Dual Citizenship Norway and USA: Keeping, Reclaiming and Using It
Written by Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance agent · CA 4273294Short answer: Norway has allowed dual citizenship since January 1, 2020, and the US does not require you to give up US citizenship. Former Norwegians who lost citizenship by naturalizing elsewhere can reclaim it by declaration under statsborgerloven § 22 a if they meet the conditions. Children born abroad lose Norwegian citizenship at 22 unless they have enough ties to Norway. For couples moving to Norway, the Norwegian spouse’s citizenship is what opens the family route.
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In my family, the Norwegian passport is the key that opens the door. My mom is Norwegian, my dad is American, and Norway has no retiree visa. The only way my dad can live there is as the spouse of a Norwegian citizen. That makes citizenship rules more than paperwork.
The main rules (statsborgerloven)
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Holding both | Allowed since January 1, 2020 |
| Lost Norwegian citizenship by taking another (for example US naturalization before 2020) | § 22 a: right to become Norwegian again by declaration (melding), with clarified identity, a clean record, and at least 6 months total stay in Norway before age 22 (not required if you originally got Norwegian citizenship by application) |
| Former citizen by application | § 15: 2 years of residence in Norway on permits of at least 1 year |
| Norwegian born abroad | § 24: loses citizenship at 22 unless they have lived 2 years total in Norway (or 7 in Nordic countries) or apply before 22 to keep it |
| Foreign spouse naturalizing | § 12: 5 years of residence in the last 10, and residence plus marriage together at least 7 years |
The law text for § 22 a shows no end date. Whether UDI applies any deadline in practice is something to confirm with UDI before you rely on it.
Why the sponsor’s citizenship drives the move
A Norwegian citizen who returns needs no permit. The American spouse applies for family immigration, and the Norwegian spouse is the sponsor (reference person). The sponsor must meet an income requirement: 3.2 times the National Insurance basic amount, NOK 436,957 a year from May 2026, or a lower figure if the sponsor draws a Norwegian old-age pension. See family immigration with a US spouse.
If the sponsor’s own income falls short, cash in the bank does not count as income for UDI. That is where a US life-only SPIA, bought before the move, can turn savings into income UDI counts as a permanent periodic benefit.
In the same boat? Let’s run your numbers
See roughly what a lifetime annuity would cost to close your income gap, then get my personal read by email. I can help while you still live in the US.
Estimates use the September 9, 2026 ImmediateAnnuities.com payout survey (life only) and a 15% cushion. Illustrative, not a quote.
The American side: nothing to give up
The US does not require you to renounce to hold Norwegian citizenship. Renouncing is a formal step at a US consulate, and for some people it triggers the US expatriation tax. For context, the 2026 covered-expatriate tests are average net income tax above $211,000 for the prior 5 years, net worth of $2 million or more, or failing to certify 5 years of tax compliance; covered expatriates get a $910,000 exclusion on a deemed sale. Most retirees moving to Norway have no reason to renounce. Staying a US citizen means you keep filing US returns; see US taxes while living in Norway.
Who in the family needs what
| Family member | Status in Norway | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Norwegian citizen spouse | No permit needed | Report the move to the National Population Register if staying 6 months or more; join the National Insurance Scheme when the stay is meant to last 12 months or more |
| American spouse | Family immigration permit | Sponsor meets the income requirement; apply from abroad; permanent residence possible after 3 years on qualifying permits |
| American spouse, later | Norwegian citizenship (optional) | Section 12 residence and marriage-time rules, plus other conditions |
| Adult children with dual citizenship | No permit needed | Their citizenship does not let them sponsor a parent who still has a spouse in the US |
| Grandchildren born in the US | Depends on a Norwegian parent | Watch the section 24 age-22 rule |
Steps for a Norwegian who left long ago
- Check that your Norwegian passport is valid, or renew it in person at a Norwegian mission.
- If you naturalized in the US before 2020 and lost Norwegian citizenship, check whether you meet the section 22 a conditions and file the declaration with UDI.
- Order civil documents early: a Norwegian marriage certificate and any name-change records. Allow weeks, not days.
- Confirm your entry in the National Population Register (for example registered as emigrated) and your Norwegian ID number.
- Work out the sponsor income test before anyone files. If income falls short, plan how to close the gap with lifetime income, because savings alone do not count.
If you were born with both citizenships
US tax law has a narrow carve-out for people who are dual citizens from birth. The covered-expatriate rules do not apply to someone who became a citizen of the US and another country at birth, is still a citizen and taxed as a resident of that other country, and was not a US resident for more than 10 of the last 15 years. It only matters if you ever consider renouncing, and you should take advice before doing so. Gifts and bequests from a covered expatriate to US persons can also be taxed to the recipient above the annual exclusion ($19,000 for 2026).
Citizenship and the SPIA decision
Citizenship decides who sponsors; income decides whether the application works. In my family, my mom is the Norwegian sponsor (UDI’s reference person), so the question was whether her lifetime income met UDI’s figure; my American dad’s income does not count toward it. Only lifelong income counts, which is why a 5-year annuity would not have worked and a life-only SPIA bought while she still lives in the US is the tool on the table. If you are in the same boat, the order is: confirm citizenship, confirm the sponsor’s income figure in writing with UDI, then size any annuity to the gap with headroom.
Practical points
- Norwegian passports are issued in person (biometrics) at a police office in Norway or a Norwegian mission abroad. Check norway.no for current US appointments.
- Keep both passports valid. The Norwegian passport proves the sponsor’s status in the family application.
- Adult children with dual citizenship cannot sponsor a parent who still has a spouse in the US. The spouse who is Norwegian sponsors.
- Paperwork takes longer than you expect. In my family, a Norwegian marriage certificate took about 6 weeks to arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Free annuity gap analysis for Norway. Tell me your ages, your Social Security or pension, and whether you are single or a couple. I will show how far your income is from the Norway requirement and what a lifetime annuity would cost to fill the gap, in the sponsor’s or main applicant’s name where that matters.
Related reading
- Moving to Norway from the US: the hub
- Family immigration with a US spouse
- UDI income requirement 2026 explained
- Can you bring your parents to Norway?
- US taxes while living in Norway
Sources
- Lovdata: Statsborgerloven (Norwegian Nationality Act)
- UDI: Income requirement in family immigration cases
- IRS: Expatriation tax
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments)
Goldstein & Co. LLC dba Goldstein Insurance Services · Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance agent, CA lic. #4273294 · NPN 20602398 · 213-414-2808 · hans@hansgoldstein.com
Education, not tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules, thresholds and exchange rates change; confirm with the consulate or immigration authority and a local tax adviser before you act, and get answers in writing. Hans Goldstein is a licensed insurance agent (CA 4273294) and can only offer annuities to residents of states where he is licensed. Annuity payments are guaranteed by the issuing insurer’s claims-paying ability, not by any government. Payout figures are illustrations from a published survey, not quotes. Immediate annuities are generally irrevocable.