Immigrate to Norway from South Africa

Updated on Thursday 09th November 2023

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Immigration to Norway is available for people all over the world, as long as they follow the legal steps in this sense. This also applies to South African citizens who want to move here and who can obtain residence permits by various means. It is important to note that such a permit is required when the applicant intends to live in Norway for more than 3 months.

Below, our lawyers in Norway explain how you can immigrate to Norway from South Africa. We are at your disposal with numerous relocation services.

What to consider before you move to Norway from South Africa

Relocating to another country is not an easy decision to make, however, it can become easier when you know what to expect. From this point of view, when you decide to relocate to Norway as a South African citizen, here are some useful tips:

acquire the necessary information about what kind of residence permit you require;
get information about the city you would like to live in;
check out the living expenses;
find out the formalities you need to complete for a correct immigration.

Please note that you must either be a citizen of South Africa or already have a resident permit in South Africa in order to apply for Norwegian residency. Also, you don’t need to be a holder of a visa when arriving to Norway, which is why an important aspect to consider is that you must have a valid visa issued within the prior 6 months before filing for a residence permit.

You can obtain detailed information on all immigration requirements from our attorneys in Norway.

The main options to immigrate to Norway from South Africa

There are many ways through which you can move to Norway. Among them, we mention the following:

work;
education;
family reunion;
au pair.

If you want to immigrate to Norway from South Africa as au pair, you will need to consider specific conditions to meet. They can be explained by our lawyer in Norway.

Appoint a local representative

A usual step many foreign citizens follow is to use local representation. So, when relocating to Norway from South Africa you can also appoint a local agent to represent you with the Immigration Department. More specifically, you can rely on our Norwegian lawyers to file the paperwork on your behalf. Such a solution is used because of the language barriers.

Information about immigration to Norway from South Africa is also available with the Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria.

Becoming a permanent resident in Norway

Under a temporary residence permit, you can legally stay in Norway for 3 years before applying to become a permanent resident. Then, you can apply for permanent residency after 5 years, which means you need to renew your temporary stay document at least once in order to become eligible for this status.

Our lawyers can assist with the preparation of the documents you need to draft if you want to immigrate to Norway from South Africa on a permanent basis.

Citizenship in Norway for South Africans

Moving to Norway is not difficult when you follow all the steps in the right order. For this purpose, our law firm is at your service. What you need to consider from an immigration point of view as a South African citizen who wants to apply for a Norwegian passport is that:

if you decide to remain in Norway, you will become eligible for citizenship after 7 years;
if you marry a Norwegian citizen, this timeframe is reduced to 3 years;
starting 2020, Norway also recognizes dual citizenship, a principle respected in South Africa as well.

If you plan to immigrate to Norway from South Africa and need assistance, contact us. The specialists at our law firm in Norway ready to answer all your questions and offer the support you need for quick relocation.