Language

Can you take the Norwegian citizenship test in English?

The short answer is no. The longer answer is the difference between the two tests, and which one you can take in English.

The short answer: no

The Norwegian citizenship test, statsborgerprøven, exists only in Norwegian. HK-dir, which runs it, puts the whole choice in one line:

Our translation: you can choose whether to take the test in Nynorsk or in Bokmål.

That is the entire language menu: two written forms of Norwegian, and no third option. There is no English version, and we found no HK-dir page describing a way to ask for one.

The social studies test, samfunnskunnskapsprøven, is a different test. You can take it in English, and in 22 other languages. But if you want to use it for citizenship, it has to be taken in Norwegian.

What you can take in English

HK-dir says the social studies test can be taken in one of 23 languages, and English is on the list:

Our translation: the social studies test can be taken in one of 23 different languages.

English is also one of the ten languages where the questions can be read aloud. You choose the language when you sit the test at the test centre.

The test is used mainly for permanent residence. HK-dir writes that if you are going to apply for permanent residence, you can take it. For that purpose the language is up to you, as long as it is one you understand.

The catch comes with citizenship. HK-dir is direct about it:

Our translation: if you are going to use the test to apply for Norwegian citizenship, you must take the test in Norwegian.

And its English page for the citizenship test says the same from the other side: if you have passed the social studies test in a language other than Norwegian, you must take the citizenship test.

Three routes, and what each costs you

Which route makes sense depends on where your Norwegian is today and what you want in the end.

For many people route 3 is the least risky. You get the permanent-residence requirement out of the way in a language you understand, and you sit the citizenship test when your Norwegian has had time to grow.

If you have both the right and the duty to training in social studies, HK-dir says you can take the social studies test free of charge once.

Why the citizenship test is Norwegian-only

We looked for an official explanation at HK-dir and UDI and did not find one, so we will not invent one. What the rules say is this. UDI requires that you have passed:

Both routes to the citizenship requirement are in Norwegian. The test is, in effect, a way of showing both knowledge about Norway and that you can handle that knowledge in Norwegian. That is our reading of the rules, not a statement from HK-dir or UDI.

The Norwegian level you actually need

Two different levels are involved in citizenship, and people mix them up.

• On the citizenship test itself, HK-dir says the language level is A2. That is the level of short, simple sentences about familiar things. The questions are not written in academic Norwegian.
• For the citizenship application as a whole, UDI requires a passed oral Norwegian test at level B1 or higher, in addition to the citizenship test or the social studies test in Norwegian. A2 is enough only for some groups, such as stateless persons or people over 55 who came as refugees or receive disability benefit.

Age matters too. UDI describes the requirement for applicants between 18 and 67, and the tests must be passed when you hand your papers to the police. We walk through the full requirements on our page about the citizenship test requirements.

If reading Norwegian is the problem

The language of the test cannot be changed, but the way you sit it can. HK-dir describes accommodation as things like extra time, a separate room, or taking the test orally:

Our translation: if your reading skills are not good enough, you can apply to take the test orally. You do not need a statement from a doctor or similar to apply for an oral test.

The test also has audio files as standard. For accommodation, the deadline is short: contact your test centre as soon as you can, and no later than three days after you registered.

Accommodation is not a translation. You can ask for extra time, a separate room or an oral test, but not for another language.

How to practise in Norwegian with English help

We will be straight about what we offer. All our questions, explanations and the book are in Norwegian, because that is the language of the test. Practising in English would prepare you for a test you are not taking.

What we do for English speakers is smaller, and we think more useful: our practice questions and answers show seven examples of our own questions with an English translation underneath, so you can check that you understood. Every topic page has a list of the key words in plain Norwegian, because for most people the hard part is not the fact but the word around it.

If you take the social studies test in English, the official learning resource samfunnskunnskap.no has an English version and is free. It covers the syllabus the tests are built on: education, skills and the labour market; family, health and daily life; and Norway before and now.

What we could not confirm

• Why the citizenship test has no other languages. We found no published reason at HK-dir or UDI, checked 30 September 2026.
• Whether the tasks are identical across all 23 languages. We did not find this described. HK-dir says the syllabus is the same.
• Whether the list of languages will change. HK-dir has said it is preparing a move to a new system for running the tests, so check before you plan around one particular language.

Official links

The official pages are listed at the bottom of this page, each with the date we last checked it. Rules, prices and test dates change, so confirm anything that matters at hkdir.no and udi.no before you act on it. Our own question bank is not official, and nothing on this page is an answer key to the real test.