• Who can be granted a residence permit for cross-border workers?
• What requirements apply to the employment relationship?
• How to apply
• What must be enclosed with the application?
• How long will it take to process the application?
• Residence card to document your application
• The content of the permit
• Is the permit renewable?
• You can appeal a rejection
  

Who can be granted a residence permit for cross-border workers?

• You must be a Russian national resident in the Barents Region. The region comprises the following areas: Murmansk Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug. You need to have lived in the Barents Region for at least one year
• The position cannot exceed 80% of a full-time job.
• It is not a requirement that you are a skilled worker.
• It is a requirement that the job cannot be filled by Norwegian labour or labour from the EEA area. Your employer must obtain a statement from the county NAV office, which must consent to a permit being granted.
• There are no requirements regarding the commuting pattern.

What requirements apply to the employment relationship?

• To apply for this residence permit, you must have received a concrete offer of employment in Nordland, Troms or Finnmark. The offer is concrete if the contract contains a description of the job, the number of hours a week you will be working and your hourly pay in NOK.
• As a rule, you must have received an offer of part-time employment for one employer, not exceeding 80% of a full-time job.
• It is not a requirement that the offer is for continuous employment.
• The pay and working conditions must not be poorer than those stipulated in the applicable collective agreement or pay scale. If no such collective agreement or pay scale exists, the pay and working conditions must not be poorer than is normal for the occupation and place concerned.
  

How to apply

Check where to hand in your application

• If you are outside Norway you hand in your application at a Norwegian embassy or consulate in your home country or the country where you have held a residence permit for the last six months. In some countries you will hand in the application at the Swedish or Danish embassy instead. Check here where to hand in the application.  
• If you are in Norway, you can apply from here if you have held another type of permit for the past nine months. You can also apply from Norway if you have skilled worker qualifications. Read about entry visa for skilled workers. You must be in Norway legally, and you cannot be an asylum seeker.
  Learn more about who can apply from Norway

Find out if you should apply online

You should register your application online if you apply from Norway or through a Norwegian embassy You cannot register your application online if you hand in the application at a Swedish or Danish embassy.

Register your application online here:

If you hand in the application at a Swedish or Danish embassy you must fill in a form on paper and hand it in at the embassy. You can find the form here. The form is also used for renewing a permit

Your employer can apply on your behalf

Your employer can apply for a residence permit on your behalf if you authorise him/her in writing to do so. You can do this by filling in the section in the application form about authorisation or by completing an authorisation form. Your employer must submit the application to the police district in the place the employer has his/her registered business address or to a service centre for foreign workers (SUA).

What must be enclosed with the application?

When you have visited the embassy or police station and handed in your passport and other necessary documentation we will start to process your application.

In addition to the completed application form, you must enclose:

• a copy of your passport
• a passport photo/photo that meets specific requirements 
• an offer of employment form signed by you and your employer
• certificate of residence that shows you are living in the Barents Region 
• a statement obtained by your employer from NAV stating that the position cannot be filled by domestic  labour or labour from the EEA or EFTA area.
• information about accommodation
• documentation that you have paid the fee
• your last three payslips, if you apply for a renewal
• If your employer applies on your behalf, you must enclose an authorisation form.
  

You must enclose translations of all the documents into Norwegian or English with the application.

As a rule, it is sufficient that you enclose a copy of the documents with your application, but it is a precondition that you present the original documents when you hand in your application.

How long will it take to process the application?

See the list of the Directorate of Immigration’s (UDI) expected case processing times at www.udi.no/case-processing-times.

Read more about residence cards

Permit while the application is being processed

You may not start working until you have received your residence permit. However, the police can, on your request, give you a permit while your application is being processed if they consider it likely that your application will be granted. It is a precondition that you are entitled to apply from Norway and that you have submitted consent from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV).

The content of the permit

• The residence permit applies to a specific job and a specific employer. Therefore, you cannot work in  another job or for another employer than stated in the permit.
• The permit can be granted for one year, but never for longer than the duration of the employment  relationship.
• You are entitled to repeated entry into Norway for the duration of the permit.
• The permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit.
• The permit does not form the basis for family immigration.

Is the permit renewable?

The permit is renewable. An application for renewal of a residence permit must be submitted no later than one month prior to the expiry of the previous permit. Submit the application to the police in the district where you work. A fee must be paid for renewal applications.

You can appeal a rejection

You can appeal the decision. Read about how to appeal at www.udi.no/appeal.

Further information

For more information, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate or the UDI’s Information Service. Further information about this permit is available on the web portal UDIregelverk