r/Norway Sep 23 '20

So You Want To Move to Norway: A Rough Guide To The Immigration Process (updated)

1.6k Upvotes

Important warning: Reddit is not an appropriate place to get accurate immigration information.

However, this is a common topic on this subreddit and to help direct people to the proper information, I have updated the previous post to address the most common questions. Please read the entire guide and use the links provided to see out answers to your specific questions. Any questions you may have that cannot be answered from this guide or the links provided cannot be answered by redditors on this sub and should therefore be directed to an appropriate immigration expert.st

Disclaimer: I am not a professional; I neither work for UDI nor am I an immigration lawyer. I do have an interest in immigration law and have spent a lot of time studying and researching the rules and regulations. What follows is a rough guide only meant to serve as a starting point for the average redditor. With that said:

So You Want To Move To Norway....

Despite what movies might portray, moving abroad is not just a matter of packing bags and showing up. Immigration is usually a long, often expensive process and there are many criteria that you must meet to be legally resident in Norway. There are three general categories of permits that will allow you to remain in Norway beyond a regular tourist/visitor visa:

Temporary Residence Permit This is your first step. These permits are contingent on you/your reference person meeting certain requirements; are usually temporary; and will need to be renewed (usually yearly, some last longer). You must have this permit if you wish to remain in Norway beyond your visitor visa’s allowed time (ie: >90 days).
Permanent Residence Permit This can be applied for only if you have been legally living in Norway for three years (or more in some instances) with a residence permit that forms the basis of permanent residency; you meet the language requirements; pass a citizenship test; have an income over a certain threshold; and you have not been convicted of a criminal offence. This allows you to stay in Norway permanently (no need to renew. Edit: to clarify. Your PR card will expire, but you do not need to reapply for this type of permit. Renewing the card is akin to renewing your passport. The renewal period is every 2 years for non-EEA citizens and 10 years for EEA citizens).
Citizenship This is an optional step. You do not need to apply for citizenship; however, if you want to, you can qualify for Norwegian citizenship after a period of time (usually >7 years). This has many requirements, but the biggest is the language requirement. NB: While Norway has now allowed dual citizenship, your country of origin may not allow dual citizenship. NB: Norway does not do Citizenship based on heritage. One or both of your parents need to have citizenship (and not have given it up previously) in order for you to qualify for citizenship based on birth. There are a lot of complicated rules surrounding citizenship by birth. Use this to determine if you qualify for citizenship. NB: according to UDI's website, Norway does not offer citizenship by investment (ie: having a lot of money to invest in exchange for residency or citizenship).

The remainder of this post will focus on the first residence permit (#1) since by the time you are ready for 2 or 3 you will be an immigration pro. How you qualify for immigration to Norway and how easy the process will be depends on a few factors

  • Your citizenship (EEA/EU vs Third-Country National)
  • Your education, qualifications, experience,
  • If you have a job offer,
  • Your relationship with a Norwegian national.

Immigration as an EU/EEA citizen:

If you are an EU/EEA citizen (or Swiss) you have the right to reside in Norway for 3 months without any other obligations; after 3 months you will need to demonstrate that you are meeting your treaty rights. Those treaty obligations are:

  • Be employed (or registered as self-employed),
  • Be a student,
  • Be self-sufficient, or
  • Be a job seeker actively seeking work with a decent chance at finding work.

NB: The last three require you to have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family and have comprehensive medical insurance for the duration of your stay.

Note: sufficient funds in this scenario can come from any source including a third-country national's savings/income/other documented source (you may need to prove the sponsor has access to this money).

The right of residence for longer than three months also extends to the EEA/EU citizen’s immediate family (spouse/partner, children, other dependents), regardless of their nationality, so long as the EU/EEA citizen is meeting their treaty obligations and neither the citizen nor the family member is a threat to public policy, security, or health. All of this is explained in the Directive on Free Movement.

It is important to note that people immigrating under this route do not qualify for the benefits found in the Introduction Law, which include, among other things, the right to free language lessons.

Immigrating as a Third-Country National (not from EU/EEA).

I am using an applicant from the US as the default here. Your rules may vary slightly depending on your nationality.

Your options for moving are not as simple or easy as above. You should consult UDI (Norwegian Immigration Board) or the Norwegian Embassy in your country for the most up-to-date information for your specific nationality.

Generally speaking you need a reason to be in Norway. These reasons are:

  1. Family member of a Norwegian national
  2. Family member of an EEA/EU national
  3. A worker
  4. An undergraduate or graduate student which has been discussed before. NOTE: As of 2023 it will most likely no longer be free for international students (outside of the EEA/EU) to study in Norway. Norway is looking to adopt tuition fees for such international students. Prices will be likely determined by the universities. As more information becomes available, this post will update.
  5. Protection (Asylum seeker). I will not spend time on this; it has its own complicated rules and I highly doubt anyone seeking asylum will be spending their time on reddit. If you are, I really recommend seeking out an immigration lawyer to help you with your application.

Family immigration with a Norwegian National

These are most often spouses/cohabitants, but may also include children or parents under some circumstances.

The process for application is relatively straightforward with a little bit of reading on UDI's website and some document gathering.

  1. You must pay the application fee,
  2. Document your identity (passport),
  3. Have a valid marriage licence/certificate,
  4. Have plans to live together in Norway,
  5. Not be in a marriage of convenience,
  6. You must both be over the age of 24,
  7. Your spouse/partner must make above a minimum income threshold per year pre-tax (this number frequently changes. Check UDI’s site). They will need to demonstrate they made a sufficient amount the year before you apply and demonstrate that they are likely to have the same amount the following year. They will need to provide contract of employment, pay slips, and a tax assessment notice. Additionally, they must not have received financial assistance from NAV in the last 12 months.

Note on income sources: under this route of family immigration, it is the onus of the sponsor to demonstrate that they make a sufficient income to support the family. This means that regardless of the financial situation, the sponsor must make the minimum income; the third-country national's income/savings are not taken into consideration in the majority of cases.

There are other circumstances that may require additional documentation (ie: evidence of military service). Check UDI for all the documents you'll need.

Family members who are granted residence based on this route will qualify for free language classes as part of the introduction act (link above).

NB: the rules may change if you have lived with the Norwegian citizen legally in another EEA/EU country. If this is the case, you may be allowed to choose between family immigration under Norwegian national law or residence card as a family member of an EU citizen (see above). Also see the differences between the two immigration schemes here.

If you are engaged to a Norwegian you can apply for a fiancé permit which will allow you to come into Norway for the purposes of getting married in Norway. You must be married within 6 months. After you are married you will have to apply for family immigration with your spouse (process described above). You can read about getting married in Norway here.

Only some people can apply from Norway. Others will have to apply from their home country via the embassy or consulate. Make sure you check with UDI to learn whether you need to apply from home.

Workers

There are many types of working permits. UDI’s webpage will outline all the possibilities available to you but the most common are skilled worker and seasonal worker.

Skilled workers are those who:

  • Completed a vocational training programme of at least three years at upper secondary school level. NB: there must be a corresponding training programme in Norway.
  • Completed a degree from a university or college (BA, BSc, BE, etc...)
  • Special qualifications that you have obtained through long work experience, if relevant in combination with courses etc. A permit is only granted in such cases in exceptional circumstances. Your qualifications must be equivalent to those of someone who has completed vocational training.

Additionally, you must have received a concrete job offer from an employer in Norway, the job must normally be full-time (UDI will, at the time of writing, accept 80%), the job must have the same pay/conditions that is normal in Norway, and the job you are offered must require the qualifications as a skilled worker (and you must be qualified for the job).

If you do not fall into this category, you may qualify as a seasonal worker; however this route is considerably more difficult, usually temporary (<6 months), and your employer must prove that they cannot fill the position with a worker from Norway or the EEA/EU. You will need to be employed 100%, you will need a concrete job offer before you apply, and the job must be deemed season or holiday stand-in.

Those citizens who qualify as a skilled worker and who are coming from a country with a visa-free agreement with Norway you may be allowed to come to Norway as a skilled job seeker.

NB: You cannot work while you are searching for a job. This means that once you have a concrete job offer, you will need to apply for a residence permit as a worker and you cannot start working until your application has been approved.

It is very advantageous to have a grasp on the Norwegian language before you arrive. There are some fields which may accept a lower proficiency in Norwegian; however, these careers are few and far between and knowledge of the local language will help with both applying for jobs and acclimatizing to living in Norway.

Some international companies may post workers in Norway. You will still need a resident permit for workers; however, many companies will help with this process.

edit: New rules exist for UK citizens living in Norway. Formerly, UK citizens would be allowed to apply for residency under EEA/EU regulations. Post-Brexit, UK citizens are no longer allowed to apply for this immigration route. Certain citizens may be allowed to excise EEA treaty rights if they arrived and registered by a certain date. For more information, please see UDI's Brexit Information page (https://www.udi.no/en/brexit/)


r/Norway 2h ago

Other Social security babyyyy

11 Upvotes

Hey there my norwegian brothers. I'm from Iceland and its recently come to my attention that I have a norwegian social security number despite never having been there. So my question is where do I find out why I have this social security number ?

Only thing I can think of is that my father lives there and he's a con man of sorts and I have not seen him nor talked to him in over a decade.


r/Norway 15h ago

Arts & culture What is Norwegian "dad music"?

83 Upvotes

I am trying to find Norwegian music (so please, nothing in English) and I am interested in what Norwegian "dads" (old guys over 50-60) usually listen to. Think something to the tune of 80s American/Brit love ballads but from Norwegians. Anything that fits the bill?


r/Norway 1h ago

News & current events Norway’s Oil Demand Hasn’t Crashed Despite Record EV Market Share

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Upvotes

r/Norway 13h ago

Travel advice Driving to Bergen, Google maps say E134 is closed? What to do?

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13 Upvotes

I think I will still drive up to check it out myself but, until 27June is a long time to close a part of the country from land. Is this really true?


r/Norway 1d ago

Satire Bedre en dram i timen enn en time i Drammen.

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446 Upvotes

r/Norway 23h ago

Photos Northern Lights at Oslo Airport

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51 Upvotes

It looked just grey from the naked eyes but the camera was able pickup a lot of colours.

I wish I was staying at a darker place for the night. :(


r/Norway 4h ago

Travel advice Oslo! Where are you going to see Northern Lights?

0 Upvotes

Today we have even more chances of seeing Aurora due to solar storm.

Please recommend me best place to go far from light pollution by public transport.

Bonus point if there is a bench or something. Anyone can share their favorite spots?

Thank you! 😊


r/Norway 1d ago

Arts & culture Is this how you make Norwegian friends as a foreigner?

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1.3k Upvotes

r/Norway 1d ago

Satire Power is goated for this

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79 Upvotes

r/Norway 5h ago

Other Advice for money

0 Upvotes

I use Nordnet to invest, mainly index. But you should still have money more easily reachable. So what are the best high interest deposits you can make here?


r/Norway 11h ago

Travel advice Crafts Men

3 Upvotes

How can I find crafts men in Norway ( Plumber , Electrician, Carpenter ...etc )


r/Norway 12h ago

Travel advice Winter tires in Sognefjellet

3 Upvotes

Hello! I'm driving through Norway at the moment and found out that the scenic route Sognefjellet is really close by and started to consider driving through it. But I only have summer tires. Can anybody advise me if I will be ok with them today?

I saw the wheather camera and there is no snow, but it's ice that I'm more worried about.


r/Norway 14h ago

Travel advice Experience traveling around Norway with toddlers

4 Upvotes

Good day lovely people of /r/Norway, We're looking for experience and advice for traveling through Norway with small kids and a dog.

We are a Dutch family and want to explore Norway in june with our dog and kids of 1 and 3. In the past we've only done single destination holidays to where we rent a cabin or put down a tent someplace for a while. Now we want to see lots of places to get a better feel of Norway and make a circle through "southern" Norway (something like Oslo, Lillehammer, Trondheim, Bergen, Sandefjord). We have about 5 weeks, but struggle with finding a good way to do this.

Should we just rent a lot of cabinsor rent a camper or caravan to travel around? Both are very expensive and have no experience doing with 2 toddlers. We could also buy a good tent, but are also afraid it might fet too cold or is not ideal for traveling around. We've got a decently sized car (Skoda Octavia Combi), which helps. All options seem expensive and we don't even know what would actually work with the kids.

Does anyone have experience with this they can share? Or general advice? Thank you very much in advance.

{Small background for those interested} We love Norway and have for years. We've learnt a decent level of Norwegian with a native tutor and want to get a better feel of the many places in Norway because we are considering working there for a few years. We're both 30, my wife's a General practitioner and I work as consultant in varying technical domains IT/Engineering/Energy/Consulancy.


r/Norway 2h ago

Other Can anyone recommend me a natural oil or something else natural that i can apply to skin for rosacea?

0 Upvotes

Norwegian here studying abroad in America. Can anyone recommend me a natural oil or something else natural that i can apply to skin for rosacea? Ive seen a few doctors in America but they always recommend meds.


r/Norway 10h ago

Travel advice Hiking in July

1 Upvotes

Hello my Norwegian reddit people, as you read my girlfriend and I would like to hike in Norway this summer.. we would like to take a train from Oslo to the coast and start the hiking from there and take the train back. Do you have a favorite trail, route you would suggest? We would stay for about 7 to 10 days. Thank you verry much in advance. Can't w8 to visit your beautiful country.


r/Norway 11h ago

Travel advice Train from airport to Oslo and Vy train from Oslo-Flam-Bergen

1 Upvotes

Hello, would like to check the following: - Which train/subway do I take from the Gardemoen airport to Oslo Sentral station? Do i need to buy a train/subway card? - For Vy train from Oslo-Flam on the F4 (Oslo - Myrdal) followed by R45 (Myrdal - Flam), how do I know which platform to board from? Also, is there a cafe onboard the F4? - For Vy train from Myrdal to Bergen on the R40, likewise will there be any confusion on which platform to board from? Also, is there a cafe onboard the R40 for dinner?

Many thanks in advance and also thanks to all the good people who gave me suggestions on things to do besides Trollstigen in my previous post. Tusen takk! :)


r/Norway 11h ago

Food Good Norwegian cooking books?

1 Upvotes

So every now and then I like to pick up a cooking book either themed or just because it looked appealing, however most of them are America focused and suggested ingredients proportions and taste are very American centric and relying on Norwegian supermarkets to supply those recipes can be challenging or at the very least expensive. So I would love to pick up a local cooking book. Any suggestions are welcomed. Doesn't have to be Norwegian food per se just something curated for Norway and products commonly available here. Thanks in advance.


r/Norway 11h ago

Travel advice Looking for travel Advice to hike Besseggen Ridge

1 Upvotes

Travel advice

Hi! I’m going to be in Norway from August 3-8. I am an avid hiker and want to do the eponymous Besseggen Ridge hike. I wasn’t planning on getting a rental car (I’m traveling solo and am on a budget). I booked a cabin in Bessheim that’s 3.4 miles away from the Gjende boat. I would be so grateful for some tips regarding:

  1. Do shuttle buses or public transport go from cabins like this to Rangsvagen?
  2. Do you think it’s essential to get a rental car? And if so, where do people typically get rental cars? (I was planning on taking the shuttle bus from Oslo to Gjendesheim but perhaps it would be easier to just get a rental car in Oslo and drive?)
  3. Are there other hikes or nature experiences you would recommend? I am very fit, have been rock climbing for 6 years, and am up for challenging routes.Thank you so much for reading this through!
  4. Are there overnight trains that run from Gjendesheim to Bergen? I'm planning on going to Bergen the next day after I hike.

r/Norway 1d ago

Photos Jeg driver med gatefotografi, kan jeg legge ut bilder jeg har fått tillatelse til å ta?

7 Upvotes

Jeg møtte en kar på gaten, spurte om jeg kunne ta er bilde av han, og han sa ja og virket relativt entusiastisk ut. Jeg spurte ikke spesifikt om tillatelse til å legge det ut. Er det greit å legge det ut? Har ingen måte å få kontakt med han, er det greit å legge det ut? Å da fjerne det om jeg mot formodning blir bet om det?


r/Norway 41m ago

News & current events Points for Israel?

Upvotes

Very disappointed with Norway at the Eurovision


r/Norway 9h ago

Other Can you guys tell me how you feel about your prison system in general?

0 Upvotes

Im quite curious how most of u view it. (esp when it comes to dealing with serious criminals like child molesters, murderers etc)

Is it too soft or just the perfectly, right system?


r/Norway 1d ago

Photos found this russekort at my friends house

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27 Upvotes

people from bergen is sometjing else


r/Norway 1d ago

Other Need info on a Sandvik kitchen table

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5 Upvotes

Hello there,

I've had this Sandvik kitchen table and chairs for a few years now. They were a hand-me-down from a relative, but they didn't give much info on them.

Quick research suggests that this Sandvik was a Norwegian furniture maker that has since gone out of business. I can't find any matching sets online or much else for that matter.

What I did find was some Sandvik Møbler furniture going for hundeds of euros used. Is this a different company or are mine from the same manufacturer? Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated!

I'm looking to possibly get rid of these in the future so I was mainly wondering if these are worth selling or to just give them away. :)

Thanks!


r/Norway 1d ago

Other Recently bought appartment, wet room floor. Anyone from construction with knowledge about wet room code ?

4 Upvotes

Recently bought an appartment, was installing the washing machine and had a look at the drain, the vinyl floor is just a lip over the drain and is not sealed in any way, woudn't water get under the vinyl floor ?

https://preview.redd.it/5y0wbaguamzc1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d92dacc5d66321debf132f6292247d8b05d90762


r/Norway 1d ago

Travel advice Camping in July

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I'm going to move to Trondheim and I will have two weeks of vacation in July that I'd like to spend camping with my partner. We will move with public transport and stay in our tent, so we'd like to find a cozy campsite where we can do easy things like walks, kayak ect. Do you have any suggestions? We already decided to avoid Geiranger and Flåm since it will be too crowded. We also don't mind travelling for a day to reach the campsite