, use the information in your submitted application and UDI’s appointment-booking guidance. If you have already submitted documents and received a receipt, do not register a new application just because your address has changed. Ask the police whether they need anything else. UDI says that the police may grant applications for permanent residence, but send a case to UDI if the requirements are unclear or not met. A move therefore does not give one simple answer about which office will decide your specific case.

Example: Amir moves from Drammen to Hamar after registering his application but before his appointment with the police. He reports his new residential address to the Population Register and checks the receipt. Then he opens “My applications” and sees that the appointment is still in Drammen. He contacts the police about the appointment before changing anything. This way he distinguishes between an **address update** and an **appointment location**.

## Do you need to change test centres when you move?

**Moving does not invalidate an old test result.** If you have already passed the Norwegian test or the social studies test, check your test certificate and attach it when the application asks for it. If you have an upcoming test date, ask the centre where you registered about the notice, address and any change to the appointment. The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) says that the test certificate is sent to the address on the candidate list; you should notify the test centre if your address changes.

A new municipality may have different test dates and procedures. This does not mean that you automatically get a free place there or can move an existing registration without an agreement. Read [how to find out about the social studies test in another municipality](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/samfunnskunnskapsproven-annen-kommune). Ask both test centres if you have already registered and want to change location.

## Check your contact channels before waiting for a decision

**Your home address is not the only way UDI may contact you.** Open UDI’s “My page” and check the information shown there. Check the phone number and email address in your case, and read messages from UDI or the police. UDI says that you will be notified when your case is forwarded and when a decision has been made. If you receive letters by post, make sure your name and address are legible on the mailbox.

A simple checklist:

1. Report your move to the Population Register if you are registered there.
2. If you are not registered there and are waiting for UDI, notify the police within one week.
3. Check your registered home address and any separate mailing address.
4. Check your police appointment under “My applications” and contact the police if you have questions.
5. Give the test centre your new address if you are waiting for a test certificate or notice.
6. Keep receipts and check your contact details.

SamfunnPrep’s [residence-period tool](https://samfunnprep.no/en/verktoy/botid-oppholdstid) can help you keep dates together while preparing for permanent residence. It does not determine which police station processes your case. Ask the police about your appointment and UDI about your application. If you also want to prepare for the social studies test, you can [try SamfunnPrep for free](https://samfunnprep.no/en/register).

## FAQ

### Do I have to notify UDI when I move while my application is being processed?

If you are registered in Norway’s Population Register, report the move there; UDI says it receives the new address automatically. If you are in Norway but are not registered in the Population Register, you must notify the police within one week of moving.

### How soon must I report a move within Norway?

The Norwegian Tax Administration says that you can submit the change-of-address notification no earlier than 31 days before and no later than 8 days after moving.

### Will my police appointment automatically move to the new municipality?

Do not assume that it will. Check the appointment under UDI’s “My applications” and ask the police about changing the appointment or location.

### Do I have to take the social studies test again after moving?

Moving by itself does not invalidate an earlier test result. Check your test certificate and any requirements for the result in your case.

### Who should get my new address if I have registered for a test?

Notify the test centre. HK-dir says that the test certificate is sent to the address on the candidate list.

## Sources

- [Har søkt: Permanent opphold og varig oppholdsrett](https://www.udi.no/har-sokt/permanent-opphold/)
- [Flytte i Norge](https://www.skatteetaten.no/person/folkeregister/flytte/i-norge/)
- [Mine søknader, dokumenter, timebestilling og gebyr](https://www.udi.no/min-side/mine-soknader-dokumenter-timebestilling-og-gebyr/)
- [Om Min side](https://www.udi.no/min-side/min-side/)
- [Reglement for gjennomføring av prøver i norsk og samfunnskunnskap 2026: vedlegg](https://hkdir.no/dokumenter/les-dokumentet/reglement-for-gjennomforing-av-prover-i-norsk-og-samfunnskunnskap-2026/vedlegg)

Citation: Hlib Suslov, "Moved to a New Municipality Before Applying for Permanent Residence? Update This", SamfunnPrep, 2026-10-02T11:51:17.16+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/flytte-kommune-for-permanent-opphold