A Guide to Visa Types and Work Permits in Norway

Jump right in:

• Work permits & employment based visas
• Family visa
• Self employment visas
• Requirement for study permit
• Temporary & permanent residency in Norway

Whether you need a work permit or an employment visa for Norway depends on where you are coming from, and even the length of time you plan on working in the country. If you are coming from the EU/EEA or from one of the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), you do not need a permit to work in Norway. However, you do need to register with the police within three months of arriving if you're from the EU/EEA and Nordic citizens can skip the police registration. For those coming from elsewhere, you will require a residence permit that allows to you work in the country.

Norwegian work permit process

The Norway work permit visa application form can be found online on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) website. The most common visa for professional expats moving to Norway is the skilled worker visa. For this visa type one must have one of the following types of education/qualifications:

• completed vocational training (minimum three years)
• university or college degree
• relevant long-term work experience

conditions of the employment:

• confirmed full-time job offer
• position must match your qualifications
• salary must meet Norway’s minimum threshold — currently about NOK 5,99,200 (approx. 62,734 USD) for master’s-level roles and NOK 5,22,600 (approx. 54,714 USD) for bachelor’s-level roles

Read more UDI-Visa requirement

Once your visa application has been submitted, it usually depends on authority how many applications they have in backlog and might takes about one month for a response. It is crucial that you work only when you have the right residence permit.

Other Requirements and Documents

• valid passport
• completed visa application form
• two recent passport photos
• details of your CV and qualifications
• proof of your job offer and salary
• proof of accommodation in Norway
• license if your job is a regulated profession and requires authorization or recognition
• pay Norway’s visa cost which is 6,300 NOK (approx. 652 USD)

All your documents need to be presented in either English or Norwegian. Otherwise, they will need to be officially translated and certified.

Norwegian visa exception

Some professions have different rules:

• Artists, Musicians, and Performers: You can work in Norway for up to two weeks per calendar year without a residence permit (though you might need a visitor's visa and must notify the police in writing beforehand).
• Seafarers: If you're working on a Norwegian ship sailing between Norway and foreign ports, you don't need a permit. You only need one if sailing between Norwegian ports.
• Diplomats and NATO personnel: You and your family don't need residence permits.
• Short-Term workers (less than three months): Certain professions like researchers, lecturers, technical experts, business travelers, journalists, and tour guides may be exempt from needing permits.

Rules for employers vary depending on whether they are hiring a foreigner from outside of the EU/EEA or within.

Things to keep in mind: as EU/EEA & Non-EU Nationals

EU/EEA Nationals: EU/EEA citizens are entitled to move, work, and start their job right away in Norway. They must, however, register with the police no later than three months after moving to the Nordic country. These citizens must bring their employment contract and employment certificate provided by the employer. Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic citizens do not need to register with the police, but they must report their move to the National Registry.

If an EU/EEA citizen moves to the country without a job, they must register in the country as a job seeker. They will have six months to find a job, and if that doesn't work out, they need to leave but can return and try again whenever they are ready.

Non-EU/EEA Nationals: If you are a non-EU/EEA resident working in the country for less than three months, there are exceptions for the following occupations:

• researchers and lecturers
• some employees of international companies
• some technical experts
• some commercial and business travelers
• some medical practitioners
• some religious preachers
• some professional athletes along with their accompanying support network;
• some journalists, photographers, and employees of foreign media institutions
• personnel on aircrafts in international traffic
• staff on foreign trains, busses, or trucks in international traffic
• necessary security and maintenance crew on foreign-owned ships laid up in Norway
• tour guides accompanying foreign travel companies.

An employer must provide an official offer of employment for the foreigner, non-EU/EEA nationals to apply for their residence permit for work. Employers are also allowed to apply for this on behalf of the worker provided they are given written consent.

Those who successfully obtain a temporary residence permit for Norway (with some exceptions such as certain student permits) are allowed to bring immediate family members as long as they can support them. This includes spouses, children (including foster), parents, full siblings, and fiancés. To bring your spouse to the country, you need to earn 4,16,512 NOK (approx. 43,300 USD). People granted asylum or residency on humanitarian grounds may be exempt from this income requirement.

The easiest way to handle this is to have everyone apply at the same time, so you all get your answers together, usually within three months. Employers can also apply on behalf of an employee’s family as long as they are given written authorization from the family members.

Requirements for spouses include:

• valid marriage (not forced nor a proforma marriage)
• intent to live together in Norway
• at least 24 years old

If you are cohabitants, requirements for both include:

• intent to live together in Norway
• one of the following
  • lived together for at least two years and not married to someone else
  • have or are expecting a child together

Cost

The cost for a first-time family immigration visa is 11,900 NOK (approx. 1,241 USD) for adults and NOK 5,950 (approx. 621 USD) for kids under 18. If you're renewing before your permit runs out, it's cheaper 4,400 NOK (approx. 460 USD) for adults and NOK 2,200 (approx. 230 USD) for children.Read more on family immigration fee.

Business visit visa

If you plan to visit Norway for up to 90 days, you can apply for a visitor visa. This visa is valid for entry to all Schengen countries. You have to pay a fee of approx. 1,022 NOK (approx. 107.5 USD).

Norway’s self-employment visas fall under the skilled worker visa described previously. It has two different avenues: self-employed persons with a company in Norway and self-employed workers with a company abroad. The education requirements and qualifications for both are the same as those mentioned:

• completed vocational training program of at least three years at an upper secondary school level
• completed education or degree from a university / university college
• special qualifications that you have obtained through long work experience

Requirements relating to a self-employment visa differ slightly.

Self-Employed Persons with a Company in Norway

• must have plans to engage in long-term business activities in Norway
• business concerned must be your own sole proprietorship; cannot be a limited company; you must work only in this business and cannot take other work
• work you will be doing must require your qualifications as a skilled worker
• business must give you a profit of at least 325, 400 NOK (approx. 34,089 USD) annually before taxes
• business permits from public authorities if required

Rights and obligations

• permit will be granted for one year at a time
• after five years, you can apply for a permanent resident permit
• you can bring family members with you; they should apply for their family immigration visa at the same time as you so you receive answers about your applications together

Self-Employed Persons with a Company Abroad

• must be self-employed with a contract with an established business abroad to carry out an assignment in Norway for one specific enterprise
• the business in Norway must have a registered address in the Nordic country
• renumeration must not be poorer than what is normal in Norway
• work you will be doing must require your qualifications as a skilled worker
• license if your job is a regulated profession and requires authorization or recognition

Rights and obligations

• you can be granted this permit for two years at a time, for up to six years
• if your assignment lasts for more than six months, your spouse/cohabitant and children can move to Norway with you; they should apply for their family immigration visa at the same time as you so you receive answers on your applications together

How to apply?

The visa application process for a self-employed permit in Norway is pretty streamlined and straightforward. Bear in mind that all workers wishing to be self-employed in Norway must be at least 18 years of age. Students are prohibited from being self-employed.

Requirements to apply

Regardless of which self-employed route you take, the cost is the same as the skilled worker residence permit for work: 6,300 NOK (approx. 652 USD). The application form can be found online on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration website. First-time applicants can submit their application at a Norwegian embassy/consulate.

Documents required may include:

• proof of education, qualifications, and work experience
• copy of your passport
• passport photos
• detailed description of the business including name and address
• financial and business plans
• necessary permits
• proof of accommodation in Norway
• payment of application fee

Permits may be renewed a month before expiration.

If you‘re planning to study in Norway, you‘ll need a study permit. The requirements depend on the type of school you’re attending, whether it’s a university, vocational school, upper secondary school, or a folk high school. In general, you must have a confirmed full-time admission, proof that you can financially support yourself (currently around NOK 1,66,859 (approx. 17,534 USD) per year for most higher education students), enough funds to cover tuition if required, and proof of accommodation. You‘ll also need to show that you plan to return to your home country after finishing your studies.

The application fee is NOK 5,400 (approx. 580 USD) for students over 18 and NOK 2,700 (approx. 290 USD) for those under 18. For folk high schools, the financial requirement is slightly lower (around NOK 1,22,371 per school year). Since financial thresholds can change, it’s always a good idea to check the latest updates before submitting your application.

When you first get permission to live in Norway, it's always temporary. This applies to all types of permits whether you're here for work, family reasons, studies, protection (asylum), or humanitarian grounds. Applications for a temporary resident permit can be found online on the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration website. To get permanent residence in Norway, non-EU/EEA nationals need to live here continuously for three years with a temporary permit first. EU/EEA citizens can apply after five years.

The Norwegian permanent resident application is done in person. You should book your appointment with the police three months before your current residence permit expires through the online Application Portal. It can take up to eight months to receive an answer.

Norway’s permanent resident visa requirements

• must have held valid temporary permanent residence in the last three years
• must be able to financially support yourself
• not have been stayed abroad for more than two months per calendar year in the past three years
• cannot have been convicted of a crime or ordered to undergo enforced psychiatric treatment or care
• complete and pass teaching in the Norwegian language (at least A2) and social studies

Norway’s permanent resident fees

• for adults— 6,500 NOK (approx. 682 USD)
• for children under 18 — it’s free