Norway Raises Income Threshold for Family Reunification to NOK 436,957 Per Year

• The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration confirmed a new minimum earning requirement for residents wishing to sponsor family members
• The updated threshold represents an increase of roughly NOK 68,000 compared to the previous benchmark, signalling a tightening of the rules
• Applicants who submitted and paid for their applications before 1 February 2025 remain subject to the older, lower income requirement

Norway has raised the minimum income a resident must earn before sponsoring a family member's move to the country, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

The UDI confirmed that reference persons, meaning those already residing in Norway who wish to bring in a relative, must now demonstrate annual earnings of at least NOK 436,957 before tax.

Beyond meeting that figure, the income must also appear stable enough to continue for at least one additional year from the date of application.

Applicants may also be required to produce supporting documents covering the first year their family member lived in Norway, adding a further layer of financial scrutiny to the process beyond simply showing current pay slips.

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Those who filed and paid for applications prior to 1 February 2025 are still assessed under the previous threshold, which was set at 2.7 times the National Insurance basic amount, equivalent to NOK 368,683 per year.

The difference between the old and new benchmarks stands at approximately NOK 68,000 annually, reflecting a clear tightening of the country's family immigration policy.

What the Change Means for Applicants

Norway's income-based family immigration framework is built around ensuring that newly arrived relatives are financially supported from the outset and do not draw on public funds.

Under this model, the burden of proof rests entirely with the reference person, who must demonstrate that their financial position is both sufficient and sustainable over time.

For Nigerians and other Africans considering family reunification in Scandinavian countries, the updated requirement is a significant detail to account for when planning applications.

The new threshold of NOK 436,957 is equivalent to approximately N60,945,612 per year, while the previous figure of NOK 368,683 translated to roughly N51,427,334 annually.

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Full guidance on what qualifies as acceptable income is available on the UDI's official website.

Source: YEN.com.gh