The waiting period for citizenship is calculated from prison sentence in days, not from the amount of the fine. For a fine, it is the subsidiary prison sentence that counts, and the shortest waiting period is 2.5 years. A simplified summons gives no waiting period at all.
Waiting period for citizenship is calculated in days, not in kroner
A waiting period is the time you must wait after a sentence before you can become a Norwegian citizen. The rules are in the Citizenship Regulations chapter 5. The entire chapter is based on prison sentences measured in days, months and years, and there is no monetary limit anywhere in the chapter.
If you have received a fine, it is the subsidiary prison sentence that determines it (§ 5-2 second paragraph). It is the days shown in small print on the summons or in the court judgment. Under the Penal Code § 55, it is set between 1 and 120 days. UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) calculates the waiting period when the subsidiary sentence is 10 days or more.
The subsidiary prison sentence is cancelled when you pay the fine. But the number on the paper still applies when the waiting period is to be calculated, regardless of whether you have paid.
This article fills in the waiting period section in the main guide to becoming a Norwegian citizen. If you need the background first, we explain what a summons is and how a criminal case proceeds in a separate article.
These reactions give zero waiting period
Most people who receive a fine in traffic get no waiting period. The Citizenship Regulations § 5-7 state that the waiting period is not calculated for five reactions:
- simplified summons
- waiver of prosecution
- referral to mediation under the Criminal Procedure Act § 71a
- postponement of sentencing
- waiver of sentencing
UDI adds two cases on its own pages: parking fine and cases that have been dropped. These two are not in the paragraph, but UDI lists them as reactions that do not give a longer waiting period.
The label on the fine determines it, not the amount
A simplified summons is the pre-filled form the police print out on the spot, with fixed rates in the regulations. A regular summons is issued by the prosecution in a criminal case. The most common speeding fine is a simplified summons.
Even a simplified summons has a subsidiary prison sentence. The Regulation on simplified summons in road traffic cases § 3 sets it at one day per full 1,000 kroner, maximum 15 days. A speeding fine of NOK 13,450 thus has 13 days of subsidiary sentence. On a regular summons, those 13 days would give 2.5 years waiting period. On a simplified summons it gives zero.
Simplified summons are used for speeds up to NOK 16,700, and several violations at the same time can be issued as a joint fine up to NOK 29,100 (rates in effect 15 February 2026). A five-figure speeding fine can thus give zero waiting period, while a regular summons of a few thousand kroner gives 2.5 years.
The police cannot use a simplified summons in four cases: you refuse to accept the fine, the case concerns multiple offences that cannot all be decided this way, the matter is particularly serious or has created significant traffic danger, or the points lead to loss of driving licence. Then it becomes a regular criminal case, and then waiting period can arise.
The table: how long waiting period does your sentence give?
The table in the Citizenship Regulations § 5-1 links prison sentences to waiting periods. It starts at 10 days, and the shortest waiting period is 2.5 years.
| Prison sentence | Waiting period |
|---|---|
| 10–15 days | 2.5 years |
| 16–20 days | 3 years |
| 21–90 days | 5 years |
| 91 days to 6 months | 6.5 years |
| up to 1 year | 8 years |
| up to 2 years | 10 years |
| up to 3 years | 12 years |
| up to 4 years | 13.5 years |
| up to 5 years | 15 years |
| up to 6 years | 16.5 years |
| up to 7 years | 18 years |
| up to 21 years | 39 years |
The regulation writes "etc." between 7 years and 21 years. UDI fills in the steps: the waiting period increases by 1.5 years for each additional year of prison over 7 years, up to 21 years of prison which gives 39 years waiting period.
The waiting period is calculated from the day the final judgment was issued, or from the day you accepted the summons (Citizenship Act § 9 second paragraph). The table was added to the regulations on 1 June 2020 and applies to applications submitted from that date.
The Penal Code § 55 sets the subsidiary prison sentence to a maximum of 120 days. 120 days falls within the interval up to 6 months. A pure fine can therefore never give more than 6.5 years waiting period, regardless of how large the fine is.
"Where do I find the subsidiary prison sentence on my fine?"
The number is on the summons itself, under the words "subsidiary prison sentence". If you received a judgment, it is in the judgment conclusion.
If you cannot find the paper, you have the right to know what the police have registered about you (Police Records Act § 49 second paragraph). You ask the police for access yourself. Access can be denied on certain specific grounds in the law.
The citizenship application must in any case be accompanied by a comprehensive police certificate, which also shows matters you are suspected or charged with (Citizenship Act § 7 fourth paragraph). You cannot hide anything, but you do not need to guess either: the certificate gives you the overview.
Conditional sentence, community service and multiple fines
Waiting period applies to more reactions than unconditional imprisonment. The Citizenship Regulations chapter 5 count as follows:
- Conditional sentence gives the same waiting period as unconditional imprisonment (§ 5-2 first paragraph).
- Community service and youth sentences are calculated by the subsidiary prison sentence, not by the number of hours.
- Preventive detention is calculated by the imposed maximum period. If preventive detention is extended, no new waiting period is calculated.
- Split judgment: the prison sentence and the subsidiary sentence are summed first (§ 5-5).
- Multiple judgments or summons (§ 5-6): you take the waiting period that expires last, and add half of each of the others. The sum can never be more than twice the longest.
- Foreign punishment only counts if the matter is also punishable under Norwegian law, and the length is limited by the Norwegian penalty framework (§ 5-4).
Even if the waiting period has expired, the sentence must be fully served and all probation completed (Citizenship Act § 9 third paragraph). Probation for a conditional sentence is normally 2 years.
Should you wait to apply, or apply now?
The waiting period runs parallel to the probation period and resets nothing. If you have eight years left of probation and get 2.5 years waiting period in year two, the fine costs you no extra waiting time. Calculate both dates and see which one ends last — the probation calculator at SamfunnPrep does the first half.
All conditions are measured at the time of the decision, not at the time of application (Citizenship Act § 7 first paragraph). A new fine while the application is under consideration can therefore overturn an otherwise complete application.
If you are suspected or investigated during this time, processing is halted (Citizenship Act § 30 second paragraph). This is not a waiting period, but a pause. When the criminal case is decided, you must contact your police district yourself and ask for the application to be resumed. It does not happen automatically.
If you received a rejection due to waiting period before 1 June 2020 and have no new matters, the waiting period applies under your old decision (§ 5-8). The table shows the main rule; UDI decides individual cases. While you wait, you can prepare the other requirements: probation, language and civic knowledge.
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