Costly to be a Norwegian citizen
It can be costly to become a Norwegian citizen.
It costs to become a Norwegian citizen. Since 2005, the price to apply for citizenship rose from 1,000 to 2,500 NOK. Meanwhile, the price of passports and driving licenses declined.
To obtain a permanent residence permit, the applicant must pay a further 1,600 kroner, according to Aftenposten. Six years ago, it cost only 600 kroner. The price for family immigration permits have gone up from 600 to 3,000 kroner.
After the government introduced fees for processing applications within the immigration field in 2003, prices have accelerated. Before 2003, it was free to apply for a permanent residence permit.
In addition, the application process takes a long time, and the newly arrived immigrants risk having to pay a total of nearly 8,000 kroner before the goal is reached. Five years ago, the total price was only 3,000 kroner.
“I know people who have borrowed money to apply for Norwegian citizenship. The price is very stiff, especially considering that many immigrants don’t have very good economies,” says Akhenaton Oddvar de Leon, head of the Organization against Public Discrimination, to the newspaper.
He will now send letters to consumer authorities on the matter.
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