Guide: Moving to Norway

Menn flytter
Photographer
Yadid Levy / Norden.org
This is an overview of what you should remember if you are planning to move to Norway from Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Sweden, or Åland. For example, you can read about customs duties, tax, registration, looking for work, social insurance rights, schools, and housing in Norway.

Work and residence permits

If you are a citizen in another Nordic country, you are entitled to move to Norway to live, work and study. You do not need to apply for a residence permit or similar.

If you are a citizen of another EU/EEA country, you may freely enter Norway and stay in the country for up to three months. If you are staying in Norway for more than three months, you must register.

If you come from a country outside the EU/EEA and want to move to Norway, you must apply for a residence permit. The main regulation is that you must apply for this, and the permit must be awarded, before you move to Norway.

Customs and removal goods

If you have lived abroad continuously for at least one year, you may bring most of your removal goods free of customs duties and taxes when you move to Norway. For some items, you must complete a declaration form for the import of removal goods and submit the form to the Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten).

Cars and driving licences

You can apply for a temporary driving permit for a foreign-registered vehicle within 14 days when you move to Norway. You must present documentation to confirm your relocation, such as a change of residence certificate, employment contract, or some other relevant documentation.

If you want to bring a foreign-registered vehicle when you move to Norway, you must import the vehicle and pay customs duties and taxes. This applies regardless of your citizenship and where you are moving from. In some countries, you may be reimbursed some of the registration fee when your car is registered in another country.

Registration in the National Population Register, personal identity number, D-number

If you are planning to live in Norway for more than six months, you must notify that you have moved to Norway. You need to book an appointment for a personal meeting at a tax office and undergo an ID check. If you are moving to Norway together with your family, it is important that all family members attend the personal meeeting at the tax office. You need to take some documentation with you, such as an ID card, employment contract/student certificate, or similar. When you become registered as living in Norway, you will be given a Norwegian identity number. In some countries, you must also notify the population registry that you have moved to another Nordic country.

MinID and Bank-ID

MinID is a personal log-in to public services in Norway. With your personal MinID you can, for example, gain access to different services of the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, NAV, apply for admission to higher education, apply for a loan and grant from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen), and submit your tax return electronically. You need a Norwegian national identity number or a D number to set up MinID.

BankID is a personal, electronic ID that gives you access to public services at the highest level of security. To get a BankID you must contact your bank.

Change your postal address

You should contact the post office in the country you are moving from, to request redirection of mail to your new address when you move to Norway.

Housing

There are different types of housing in Norway. Foreign citizens and people living in other countries may freely buy or rent property in Norway. However, some properties have a residence obligation.

Social insurance rights and pension

The country in which you have your social insurance rights is significant for pension, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, family benefits, and parental benefit. The main regulation is that you are a member of the social insurance scheme (sosialforsikret) in the country in which you work. If you do not have a job, you are generally a member in the country in which you live. However, there are many special situations. If you are in any doubt, you should contact the agencies in the country in which you are living, working, or studying.

If you receive a pension from another Nordic country, contact the pensions agency to find out whether you can still receive your pension paid if you move to Norway. You should also check the regulations for tax payable on the pension, both in the country you move from and in Norway.

If you have pension savings in another country, you should contact the pension company for more information about how this will be affected if you move to Norway.

In Norway, you earn rights to a pension while you are a member of the Norwegian social insurance scheme.

Tax

If you work in Norway, you should generally pay tax on your salary in Norway. If you are registered as living in Norway, your employer can get your tax deduction card electronically from the Norwegian Tax Administration. If you are not registered in Norway, or do not have a Norwegian identification number, contact your nearest tax office to apply for a tax deduction card.

Doctors and healthcare services

When you move to Norway and register in the National Population Register, you are entitled to a regular general practitioner (RGP). Contact your GP if you become ill or need medical help. If you need emergency medical help outside the surgery’s opening hours, contact an out-of-hours medical service.

Pets and other animals

If you are intending to bring a pet when you move to Norway, you must found out the regulations about importing animals.

Schools and kindergartens

It is the municipalities in Norway that are responsible for primary and lower secondary school and for kindergartens. The counties are responsible for upper secondary education in Norway. Contact the municipality and county to which you are intending to move to find out more information.

The right to vote in elections

When you move to Norway, you have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections. Only Norwegian citizens have the right to vote in parliamentary elections. To vote in the Sami Parliament elections, you must be registered in the Sami Parliament electoral roll.

Moving to Svalbard

If you are intending to move or travel to Svalbard, you should find out the relevant regulations. 

Moving to Norway from another Nordic country

Here you can find relevant information

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Info Norden is the information service of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Here you can find info and tips if you wish to move, work, study, seek support or start a business in the Nordic region.