Doing business in Norway: Immigration Application

Visa Types

Work Permit (Skilled Worker)

In order to apply for a work permit in Norway the required documents are as follows:

Passport and copy of all used pages in passport;
Signed cover letter from the Application portal (or application form);
Two new/recent passport size photos with white background;
Documentation which shows that the employee has somewhere to live in Norway;
The UDI’s Offer of employment form, completed;
Documentation of the employee’s education, containing information about the duration of the education, the level and the content;
Documentation of work experience containing detailed information from former employers about how long the employee worked in the company, what training he/she was given, his/her tasks and qualifications;
CV;
UDI’s checklist, filled out and signed.

Additional Documents for some applications:

If the employee submits his/her application in a country other than his/her home country, documentation that he/she has held a residence permit for the last six months in this country;
If the employee submits his/her application in Norway, documentation which shows that he/she is in Norway legally;
If the employee is going to work in a position which is less than 80 percent, explanation/ documentation of this;
If the employee is going to work for more than one employer, explanation/ documentation of this;
If the offer of employment is not continuous, explanation/ documentation of this;
If the employee is to work in a profession for which recognition or authorisation is required, documentation that he/she has been recognised or authorized by the relevant recognition authority for his/her profession;
If the employee is to carry out skilled work through a recruitment agency, a list of the assignments that he/she is going to do, and a statement from each of the clients which confirms that he/she is going to do an assignment for them. Also a printed page which shows that the recruitment agency he/she is going to work for is registered in the The Labour Inspection Authority’s register of recruitment agencies;
If the employee would like your employer to apply on his/her behalf, or for his/her employer or another person to be able to talk to The Directorate of Immigration on his/her behalf, power attorney form;
If the employee wants to work during application processing, for “Early employment scheme”: Employer’s certificate for tax and valued added tax. Also residence permit during application processing: a letter where he/she requests this.

Documents which the employee must hand in when he/she applies to renew his/her residence permit are:

Passport and copy of all used pages in passport;
Signed cover letter from the Application portal (or application form);
The UDI’s Offer of employment form, completed;
His/her last three pay slips;
If the employee is temporarily laid off (permittert): a decision letter from NAV which states that he/she has been granted unemployment benefits;
Special documentation if he/she has been asked for such in prior decisions;
If the employee is in one of the situations described under “Additional documents for some applications”, he/she must submit the same documents as when he/she applied for the first time;
UDI’s checklist, filled out and signed.

Processing Time: Processing times can vary depending from the type of application and the channel where the applicant handed in the application. As such, we suggest to consult the UDI’s Case Processing Times page.

Fee: 3 700 NOK or USD 420.

Intra Company Transfer

You must apply for this type of permit if you are employed in an international company abroad and are going to carry out an assignment for the Norwegian branch of the international company.

Requirements relating to your education/qualifications

You must have one of the following types of education/qualifications:

A completed vocational training programme of at least three years at upper secondary school level, for example as a joiner or health worker. There must be a corresponding vocational training programme in Norway;
Completed education or degree from a university/ university college, for example a bachelor’s degree as an engineer or nurse;
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.

Requirements relating to the employment relationship:

You must be employed by an enterprise abroad that has a contract with an enterprise in Norway to carry out an assignment in Norway;
The enterprise in Norway must have a registered business address here;
As a rule, the offer of an assignment must be for one specific enterprise in Norway;
The pay and working conditions must not be poorer than is normal in Norway;
The enterprise in Norway must be able to document that the enterprise abroad meets the requirement for pay and working conditions during the assignment;
Your qualifications as a skilled worker must be relevant to your ability to complete the assignment;
If you are going to carry out an assignment in an occupation for which recognition or authorisation is required (external website), you must have such recognition or authorisation;

Rights and obligations:

If you are going to carry out assignments other than that described in the contract or for another enterprise, you must apply for a new residence permit.
You can be granted a permit for two years at a time. You can be granted this type of residence permit for up to six years, then you must live outside Norway for two years before you can apply for a new such permit.
The period you have this permit does not count if you later wish to apply for a permanent residence permit.
If your assignment lasts for more than six months or if you are employed in an international company (and are to go on assignment for the Norwegian branch of the company), your spouse or cohabitant and your children can apply for residence permits in Norway.

Fee: Approx. 580 NOK or USD 65.

Business Visa (Schengen Visa Type C)

As a signatory of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, Norway is an integrated part of the European Internal Market. In line with other European countries, Norway promotes free trade, is open to foreign investments and has also in this respect a business friendly framework.

A Schengen Visa may be granted to applicants who are going to Norway for tourism, business or family visits, etc. when the intention is to return to the applicant’s country of residence afterwards.

Visa can be valid for a maximum of 90 days in the course of a period of 180 days. The visa can normally not be extended after you have entered the Schengen area.

Steps on How to Apply:

Print the Checklist appropriate to your application then collect and gather the documents needed in your application.
If you think you are ready to apply, register your application online and book an appointment to submit application. Please note that applying via Application Portal Norway is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to register your application.
Submit your application personally at the Norway Visa Application Centre on the date of your appointment and bring your documents.

Processing Time: Approximate processing time is 15 days. It is counted from the day the Embassy receives the complete application that was submitted to Norway Visa Application Centre.

However, case processing time depends on each individual case. Applicants are advised to apply several weeks before their intended journey, but not more than 90 days in advance.

Fee: Approx. 580 NOK or USD 65.

Visa Application

Foreign workers are required to have the proper visas and work permits in Norway, as established by immigration laws. Work permits must be secured for employees, and sponsored by a locally licensed and incorporated entity, which can be a problem for companies just entering the Norwegian market.

Different rules apply whether employers employ someone who is an EU/EEA national or not.

All EU/EEA nationals are entitled to work in Norway and can move to the country and start working right away, but they must register with the police no later than three months after arriving in Norway.

In case the employee has not yet registered with the police, the employer must give the worker an employment certificate or an employment contract that contains the same information as the employment certificate. The worker has to show this to the police when he or she registers.

As the worker needs to register him/herself into the system, the employer can help him/her by entering information in the Application Portal Norway and booking an appointment with the police, but the worker must go to the police in person.

In case the worker already has a registration certificate, he/she can start working at once and does not need to register again.

When employers hire a foreign national to work in Norway, the employee must obtain a residency permit. What residence permit an employee should apply for usually depends on his/her competences and type of work he/she will be doing in Norway. Once the employee has these information, he/she can apply for a a residence permit online at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.

Documentations required differ for each employee and it is necessary to upload individual information within the UDI Immigration Page.

Fee: Residence permits for work (also renewals) NOK 3,700 (Approx. USD 410)

Processing Time: For an accurate calculation please consult the Case Processing Time Page.