Special rules apply to Russian citizens from the Barents Region who wish to sell Russian products at markets and municipal cultural events in Northern Norway. If you are going to Norway to entertain, you cannot be granted a residence permit pursuant to these rules.
You can, however, engage in market trading for up to one day per month without a permit. If you are covered by a visa requirement, you must nonetheless apply for a visa.
Who can be granted a residence permit as a market trader?
To be granted a permit pursuant to these rules, you must be a Russian citizen from the Barents Region. The purpose of your stay in Norway must be to engage in market trading in connection with a municipal cultural event in Northern Norway.
What requirements apply to the employment relationship?
- You must have received a concrete invitation to engage in market trading from the municipality concerned.
- The municipality must provide a financial guarantee for you.
- If you are granted a residence permit as a market trader, it is a precondition that you pay the market fee for the days you are going to sell your products.
How to apply
Check where to hand in your application:
- If you are in another country 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 6 months. In some countries you will hand the application to the Swedish or Danish embassy instead. Check here where to hand in the application.
- If you are in Norway you can hand in your application 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. You must be in Norway legally, and you cannot be waiting for a reply to your application for asylum or have had your application for asylum turned down. When you apply from Norway you hand in your application at a local police station or at the Service center for foreign workers. Learn more about who can apply from Norway
Application form
You must fill in the application form for a residence permit and hand it in to the police or the embassy. You use the same when you wish to renew your permit. Contact the police or the embassy to find out when you can hand in your application.
Application form
You cannot enter Norway and start working until you have received a permit.
Unfortunately you cannot use the online Application Portal Norway.
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.
You must enclose the following with your application form:
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. You must also enclose translations of the documents into Norwegian or English.
Note that the documentation requirements vary and may change over time. The nearest Norwegian foreign service mission can provide information about the documents that must be enclosed with the application.
How long will it take to process the application?
See the list of the UDI’s expected case processing times here.
The content of the permit
The residence permit applies to a specific job and a specific place. Therefore, you cannot take other employment while you are in Norway under this permit.
The permit is granted for up to two weeks to engage in market trading in connection with municipal cultural events in Northern Norway.
The permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit or for family immigration.
Is the permit renewable?
The permit is not renewable. If you have held a residence permit that entitled you to engage in market trading in connection with a cultural event, you cannot be granted a new permit until you have stayed outside the country for six months.
You can appeal a rejection
You can appeal the decision. Read more about how to appeal a decision here
