According to Statistics Norway (SSB), some 670,000 immigrants lived in Norway as of January 2015. Some 15,200 immigrants were granted Norwegian nationality in 2014—the highest number ever registered in Norway. But according to Norway’s Liberal Party (V), many of those who qualify to apply for Norwegian citizenship do not do this.
Norway is the only Nordic country that does not permit dual citizenship. It has been allowed in Sweden since 2001, Finland and Iceland since 2003, and Denmark since 2015.
Current Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) rules state that applicants for Norwegian citizenship must renounce their original one in order to gain Norwegian nationality—unless, for example, the applicant cannot be released from this.
Moreover, the Liberals cite that SSB’s conclusion, which is supported by more recent research conducted by MIPEX (Migrant Integration Policy Index), is that more people would apply for Norwegian citizenship if the risk of losing their original one was lower. A Norwegian national who applies for citizenship of another country must also surrender their Norwegian one.
