Courses in Norwegian and Social Orientation:
Regulations in the Introductory Act from 1 September 2005

For immigrants who receive their first residence permit after 1 September 2005, regulations in the Introductory Act apply.

Please note that the rules in the Introductory Act also may apply for some immigrants who arrived in Norway before 1 September 2005, but who have got a new type of residence permit after this date, often due to an application for family reunification.


Permanent residence permit
The regulations make 250 hours of Norwegian language training & 50 hours of Social Orientation, or an exemption, compulsory for defined groups of adult immigrants who want to apply for a permanent residence permit.

The tuition
The tuition in Norwegian language and Social Orientation follow the Curriculum “Norsk og samfunnskunnskap for voksne innvandrere” (2005). The 50 hours about Norwegian society should be given in a language the participant understands. The course providers must be approved, - see vox.no.

Exemption from the duty to complete 300 hours
If you can document approved tests or exams, you can apply for an exemption from the duty. You send the application form to the Adult Education in your municipality. If you are granted an exemption, you attach exemption letter to your application for a permanent residence permit. More information and application form (for Oslo) here. OSLOVO LINK

What does a right or a duty to Norwegian language and Social orientation mean?
Some persons have a duty to follow Norwegian language training. Others have both a right and a duty, or only a right. This depends on the kind of residence permit you have obtained, time limits and your age. (See “Limitations” below)

• Right and duty: to obtain a permanent residence permit, 250 hours of language training and 50 hours of Social Orientation must be completed. The tuition is free of charge.
• Right: the tuition is free of charge. No duty to complete 300 hours
• Duty: to obtain a permanent residence permit, 250 hours of language training and 50 hours of Social Orientation must be completed. No free tuition

Who have the right and duty?
According to these regulations, Norwegian language training is open and mandatory for

• Refugees with political or other types of asylum
• Resettlement refugees
• Persons with residence on humanitarian grounds
• Persons with collective protection
• Persons who have been granted family reunification with a person within the above groups.
• Persons who have been granted family reunification with a Norwegian or Nordic citizen. (For rules concerning reunification with Nordic citizen: contact UDI)
• Persons who have been granted family reunification with a person who has obtained a permanent residence permit.

Who have a duty?
Persons in some immigrant groups must go through with 300 hours of Norwegian language training and Social Orientation if they want to obtain a permanent residence permit, but they have no right to free tuition. They must either pay themselves, or, if employed, the employer may finance such training.
These groups have a duty = no right to free tuition, but must complete the 300 hours if they want to obtain a permanent residence permit:

• work immigrants from outside the EFTA/EEA area
• persons with a family reunification permit with a person in the above group

The Introductory Act does not include

• students
• au pairs and others with a limited permit
• Nordic citizens (from Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden)
• persons with an EFTA/EEA permit

Persons in these groups can choose to pay for tuition, but have no right and no duty.

Framework and limitations
Age and rights
The right and duty to Norwegian language training apply to persons between 16 and 55 years. For persons under 16 it is compulsory to attend school, where they can start in a reception class and receive basic language training before they join an ordinary class.
Persons in the right-and duty-group between 55 and 67 years have a right, but no longer a duty, to receive Norwegian language training. Persons older than 67 has have neither a right nor a duty.

Time limits
The 300 hours included in the right/right and duty must be completed within 3 years from your first residence permit.
In Oslo, from September 2008, the local rule is that persons with a right/a right and duty can get the tuition free if they apply within the 3 year time limit, even if they do not fulfill within this limit, given they follow rules for absence etc.

More than 300 hours?
The municipality will be assessing whether persons with a right / right and duty to Norwegian language tuition require more than 300 hours of teaching. The municipality is able to grant up to 2700 hours in addition to the original 300. All free Norwegian language tuition must be completed within five years of the date you were granted a residence permit.

Norskprøve 3
The goal for the tuition is Norskprøve 3. Passing Norskprøve 3 written and oral is another limit for free tuition.

When you reach one of these limitations, you can no longer get the tuition free.


The duty of the municipality
The municipality has a duty to provide language training for persons with a right and/or duty to complete such training. This should be provided within the three months after the immigrant has claimed such training. The language training should follow an individual plan and should reflect the background and needs of the learner.

The Introductory programme
Refugees, persons with a residence permit on humanitarian grounds and those family reunified with persons in the above mentioned groups, have a right and a duty to follow an Introductory programme. For those given a residence permit after 1. September 2005, the regulations for Norwegian language training and Social orientation also apply.

Read more about the Introductory programme in Oslo at www.oslovo.no

More information
This is a short version of the regulations. Read the Introductory Act (in Norwegian) here.

Partly modified 14.11.2011