The number of Lithuanians obtaining Norwegian citizenship has increased over the past four years, as revealed by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
More specifically, out of 600 Lithuanians who applied for Norwegian citizenship last year, 576 applicants gained it, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
On the other hand, Lithuania allows dual citizenship only in specific cases. This indicates that Lithuanians who obtained Norwegian citizenship last year may have renounced their Lithuanian nationality.
Lithuanian authorities told LRT.lt that while their numbers are smaller, it’s clear that more and more Lithuanians are becoming Norwegian citizens every year.
In addition, data shows that the number of Lithuanians who have acquired Norwegian citizenship has been growing since 2020.
Up to €850 Fine for Not Reporting Another Citizenship Acquisition
Rokas Pukinskas, Senior Advisor at the Lithuanian Migration Department, said that they received reports from 237 Lithuanian citizens about acquiring Norwegian citizenship. Meanwhile, during the first months of 2024, Lithuanians submitted 22 such reports.
The Migration Department is only aware of cases where the acquisition of citizenship from another country is reported according to the procedure. Official statistics of recent years allow us to state that the number of Lithuanians acquiring Norwegian citizenship is increasing.
He further noted that 98 individuals last year stated that they have the right to dual citizenship.
Regarding this, Pukinsas said that acquiring citizenship from another country must be reported within two months while noting there are fines for those who fail to comply with this obligation.
Article 532 of the Code of Administrative Offenses provides for a fine of 300 to 850 euros for failure to report the acquisition of citizenship of another state.
Reasons Leading to Citizenship Renunciation
Last year, about 50,000 Lithuanian citizens declared permanent residence in Norway, according to Lithuanian’s Ambassador to Norway, Jonas Mažeika.
He said that several Lithuanians decide to acquire Norwegian citizenship for various reasons, as further reported by LTR.lt.
For some, it’s much simpler because they have fully integrated into Norwegian society, while others take this step due to concerns about human rights violations in Lithuania. Another factor is uncertainty about the security situation in Lithuania.
Meanwhile, Elena Valiulienė, head of the Oslo Lithuanian folklore ensemble “Gabija”, believes that the number of Lithuanians accepting Norwegian citizenship will rise over the years.
Many departing Lithuanians wish to retain Lithuanian citizenship, but the circumstances they encounter strongly influence their choice of a foreign country. Often, such a choice is determined by better integration opportunities into the host country.
Among other things, she noted that several Lithuanians are considering Norwegian citizenship because they want to represent Norway in sports, which they can only do if they are Norwegian citizens.
In 2023, Lithuanian authorities received 2,439 reports about getting citizenship from another country. The United Kingdom had the most reports, with 997, followed by Norway with 237, the United States with 229, Germany with 178, Ireland with 161, and Sweden with 138.
