Who can be granted a residence permit as a seafarer?
- You must be an employee on board a ship registered abroad.
- The ship you are to work on must transport cargo or passengers between Norwegian ports. The ship must operate regular or substantial activity between Norwegian ports. Activity for a continuous period of three months will be deemed to constitute regular or substantial activity. This period is not interrupted by up to two short trips or assignments in other countries totalling less than ten days.
- In some cases, a residence permit is not required.
What requirements apply to the employment relationship?
- You must have received a concrete and relevant offer of employment.
- As a rule, you must have received an offer of full-time employment for one employer.
- 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 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 form 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
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.
In addition to the completed application form, you must submit:
Application by authority
The captain or another representative of your employer/the shipping company can apply for a residence permit on your behalf if you authorise him/her to do so. You can do this by completing the authorisation section of the application form or by providing another form of written authorisation. In such cases, the application must be submitted to the police district where the ship first calls, to a service centre for foreign workers or, if relevant, to the police where the employer has his/her place of business in Norway.
The early employment scheme
The early employment scheme means that employers can let seafarers start working before their applications have been processed.
The captain or another representative of your employer/the shipping company can apply for a residence permit on your behalf if you authorise him/her in writing. When you submit a complete application, i.e. an application with all the necessary enclosures, the police can issue a preliminary confirmation that you may start working before your application has been processed. The foreign service mission can issue you an entry visa if required, provided that the police have issued a preliminary confirmation to your employer/the shipping company and you are able to document your identity.
You must meet in person at the police district where the application was submitted within seven days of entering Norway. There, you must document your identity and confirm the application submitted by the captain or another representative of the employer/shipping company. The police will then issue you a confirmation that you are entitled to work for the employer in question until your application has been processed. You can start working immediately after you have obtained this confirmation.
If you do not require a visa to enter Norway or if you already reside legally in Norway, you can submit the application to the police yourself. If the application is complete, the police can then issue you a confirmation that you are entitled to work for the employer in question until your application has been processed. You can start working immediately after you have obtained this confirmation.
You cannot change employers.
The police can refuse to issue a preliminary confirmation to the employer/shipping company or a confirmation to you if any of the criteria are not met. You have no right of appeal.
Residence permit during application processing
You can ask the police to issue you a residence permit while your application is being processed. The police can do so if you are entitled to apply from Norway, and if they believe that your application is likely to be granted.
How long will it take to process the application?
The content of the permit
- The residence permit is valid for work for a specific employer on board a named ship. Therefore, you cannot work for another employer or on another ship than those stated in the permit.
- Permits can be granted for two years, but never for longer than the duration of the employment relationship.
- 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 does not form the basis for family immigration.
Is the permit renewable?
The permit is renewable. To be entitled to stay on the same conditions, you must apply for renewal of the residence permit and pay a fee at least one month before your previous residence permit expires. The application for renewal must be submitted to the police where the ship calls.
You can appeal the decision
You can appeal the decision. Read more about how to appeal a decision at www.udi.no/appeals.
Further information
If you have further questions about this topic, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, the nearest police district or UDI's Information Service.
More information about the rules for residence permits for seafarers is available from the web portal UDIregelverk.
