Can I take the Norwegian citizenship test in English or my own language?
Short answer: the citizenship test (statsborgerprøven) is only in Norwegian. The social studies test (samfunnskunnskapsprøven) can be taken in 23 languages, but for a citizenship application it only counts if you take it in Norwegian.
Can I take the statsborgerprøven in English?
No. The citizenship test is in Norwegian only. You choose whether to take it in bokmål or nynorsk. It is at language level A2, and you take it on a computer at the test centre.
Which languages can I take the samfunnskunnskapsprøven in?
In one of 23 languages, including English, Arabic, Ukrainian, Somali, Tigrinya, Persian, Russian, Turkish and Thai. You choose the language at the test centre on the test day. Polish and Lithuanian are not on the list. HK-dir also offers read-aloud of the questions in ten languages.
Does the social studies test in my own language count for citizenship?
No. To use the social studies test for a Norwegian citizenship application you must take it in Norwegian. If you passed it in another language, you must also take the citizenship test.
When is my own language enough?
For permanent residence. UDI requires applicants aged 18 to 67 to have passed the social studies test in a language they understand, together with an oral Norwegian test at level A2, for applications handed in from 1 September 2025.
Can I study for the test in my own language?
Yes. The free official study texts at samfunnskunnskap.no exist in many languages, including Arabic, Persian, Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish, Somali, Tigrinya, Thai and English, but not Polish or Lithuanian. The Hei Norge app has practice questions in 12 languages, including Polish. The test itself is still in Norwegian for the citizenship test.
Sources: HK-dir: social studies test, HK-dir: citizenship test, UDI: the tests for citizenship, UDI: permanent residence, samfunnskunnskap.no. Read 6 November 2026. Hei Norge is independent and not an official service: always confirm the rules with udi.no, prove.hkdir.no and samfunnskunnskap.no.
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