Norway is a member state of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Schengen Area.

All Norwegian nationals have automatic and permanent permission to live and work in any European Union (EU) or EFTA country.

Foreign nationals may naturalise after meeting a residence requirement (usually eight years) and demonstrating proficiency in Norwegian or a Sami language.

Citizens of other EEA and Nordic countries may acquire Norwegian nationality with reduced residency requirements.

Applicants must be at least 12 years old, demonstrate proficiency in Norwegian or a Sami language (or alternatively complete 300 hours of Norwegian language courses), intend to reside in Norway permanently, pass a good character requirement, and not have a criminal record.

[13] Applicants with a criminal record must wait a further "quarantine" period dependent on the crime committed before being granted citizenship.

[9] Qualified individuals have a legal entitlement to Norwegian nationality through this pathway and are processed through a simplified procedure that requires no application fee.

[15] Prior to 1 January 2020, any person who acquired Norwegian nationality was required to renounce any previous citizenships they had.