Courses in Norwegian and Social Orientation:
"New" regulations from 1 September 2005

For immigrants who receive their first residence permit after 1 September 2005, regulations in the Introductory Act apply.
These regulations do not apply to immigrants who have received a permit before 1 September 2005, for this group the old regulations apply until 1 September 2010. Please note: the rules may apply for some immigrants who arrived in Norway before 1 September 2005, but has got a new type of residence permit after this date, often due to family reunification.

These regulations are known as "The right and duty to Norwegian language training". They apply to defined groups of immigrants who obtain their residence permit from 1 September 2005 and who want to apply for a permanent permit or Norwegian citizenship.

The new regulations make 300 hours of Norwegian language training compulsory for defined groups of adult immigrants and refugees who want to obtain a settlement permit or Norwegian citizenship. The 300 hours include 50 hours about Norwegian society, given in a language the participant understands.

Persons who can document good Norwegian language skills can apply for an exemption from the duty. See the Application form.

For those who want and need more language training, the municipalities are obliged to provide language training beyond 300 hours - up to 3000 hours when necessary.

What does "The right and duty to Norwegian language training" mean?
Duty: to obtain a permanent residence permit, 300 hours of language training and Social Orientation must be completed
Right: the language training is free of charge.

Some groups have a duty to follow Norwegian language training, while other groups have both a right and a duty. This depends on the kind of residence permit you have obtained. (See also "Age" below)

The right and duty to Norwegian language training - who are included?
According to these regulations, Norwegian language training is open and mandatory for

• Refugees with political 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.
  
• Persons who have been granted family reunification with a person who has obtained a settlement permit.

Who are obliged to complete Norwegian language training?
Some 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, but no right to free tuition, if they want to obtain a permanent residence permit:

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

The right and duty to Norwegian language training 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
  

Age and rights
The right and duty to Norwegian language training apply to persons between 16 and 67 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 duty, to receive Norwegian language training. Persons older than 67 has neither the right nor duty.

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 right and duty to Norwegian language training and Sosial Orientation; is there a time limit?
The 300 hours included in the 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 both 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 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. For persons who are registered in NIR- the National Introduction Registry - and who have a right to free tuition, this additional tuition will be free of charge. All free Norwegian language tuition must be completed within five years of the date you were granted a residence permit.

The Introductory programme
Since 1. September 2004, 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 new regulations for Norwegian language training also apply.

Read more about the Introductory programme in Oslo here >>>

More information
This is the short version of the new regulations.

You can read more about your rights and duties to free language training on www.imdi.no. The information is in Norwegian.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development gives further information about the new regulations called Innvandringsnytt Innvandringsnytt nr 30 - in Norwegian.

Also .Ot.prp. nr. 50 (2003-2004), - Proposition no 50 of the Odelsting, a division of the Norwegian Parliament – informs about the legal aspects of the new regulations, which are included in the new Introductory Act. This is in Norwegian only.

Read the Introductory Act here.

Last modified 09.12.2008