Working and Living in Norway

Norway is a full member of the Schengen area and of the European Economic Area (EEA) through EFTA, but not a member of the European Union, so the rule that applies depends on the passport held. Nationals of the EU and of the other EEA states move under the free-movement rules of the EEA Agreement: no visa and no residence permit to live, work, study or start a business, and the Norwegian immigration authorities apply the same rules to Swiss citizens, whom UDI classifies with EU/EEA nationals. Nationals of the third countries listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, which Norway applies as a Schengen state, among them the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Brazil, may visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, provided they take up no gainful employment. Nationals of the countries listed in Annex I to the same regulation, among them India, China, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam and the Philippines, need a Schengen short-stay C visa even for a brief visit. Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System (EES) has recorded the entries and exits of non-EU travelers on short stays at the external borders of the Schengen countries, in place of passport stamping; ETIAS, the travel authorization announced for visa-exempt travelers, is not yet in force.

Working or staying beyond a short visit is a separate question in every case. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals need no permit and may start work on arrival; for a stay of more than three months, the step is not a permit but a registration with the police (the registration scheme, registreringsordning, run under UDI), no later than three months after arriving. Registration is free of charge, is done once, and the police issue a registration certificate that does not expire; the right of residence itself rests on one of the bases below (work, study or sufficient means). Citizens of the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland) do not register with the police and receive no certificate: reporting the move to the National Population Register is all that is required. Nationals of every other country need a residence permit issued by UDI before taking up work. The main work route is the residence permit for skilled workers, which requires a completed vocational training programme of at least three years at upper secondary school level, a university or university college degree, or special qualifications acquired through professional experience, together with a concrete job offer, normally full time, on pay and working conditions not poorer than is normal in Norway; seasonal work, self-employment and employment in humanitarian, non-profit or religious organizations follow their own permit tracks. For any personal situation, a qualified professional is recommended.

Beyond the police registration, the key to daily life is the identity number. For a durable stay it takes the form of the national identity number (fødselsnummer), assigned when you register in the national population register (folkeregisteret) with the Tax Administration (Skatteetaten); for a shorter stay or an initial phase, a temporary number (D-number) may be issued. Without this number, opening a bank account, accessing digital identification (BankID) and part of the services is markedly harder.

Issuance can take from a few weeks to a few months, a step to anticipate in the relocation timeline. The procedures evolve; check the framework in force at the time of the project, the police registration and the assignment of the identity number being two distinct steps to carry out in parallel. A third framework runs alongside them: as a general rule, anyone living in Norway for a stay intended to last at least twelve months, or working in Norway, is a compulsory member of the National Insurance Scheme (folketrygden), and membership is what conditions rights under the National Insurance Act, administered by NAV.

Housing is the main line item to anticipate, especially in Oslo, Stavanger and Bergen. When renting, the security deposit (depositum) is in principle placed in a dedicated blocked account, and leases distinguish renting from a private individual from renting through a professional landlord. Many newcomers start by renting while they find their bearings in the market and, where relevant, prepare to buy.

Norway is marked by a strong ownership culture. Buying concerns, depending on the case, freehold (selveier) or a cooperative occupancy right (borettslag), with rules specific to each association. There is no nationality restriction on buying. For a specific transaction, support from a qualified professional is recommended.

Norwegian income tax combines a flat rate on general income, 22% in 2026, and a bracket tax (trinnskatt) on personal income that rises through five steps to a top rate of 17.8% above NOK 1 467 200 (2026, Skatteetaten). An employee national insurance contribution (trygdeavgift) of 7.6% of salary applies at most working ages in 2026, with other rates for self-employment income (10.8% in most cases) and pensions (5.1%); the three layers add up to a combined top marginal rate of 47.4% on salary income. Tax residence follows from presence: staying in Norway more than 183 days in any twelve-month period, or more than 270 days in any thirty-six-month period, makes you tax resident and, as a rule, taxable in Norway on worldwide income. Rates and thresholds are set annually; the reference values are those in force in the year of the project.

Unlike several neighbors, Norway still levies a net wealth tax (formuesskatt) above a threshold, for information and without amounting to advice. Cross-border situations are governed by Norway’s network of double taxation treaties, which covers more than eighty jurisdictions, among them the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Ireland, Germany, France and Singapore, together with its Nordic neighbors Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Social security coordination is most extensive with the EEA countries and extends as a general rule to the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and Norway also has bilateral social security agreements with, among others, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, India and South Korea. Which treaty matters depends on where your income arises and where you are resident. For any personal situation, a qualified professional is recommended.

The cost of living in Norway is among the highest in Europe: in Eurostat’s comparative price level index for household consumption, Norway stood at 124 in 2024, with the EU average at 100; among European countries, only Switzerland (174.4), Iceland (161.7), Denmark (143.1), Ireland (138.1), Luxembourg (132.8) and the United Kingdom (124.7) recorded higher levels. Housing is the main line item, followed by dining out, services and transport. Retail sale of alcohol above a low strength goes through the state monopoly (Vinmonopolet). Conversely, publicly funded healthcare, childcare and education limit some expenses. Amounts in euros also depend on the exchange rate of the Norwegian krone (NOK). Rather than fixed figures, the calculator provides an up-to-date estimate based on your income.