Am I allowed to vote in elections in Norway?
It depends on citizenship and which election it is. In parliamentary (Storting) elections only Norwegian citizens who turn 18 in the election year may vote — so you need not have turned 18 by election day. In municipal and county elections foreign nationals can also vote, after three continuous years of residence in Norway before election day. Nordic citizens from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland can vote in local elections at once upon being registered as resident, without waiting three years. Here is the trap: the right to vote is not enough — you must also be in the electoral roll of your municipality. That happens automatically once you are registered as resident, but if you live abroad for more than 10 years you must apply to stay on it. Voting is voluntary.
📋 The rules
- Storting: Norwegian citizen turning 18 in the election year
- Local elections: also foreigners after three years' residence
- Nordic citizens can vote in local elections at once
- You must be in the electoral roll of your municipality
- Voting is voluntary
🔓 Exceptions
- Nordic citizens are exempt from the three-year requirement in local elections
- Norwegians abroad can vote in advance in parliamentary elections
- If you live abroad over 10 years, you must apply to stay in the electoral roll
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no penalty for not voting — the right to vote is a right, not a duty, and nobody calls you to account for staying home. Voting twice or election fraud, by contrast, is punishable under the Penal Code. What most often costs people their vote is not punishment but the electoral roll: if you are not listed in your municipality, you cannot vote, however clear your right to vote may be. If you have lived abroad for more than 10 years you must apply to stay on the roll, and if you are abroad for a parliamentary election you must vote in advance, in good time.
📎 Official sources
- Valg.no · Voting rights →
- Government · The Norwegian electoral system →
- Election Regulation · Lovdata →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I vote in parliamentary elections?
Only if you are a Norwegian citizen turning 18 in the election year. You must also be in the electoral roll of your municipality, and foreign nationals have no vote in parliamentary elections, however long they have lived here.
Can foreign nationals vote?
In municipal and county elections, yes, after three continuous years of residence before election day. Nordic citizens from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland can vote at once upon being registered as resident.
What is the voting age?
18, and you can vote in the year you turn 18, including in parliamentary elections. You need not have had your birthday before election day, but you must be in the electoral roll of the municipality where you are registered.
Must I do anything to be able to vote?
You must be in the electoral roll of your municipality, and that happens automatically if you are registered as resident. If you have lived abroad for more than 10 years, however, you must apply to stay on the roll.
Is there a penalty for not voting?
No. Voting is voluntary, and there is no penalty for staying home. Voting twice or committing election fraud is punishable under the Penal Code — it is the election itself that is protected, not attendance.
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