How to relocate your household & pets to Norway

Jump right in:

• How to ship household items & belongings
• What to pack when moving to Norway
• Permits requirements
• Customs regulations for Norway
• Vaccinations & health requirements for Norway
• Moving to Norway with pets

You can move your household items and belongings either by sea, road, or air. Sea freight is the most cost-effective option for full household moves but typically takes several weeks. Air freight is much faster but significantly more expensive, making it suitable for smaller or urgent shipments. Road freight is often the most practical solution for relocations within the EU/EEA. No matter which route you choose though, you’ll want to have a few things prepared for customs.

First, pack everything into appropriately sized boxes and mark/label them and prepare a detailed inventory list in English or Norwegian. You’ll also need a custom declaration form, a copy of your passport, and proof of residence in Norway. Here are a few companies which can help you to move:

• Crown relocation
• Spedify
• Voxme

You can bring household items duty and tax-free into Norway so long as you have owned the items for at least a year and they’re for personal use only. You’ll be expected to pay duty fees for any new items such as:

• clothing and footwear
• cosmetics and personal care products
• furniture and home decor
• electronics and electric products
• alcohol and tobacco
• agricultural food products

Electronics & appliances: Bring personal devices such as laptops, tablets, TVs, and small kitchen appliances. White goods purchased abroad may be subject to import duties.

Furniture & home essentials: Pack your essential furniture, bedding, and home textiles. Bringing familiar items can help you settle in quickly and save on Norway’s high furniture costs. Fragile items should be well-padded to handle long-distance shipping.

Clothing & seasonal gear: Norway’s climate varies significantly, so be sure to bring layered clothing, waterproof jackets, warm boots, and summer wear. Seasonal packing helps avoid buying expensive winter gear locally immediately upon arrival.

Books, documents & personal items: Include books, important documents, office supplies, and keepsakes. Keep valuables and essential documents with you during the move.

Special items: Some items, such as building materials, chemicals, recreational equipment, and certain tools, require special permits or declarations. Check customs rules before shipping.

Home goods storage

If you’re looking for long and short-term storage solutions in Norway, Fedessa and Flexistore are a great place to start. These resources offer excellent information on what to consider when selecting a storage provider:

• a space with proper ventilation
• security
• a detailed contract
• insurance information
• accessibility
• size of your unit
• pricing options
• length of your lease
• on-site management and staff

Keep in mind that certain things require special permits and have particular importation rules. Some of these are:

Vehicles: You’ll have to pay taxes and duty if importing a car. There is a handy calculator you can use to help you figure it out.

Recreational boats: Personal boats can be imported if you have lived outside of Norway for the past five consecutive years. Boats must be under 15 meters in length and must enter Norway within one year of your arrival. You must intend to own the boat for at least two years before selling or transferring it.

Occupational equipment: Professional tools, construction equipment, or specialized work machinery must be declared.

Medical equipment & prescription devices: You must carry documentation for essential medical devices, mobility aids, or prescription equipment and declare them at customs.

Other special items: Certain chemicals, sports equipment, or restricted electronics may require approval from Norwegian authorities.

Weapons: Firearms, knives, and other weapons require a weapons and import permit from the police to be brought into the country.

Norway has strict customs rules that expats must follow to avoid fines or delays. Understanding allowances and restrictions will make your relocation smoother.

Personal goods

You can import household goods duty and tax‑free if you’ve lived abroad for at least one year, and owned and have used the items during this timeframe. Your goods must arrive within a reasonable time and no later than one year after your move. You must file a household goods declaration (RD0030) on arrival.

Alcohol & tobacco: These are per person and age‑restricted (18+ for beer/wine/tobacco; 20+ for spirits).

• Spirits (22–60%): up to 1 liter
• Wine (2.5–22%): up to 1.5 liters
• Beer (over 2.5%): up to 2 liters
• Tobacco: up to 100 cigarettes or 125 g of other tobacco + 100 cigarette papers

Alcoholic beverages over 60% ABV are prohibited without a special permit.

Currency & money: You may bring up to 25,000 NOK (approx. 2,600 USD) without declaring it. Any amounts above this must be reported to customs.

Norway’s prohibited & restricted items

It’s crucial to know which items are prohibited or restricted, as customs enforcement is strict. Violations can result in fines, confiscation, or legal action.

Some prohibited items in Norway include:

• illegal drugs
• prescription medication not intended for personal use or in large quantities
• alcoholic beverages of over 60% alcohol
• fireworks
• potatoes (to prevent the introduction of plant diseases like potato brown)
• meat and milk products from outside of the EU/EEA
• pirated goods

Some goods with restrictions are:

• weapons and ammunition
• endangered animal and plant species (CITES goods)
• explosives and hazardous substances
• cultural monuments and antiques
• environmental waste

While there are no vaccinations required for Norway, recommended vaccinations include:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Rabies
• COVID-19
• Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)

Depending on lifestyle and travel plans, the following may also be recommended:

• Meningitis
• Polio
• Measles, mumps, and rubella
• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis
• Chickenpox
• Shingles
• Pneumonia
• Influenza

While vaccines are not mandatory, some visa categories (such as students or temporary residents) require private health insurance until registered in Norway’s National Insurance Scheme.

It’s important to schedule a medical check-up at least 4–6 weeks before moving. Bring your vaccination records with you, as Norwegian healthcare providers may request documentation when registering with a general practitioner (GP).

Pet relocation to Norway requires microchipping your animals, health certificates, and proper vaccines.

Basic requirements for dogs, cats, and ferrets:

• Be microchipped (ISO 11784/11785 compliant)
• Have a valid rabies vaccination (given at least 21 days before travel)
• Travel with an official EU pet passport (if coming from the EU/EEA) or an approved veterinary health certificate (if coming from outside the EU)
• Receive tapeworm treatment (dogs only) 24–120 hours before arrival (with limited country exemptions)
• The animal’s microchip must comply with ISO standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO standard 11785. This must be implanted before your pet receives the rabies vaccination.

The rabies vaccine must be administered after microchipping, and documentation must clearly show the microchip number.

Taking your dog to Norway

Dogs coming from within the EU: If your dog is coming from within the EU, they will require an EU pet passport which is issued by an authorized veterinarian. The dog must be declared at customs upon arrival into Norway. Good news if you’re coming from Sweden: your dog is exempt from all requirements.

Dogs coming from outside the EU: If traveling from outside the EU, notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority at least 48 hours before arrival.

• Dogs from Andorra, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Monaco, Liechtenstein, San Marino, and Vatican City can enter Norway through any border crossing without prior notification.
• Dogs from all other countries outside the EU must enter exclusively through Oslo Airport or Storskog border crossing.
• Dogs from Svalbard have additional entry options and may also arrive through Tromsø Airport, Port of Tromsø, or Port of Bodø.

Failure to have your dog dewormed will cost a minimum of 7,000 NOK (approx. 730 USD), and the dog will be taken into custody and quarantined for 24 hours. If your cat or dog does not have a valid rabies vaccination certificate, ID marking, or pet passport, it will be taken into custody for several weeks and placed in quarantine.

Keep in mind that certain dog breeds are banned in Norway and will require permission from the police before importation. Breeds such as:

• Pit Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff)
• Fila Brasilerio
• Tosa Inu (also called Tosa-Ken or Japanese Mastiff)
• Dogo Argentino (plural Dogos Argentinos)
• Czechoslovakian Wolfdog

The five-day rule

If the animal is not arriving on the same date as you, you must adhere to the Five-Day Rule, which means you must arrive within five days of your pet’s arrival. Otherwise, your pet’s importation will be considered a commercial move and increased costs and requirements may apply. If your pet is not traveling with you, you need to fill out this owner’s authorization form.

Other animals

The rules and regulations for taking your cat to Norway, or even a ferret, are generally the same as those for dogs. An exception is that cats and ferrets do not require anti-echinococcus treatment.

To import a horse into Norway, you’ll need to contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority for a permit. You will present this permit to customs upon arrival with your animal.