Work and residence permits in Norway

If you are a Nordic citizen, you may travel freely to Norway to live and work without needing a work or residence permit. As a Nordic citizen, you do not need to register with the police when you move to Norway. However, you must comply with Norwegian regulations on registration in the National Registry.

If you are not a Nordic citizen, but are a citizen in another EU/EEA country, you may freely travel into Norway and stay in the country for up to three months.

If you are staying in Norway for longer than three months, you must register. This is irrespective of whether you are planning to work or study, or if you are a family member of someone who lives in Norway. You register with the Police in the municipality where you live. 

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA, you should contact the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (Utlendingsdirektoratet, UDI) to find out what regulations apply for you. 

A residence permit in a Nordic country does not automatically entitle you to live in another Nordic country. You must check with the relevant immigration authority whether you can move to that country. 

The Norwegian authorities do not require a visa for entry to Svalbard, but if you require a visa to enter Norway/the Schengen Area, you must have a visa if you travel via Norway/the Schengen Area on your way to or from Svalbard. It is important to ensure that you have a double-entry visa so that you can return to the Schengen Area (mainland Norway) after your stay on Svalbard.