Gabriel Gledhill is threatening that his residence permit in Norway will not be extended.Image: www.imago-images.de
Gabriel Gledhill recently caused a stir when he drank alcohol during a race. Now the Brit, who has been living and training in Norway for years, is worried about his future.
March 18, 2026, 04:42March 18, 2026, 04:42
Nikolai Stübner / t-online
The Norwegian Immigration Service (UDI) has rejected cross-country skier Gabriel Gledhill’s application for a residence permit. This is reported by the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
Before the 50-kilometer race on Holmenkollen, Gledhill had already announced that it would be his last race in Norway for the time being.
“The following week I’m traveling to the USA. Next Tuesday, when I leave Norway, could be my last day in the country.
Officially, however, he must not have left Norway until March 28th.
The reason is the Norwegian immigration regulations. The UDI requires all people applying for a permanent residence permit to provide proof of sufficient income to be able to support themselves. Gledhill is not expected to do that.
A letter to Gledhill, which is available to NRK, states:
“You have not demonstrated that you meet the requirements for a right of residence under Section 112 of the Immigration Act today and the application will be rejected for this reason.”
The immigration authorities also pointed out that Gledhill had “no special connection to Norway” and that there were “no strong humanitarian reasons”.
According to NRK, Gledhill reacted with disappointment and feared for his career: “For an athlete of my level, a forced departure from Norway could practically mean the end of my sporting career. My entire training environment is based in Lillehammer. If I had to leave Norway now, that would actually mean that I would have to end my cross-country skiing career and my sporting career.”
Gledhill moved to Norway from Great Britain while he was at school and started studying in 2020 while working part-time.
Gledhill has not yet commented on whether he has actually already left Norway. However, he took advantage of the Holmenkollen race again and made headlines. Meanwhile, he got drunk with alcoholic drinks from fans and later reported about it in detail in the media.
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