Citizenship after six years may be possible if you have sufficient income. UDI looks at your tax settlement, not just your current salary. As of 4 October 2026, the threshold is NOK 384 348 when the tax settlement for 2025 is used.
Which tax settlement applies?
Find the latest available tax settlement when you apply. The tax year determines which income threshold applies.
Utlendingsdirektoratet (UDI), the Norwegian immigration authority, uses a separate income rule for a shorter residence period. With sufficient income, the requirement is normally six years of residence within the past ten years. The other requirements still apply. Start with the overview of Norwegian citizenship requirements before choosing this calculation.
As of 4 October 2026, UDI's income guidance shows the following:
| Tax settlement used | When it applies | Income threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The 2025 tax settlement is ready when you apply | NOK 384 348 |
| 2024 | You apply before the 2025 tax settlement is ready | NOK 366 675 |
| 2023 | Older application submitted before the 2024 settlement was ready | NOK 348 717 |
Check both the document name and year. Tax return and tax settlement are different documents. A submitted tax return alone does not show that the settlement is ready.
What should you read in the tax settlement?
UDI uses the field “Sum inntekter”, which the guidance locates on page 3. This is income before deductions, not the money paid into your bank account.
Open the document with Skatteetaten, the Norwegian tax authority. Write down the tax year and amount in your checklist. Do not use net salary, tax payable or the amount refunded to you.
Income included in the field can comprise salary, business income, certain benefits and capital income. Loans and grants do not count under this rule. The field's total is therefore useful for checking, rather than a new personal list of everything received in your account.
UDI retrieves the income information directly from Skatteetaten. You normally do not need to send a separate income calculation. If the settlement contains errors, clarify them with Skatteetaten rather than sending UDI a spreadsheet with another figure.
Three examples of sufficient income
Compare the amount in the correct tax settlement with the threshold for the same year. Your current employment contract cannot replace this check.
The examples are fictional and assess only the income part. They are not citizenship decisions.
Example 1: The 2025 settlement shows NOK 390 000. This is above NOK 384 348. The difference is NOK 5 652. The income part may therefore be met under this rule. You must still check qualifying residence time and the other requirements.
Example 2: The settlement shows NOK 380 000, but you received a pay rise in 2026. The 2025 settlement is NOK 4 348 below the threshold. A higher monthly salary now does not change this settlement's figure. You need to investigate other applicable residence rules or wait for a relevant new settlement.
Example 3: You applied before the 2025 settlement was ready. The 2024 settlement showed NOK 370 000. This exceeds the 2024 threshold of NOK 366 675. Do not replace the correct historical threshold with today's National Insurance basic amount merely because UDI decides the case later.
For each example, you can make two boxes: “income checked” and “other requirements checked”. Complete both before choosing an application date. This makes it clear what you actually checked.
What if a new tax settlement arrives while you wait?
UDI says a new tax settlement is used if it benefits you. Otherwise, the latest settlement available when you applied is used.
Keep the date you applied and a record of which settlement was ready then. When a new one arrives, note its year and “Sum inntekter” beside the old one. This is particularly useful if income rose or fell between years.
A new document does not mean you must withdraw your application and start again. If you have a specific question about the settlement used, provide your application date and tax year. Avoid sending the same document repeatedly simply because you have read different amounts online.
Why is this different from permanent residence?
A shorter citizenship residence period and financial self-support for permanent residence are separate assessments. They use different periods and accepted income sources.
The citizenship rule uses 3 times the annual average basic amount for the tax year. The basic amount is a figure in the National Insurance system adjusted annually. The calendar-year average differs from the amount after that year's adjustment. Do not calculate 3 times today's basic amount and use it as the 2025 threshold.
Permanent residence normally assesses your own income over a twelve-month period. Loans and grants from Lånekassen, the public student finance body, can count there, among other sources. This follows from UDI's self-support page. SamfunnPrep's guide to the self-support requirement explains that assessment.
Which questions should you clarify before applying?
Clarify the document, period and applicant group before using the six-year rule. Income above the threshold does not replace missing residence time.
Write specific questions, such as: “I am applying after the 2025 settlement is ready. Should I use Sum inntekter?” Or: “The settlement changed after my application. Which version is being used?”
If residence time is unclear, find your decisions and travel overview separately. UDI's residence-time page recommends meeting the requirements before applying. A long expected waiting time does not guarantee you will meet them in time.
A one-page checklist
A short document overview makes it easier to check your own decision later. Use it as a working note, rather than a substitute for UDI's assessment.
- Tax settlement: year and date available.
- “Sum inntekter”: the amount actually shown in the settlement.
- Correct annual threshold: with source and date checked.
- Residence time: qualifying periods, gaps and absence.
- Other requirements: identity, residence and tests for your group.
SamfunnPrep's tools page offers help organising your plans. Keep the tax settlement in your own secure document folder.
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