Start with the two people’s roles
This guide is for families planning to live together in Norway. Use it to sort out choices and responsibilities before following your personal document checklist. A short visit, joining a spouse and applying for a child are different situations.
In family immigration, the applicant is the person who wants to live in Norway. The reference person is the family member they want to join here. This distinction helps identify who must document identity, the relationship, residence status and income.
UDI calls these people søkeren and referansepersonen. The term underholdskrav means the financial support requirement.
Use UDI’s family-immigration guide and select the actual relationship and the reference person’s status. Spouses, cohabitants and children do not have identical conditions. The family-reunification overview gives further context.
Choose the route before setting a timetable
Ordinary family immigration is different from residence rights for family members under EU/EEA rules. A visitor visa is for a visit and is not a family permit. Citizenship and residence basis can change which route you use.
Check where the applicant may submit, what applies while waiting and what children need to document. Do not assume marriage or a flight booking determines a right to stay. The guide to applying from Norway explains why this needs to be settled before travelling.
The family relationship determines the evidence
- Spouses: a marriage certificate matters, but also check whether the marriage is recognised in Norway and the conditions for living together here.
- Cohabitants: wanting to move in together is not the same as documented cohabitation. UDI asks about matters such as previous shared residence and children together.
- Children: use the child’s own category. Age, parental responsibility and the other parent’s consent can affect the document list.
Some applications for couples have a requirement that both are at least 24. When the family was established and possible exceptions matter; this is not a rule for every family. Make a short timeline of cohabitation, marriage, children and moves before choosing your applicant group.
Break the income requirement into separate questions
In many cases the reference person must meet a support requirement. Previous income and likely future income are separate assessments. A new employment contract therefore does not automatically replace evidence of an earlier income year.
UDI explains amounts, accepted income and exemptions. Rates change, and transitional rules can depend on when the application was registered and paid for. Use the amount for your category and timing. Do not assume every NAV payment or bank balance counts like salary.
The income-requirement guide helps separate these parts. Note which information you should update if pay, employment or family circumstances change while the case is being processed.
An exemption may have deadlines. Certain family members of refugees may be exempt from the income requirement when the family was established before the reference person came to Norway. UDI describes six months for online application and one year for attendance after protection is granted. Check the exact exemption conditions early; not every protection status is covered.
Organise documents around specific requirements
Use UDI’s document checklists. Make a record of each requirement, its evidence, the responsible person and any missing item. Compare names and dates in passports, marriage and birth documents. Clarify translations and any legalisation or apostille for the documents you actually need.
Parental responsibility and consent can be separate issues for children. Each family member may have their own application and checklist. Keep copies and receipts. If records disagree, gather evidence explaining the difference instead of simply choosing the most convenient spelling.
Plan the waiting period and everyday life separately
UDI publishes expected waiting times; these are not promised moving dates. Make housing, travel and work plans that allow for a longer process. Check rights to stay and work while waiting: submitting an application does not automatically grant all those rights.
After the decision, read its conditions and next steps. Plan residence cards, registrations, school or childcare and possible language training. Ask the municipality about training; it is separate from the family permit itself. If the family’s circumstances change, check the consequences for the next renewal.
Agree on a concrete task for each person
The applicant can check identity and family documents and where to submit. The reference person can retrieve their residence decision and evidence of previous and future income. Together, check any deadlines and the children’s documents. Mark each item “ready”, “evidence missing” or “needs clarification”; an assumption is not a completed item.
When planning family life, read how the school system works. If you are also preparing for the social studies test, use the separate learning-topic overview. A family-immigration application and test preparation are different tasks.
