An old course certificate, a test certificate and an exemption decision show different things. After the rule change on 1 September 2025, training is no longer a separate requirement for permanent residence, but many applicants must still meet test requirements. Check what each document actually proves.
Start with the application date, not the date on the course certificate
The requirement depends on what application you have and when it was submitted. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) links the 2025 transition to the registration date and the time of your appointment with the police. As a general rule, the new test requirements apply to a new application submitted after 1 September 2025. An application in the transition period may have different requirements even if a decision comes later.
UDI describes this distinction, among others: applications submitted to the police before 1 September 2025 were assessed under the previous test requirements. For submissions from 1 September, the general requirements are oral Norwegian at A2 and the social studies test. If the application was registered before 24 August 2025, but the police appointment did not take place until after 1 September, UDI describes a separate transitional rule. Use UDI’s explanation of the rule change for your exact dates; do not apply a rule from an old application to a new one.
| Document you found | What it shows | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Course certificate for Norwegian or social studies | That you attended training | It does not by itself meet today’s requirement to pass a test. Check separately with the municipality about any training obligation. |
| Norwegian oral test certificate | The level you achieved | Compare the level with UDI’s requirement for your application. |
| Social studies test certificate | Test type, language and pass/fail result | Check that this is the test and language UDI accepts for the purpose. |
| Municipal exemption decision | Which training or test obligation the municipality exempted you from | Check whether UDI accepts the decision as grounds for an exemption from its test requirement. |
What can an old course certificate be used for?
It can document completed training, but it does not automatically replace a passed test. Before 1 September 2025, training could be a separate requirement for some applicants. Under the new general rule for permanent residence, the test results matter. If you only have a document showing the number of course hours, it does not tell you whether you passed oral Norwegian at A2 or the social studies test.
There is also a separate right or obligation to training under the Integration Regulations. It does not necessarily disappear because UDI no longer requires course hours for permanent residence. If you have an old course certificate and are unsure whether you completed a municipal obligation, contact the municipality’s adult education service. Here is how to distinguish 75 hours from the test requirement. Ask the municipality to confirm which obligation and decision apply to you.
Can you use old passed tests?
Check the result, test type and language before booking a new test. An older Norwegian test certificate with oral A2 or higher may be relevant to the current requirement. An old oral A1 result, however, is not A2, even if you took the test when A1 was enough for an earlier application. The UDI and HK-dir pages checked for this article do not give an older passed social studies test a general expiry date. The important point is that the certificate matches your application’s requirements and can be linked to you. Read the separate guidance on an older social studies test result.
If you later apply for citizenship, that is a different question. Applicants who must take a social studies test need to pass the citizenship test or the social studies test in Norwegian, according to UDI. An old passed certificate in another language may therefore have been useful for permanent residence without meeting the citizenship requirement. Compare the language options before registering for a new test.
What about an old exemption decision or school records?
Read exactly what you were exempted from. A municipal decision may concern training, a final test or both. UDI lists valid municipal exemption decisions among possible grounds for an exemption from test requirements for permanent residence. An ordinary course certificate is not the same as an exemption decision. UDI may also assess specific Norwegian school grades, prior learning and studies as grounds for an exemption; this is not automatic just because the documents are old.
If you want to request an exemption, use UDI’s form and document requirements for permanent residence, and attach the decision or transcript. See the difference between a municipal exemption and an UDI exemption. The municipality clarifies your training obligation; the police or UDI decide the requirements in your residence case.
Example: three documents from different years
Sara has a certificate for 75 hours of social studies from 2022, an oral Norwegian test result of A1 from 2023, and a passed social studies test in Arabic from 2023. She wants to apply for permanent residence in 2026. The course certificate may be useful for the municipality’s records, but it does not meet the test requirement for a new application. The A1 certificate does not show A2. The social studies certificate may be relevant if she can document that she passed the test in a language she understands. She should therefore clarify oral A2 and check UDI’s personal requirements, rather than registering for both tests without a reason.
This is a way to sort documents, not a decision on Sara’s case. Applicants in the 2025 transition period must check their application dates separately.
Checklist for your own documents
- Find the date you registered your application, the date of your police appointment and the type of application.
- Sort your documents into courses, tests, exemption decisions and school or study documents.
- Read the oral level, the language of the social studies test and whether the result says “passed.”
- Compare them with UDI’s current requirements for your category and any transitional rule.
- Contact the test centre for a copy of a missing test certificate; contact the municipality about training obligations and UDI about residence requirements.
SamfunnPrep can help you review the material if you actually need to take the social studies test again. Try a free test to find topics to study further. A practice result does not replace HK-dir’s official test certificate.
Sources and rules were checked on 2 October 2026.
