EU/EEA Free MovementEU/EEA free movement to Norway under Directive 2004/38/EC
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have the right to live, study, work and run a business in Norway under the EEA Agreement, which incorporates Directive 2004/38/EC. Their non-EEA family members travel with them under the same regime, through a residence card (oppholdskort) rather than a national permit. We act as your gateway hub for eligibility, EEA registration, family residence cards and settlement into Norwegian systems.
The right to come, and the right to bring your family
Relocating to Norway as an EEA citizen gives you not only the right to live and work freely under the EEA Agreement, but also the right to bring your family with you. Norway combines a strong welfare system, a safe environment and excellent public services. Our services cover the full journey: eligibility checks, document preparation, EEA registration, residence cards for non-EEA family, registration in the National Population Register, banking, healthcare, schooling and integration.
Your gateway to settling in Norway. We carry the EEA citizen and their family from the first eligibility check through to a fully registered, settled life.
EEA citizens and their family members
The free-movement route applies if you are exercising one of four economic or status-based rights in Norway.
Workers
EEA citizens employed in Norway. An employment contract or a genuine job offer is enough, with no salary threshold and no labour-market test.
Self-employed
EEA citizens running a registered business or freelance practice in Norway. Registration in Brønnøysundregistrene documents the activity.
Students
EEA citizens enrolled at a Norwegian institution with sufficient resources and full health insurance for the study period.
Self-sufficient
EEA citizens with sufficient resources for themselves and their family, plus full health insurance covering Norway.
Who counts as family, and how Norway treats them
Directive 2004/38/EC distinguishes between "family members" (Art. 2) who have automatic derived rights, and "other family members" (Art. 3(2)) whose entry Norway must "facilitate" on an individual assessment.
Article 2: automatic family members
- Spouse or registered partner, with same-sex partnerships recognised
- Direct descendants under 21 of the EEA citizen or partner
- Direct descendants over 21 if dependent on the EEA citizen or partner
- Direct ascendants such as parents and grandparents, if dependent
Article 2 family members have an automatic right of entry and residence. Norway issues them a residence card (oppholdskort), valid up to 5 years.
Article 3(2): other family members
- Durable partners, that is long-term cohabitants where marriage is not possible
- Other relatives such as siblings, adult children and in-laws dependent on the EEA citizen
- Other relatives sharing the household of the EEA citizen
- Relatives requiring personal care from the EEA citizen on serious health grounds
Their entry is "facilitated". UDI assesses dependency and personal circumstances. We prepare the evidentiary file covering financial dependency, household and care, and argue the case.
Three checkpoints in Norway
The route moves through three clear stages, from first registration to a permanent right of residence.
1. EEA registration (up to 3 months)
EEA and Swiss citizens entering Norway may stay up to 3 months without registration. Beyond that, the EEA registration scheme applies. It is submitted online to UDI, with biometrics taken at the police district (Politiet).
- Passport or national ID card
- Proof of work, study, business or means
- Comprehensive health insurance for students and the self-sufficient
2. Residence card for non-EEA family
Non-EEA family members apply for a residence card (oppholdskort) on the basis of their relationship to the EEA principal. It is valid up to 5 years and carries full work rights.
- Marriage, partnership or birth certificates, legalised and translated
- Evidence of the EEA principal’s residence and economic activity
- Cohabitation or dependency evidence where required
3. Permanent right of residence (after 5 years)
After 5 years of continuous legal residence, EEA citizens and their family members acquire a permanent right of residence under Art. 16. No further conditions apply, and once acquired it is lost only by absence of more than 2 consecutive years.
- Continuous 5-year residence documented
- Permanent residence document issued by UDI
- A path towards Norwegian citizenship after the required total residence
How we run an EEA family case
1. Eligibility assessment
We confirm that the EEA citizen is genuinely exercising free movement and identify which family members qualify under Articles 2 and 3(2).
2. Document preparation
Collecting, legalising and translating relationship, dependency and economic-activity evidence to UDI standards.
3. EEA registration and card applications
Online filing with UDI for the principal and residence card applications for non-EEA family, with biometrics at Politiet.
4. Follow-up
We communicate with UDI on the family’s behalf and respond to any requests for further information.
5. Registration and settlement
Fødselsnummer or D-nummer in the National Population Register, then banking, healthcare, schooling and language support.
Practical essentials after you arrive
Free-movement rights are only the start. We make sure the whole family can function in Norwegian systems from the first weeks.
Status and healthcare
Fødselsnummer, or D-nummer for shorter stays, the key across healthcare, schooling, banking, tax and digital public services
With a personal number, access to the public health system and a regular GP (fastlege)
Until then, comprehensive private insurance covers students and self-sufficient persons and their families
Money and education
A Norwegian bank account and BankID for salary, digital signatures and online access to public authorities
Public schooling and subsidised kindergarten (barnehage) for children
Norwegian language courses that support integration and longer-term residence and citizenship goals
Leading judgments that shape EEA family rights
EEA free-movement rights in Norway draw directly from Directive 2004/38/EC and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
MRAX (C-459/99)
Procedural rights and proportionality in entry and residence decisions for third-country family members.
Metock (C-127/08)
Right of residence for non-EEA spouses irrespective of prior lawful residence in another Member State.
Reyes (C-423/12)
Dependent direct descendants over 21, where the test is evidence of material dependency, not its cause.
Exercise your free-movement rights with confidence
We file your EEA registration and your family’s residence cards correctly the first time, then carry you through registration and settlement in Norway.
