Norway permanent residence language requirement: A2 oral and the social studies test
The rules for permanent residence in Norway changed on 1 September 2025. Many older guides still talk about documenting hours of Norwegian tuition. That route is gone for most applicants: you now need a test result.
This page explains the current requirement in plain English and how to get your spoken Norwegian to A2 with time to spare. UDI sets the rules, so check udi.no for your own case.
The short answer
According to UDI, if you are between 18 and 67 and apply for a permanent residence permit after 1 September 2025, you must have passed an oral Norwegian test at level A2 or higher, and passed a social studies test in a language you understand.
UDI ties the level to the date of your police appointment. If the appointment was before 1 September 2025, oral A1 was enough. If it is on or after 1 September 2025, you need A2, even if you registered the application a few days earlier.
What changed in 2025
Three things catch people out.
- Hours of Norwegian tuition no longer replace a test. You need a passed oral test result.
- The level went up from A1 to A2 for the oral test.
- The social studies test (samfunnskunnskapsprøven) is still required, and for permanent residence you can take it in a language you understand.
Which test proves A2
For most people it is the oral part (muntlig) of Norskprøven, run by HK-dir and booked through a test centre, often your kommune. You get a level for the oral part. A2, B1 or B2 all meet the permanent residence requirement.
Your reading, listening and writing results do not replace the oral result. If you plan to apply for citizenship later, aim for B1 on the oral now: citizenship needs B1, and one test can cover both.
What A2 oral sounds like
At A2 you can talk about yourself, your family, your work and your daily routine in short, simple sentences, and answer simple questions. You do not need perfect grammar. You need to keep going and be understood.
Practise answering these out loud for about one minute each:
- Kan du fortelle litt om deg selv?
- Hva gjør du på en vanlig dag?
- Hvor bor du, og hvordan er det der?
- Hva liker du å gjøre i helgene?
How to prepare
Speaking is a habit, not a fact you learn. Ten minutes of talking out loud every day beats one long session a week.
Snakke's AI tutor answers back in Norwegian at your level and corrects your mistakes, so you can practise conversation without a partner. To be clear: Snakke does not teach the social studies test content. For that, use the free material on samfunnskunnskap.no.
- Prepare a short answer about yourself, your work and your home, and say it out loud until it is easy.
- Learn question words (hva, hvor, når, hvorfor, hvordan) so you understand what the examiner is asking.
- Add one reason to each answer with 'fordi'. That is the step from A2 towards B1.
- Book the test early. Waiting lists at test centres can be long.
The examiner asks: 'Hva gjør du på en vanlig dag?' Which answer fits the question?
- Jeg står opp klokka sju, og så går jeg på jobb.
- Jeg kommer fra Polen.
- Jeg har to barn.
Show the answer
Jeg står opp klokka sju, og så går jeg på jobb.
'En vanlig dag' means an ordinary day, so the examiner wants your routine. The other answers are good sentences but answer different questions.
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Start practisingQuestions
What Norwegian level do I need for permanent residence in Norway?
UDI requires a passed oral Norwegian test at level A2 or higher for applicants aged 18 to 67 who apply after 1 September 2025, plus a passed social studies test in a language you understand.
Do Norwegian course hours still count for permanent residence?
Not as proof of the language requirement for applications covered by the new rules. You need a passed oral test. Check udi.no for any transitional rule that applies to you.
Can I take the social studies test in English?
For permanent residence, UDI says the social studies test can be taken in a language you understand. For citizenship it must be taken in Norwegian.
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