Who is eligible for a residence permit as a jobseeker?
You must fulfill all these four criteria:
1. Your purpose must be to seek employment as a skilled worker in Norway.
2. You must be a researcher or newly qualified graduate, have one of the following residence permits and apply before the permit expires:
3. You must be a skilled worker. The term skilled worker covers the following categories:
- Specialist training corresponding to upper secondary education level. You must have completed vocational training for a specific occupation. The education must as a minimum correspond to upper secondary level, i.e. at least three years. You must have achieved the same level of expertise as you would have achieved had you been educated in Norway. Examples include vocational education for plumbers or auxiliary nurses.
- Craft certificate. It must have resulted in the same level of expertise as a Norwegian craft certificate.
- University college or university education. The requirement is a completed degree or study programme, for example a Bachelor or Master’s degree.
- Special qualifications. You must have gained expertise through professional experience of a certain duration, alternatively in combination with courses and similar. If there is a formal education in the field, you must have achieved a corresponding level of expertise as such education leads to. A permit is only granted on the basis of special qualifications in exceptional cases.
4. You must have sufficient funds for the period in which you intend to stay in Norway. This must correspond to 82 percent of salary grade 19 in the pay scale for Norwegian state employees. This currently corresponds to NOK 112,955 for six months, which amounts to NOK 18,826 per month.
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.
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
What must you hand in 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:
- documentation of your education containing information about the duration of the education, its content and the level of the educational institution
- documentation of work experience containing detailed information from former employers about the duration, tasks and the nature of the activities
- a CV
- documentation that you have sufficient funds for your stay
information about accommodation
- a passport photo that meets specific requirements
- documentation that you have paid the application fee
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 submit in your application. You must also enclose a translation of the documents into Norwegian or English.
How long will it take to process the application?
See the list of the at UDI’s expected case processing times here.
Residence card to document the application
If your application is granted, you must get yourself a residence card. This is a proof that you have the right to live in Norway. You will receive a letter which informs you that you must visit the police to have your fingerprints and photo taken. About ten days later the card will be sent to you by post.
Read more about residence cards
The content of the permit
- The residence permit allows you to seek employment as a skilled worker in Norway.
- The permit gives the right to work full-time, also as an unskilled worker.
- The permit can be granted for six months.
- The permit entitles you 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 forms a basis for family immigration.
Is the permit renewable?
The permit is renewable, but you cannot be granted this kind of permit for a continuous period of more than six months. You can get a new permit as a jobseeker if you again have a residence permit as a student or one of the other residence permits mentioned above. You must meet the other requirements for a permit as a jobseeker.
An application for renewal of a residence permit must be submitted no later than one month prior to the expiry date of the permit. The application must be submitted to the police in the place where you live. A fee must be paid for renewal applications.
You can appeal a rejection
You can appeal the decision. Read about how you appeal here.
Further information
For more information, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, or the UDI’s Information Service.
Read more about residence permits for skilled workers the website UDI Regelverk (Norwegian language only).
