Seasonal work is work that can only be carried out during a limited part of the year, for example farming or forestry work. You can also be granted a seasonal work permit to replace an employee in connection with ordinary holidays.
What type of work can you carry out as a seasonal worker?
Seasonal work is work that can only be carried out during limited parts of the year due to climate variations, fluctuations in the availability of raw materials or other circumstances. Forestry, agriculture, the fish processing industry, plant nurseries and the restaurant and tourism industries are typical seasonal industries. Odd jobs such as carpentry, painting and other maintenance and restoration work are not considered seasonal work.
If you are to replace an employee in connection with holidays, this must be clearly stated in your application. There is no requirement as to when during the year holidays can be taken.
Who can be granted a residence permit as a seasonal worker?
There are no formal qualification requirements for a seasonal work permit, but you must have reached the age of 18 and have a concrete offer of employment. The offer of employment must contain a job description and state the number of working hours per week, your hourly wage and the duration of the offer of employment.
If you have held a permit as a seasonal worker for six months, you can only be granted a new permit as a seasonal worker after you have stayed outside Norway for six months.
If you have been granted several permits as a seasonal worker, with a duration of less than six months, the total period of stay in Norway cannot exceed six months during a twelve-month period.
Working relationship requirements
- As a rule, the work concerned must be continuous full-time employment, but it can be divided between several employment offers from the same or different employers.
- The pay and working conditions must comply with the current collective agreement or pay scale for the industry. If no such collective wage agreement or pay scale exists, the pay and working conditions must not be poorer than is normal for the occupation and place concerned. You must be guaranteed a minimum hourly wage.
- The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) must consent to a permit being granted. You get this assessment from NAV at county level. NAV assesses, among other things, whether the position can be filled by domestic labour or labour from the EEA area. In applications for permits for seasonal work in the agriculture and forestry industries we no longer need this consent from NAV.
NAV has set down a yearly quota for 2 500 permits to seasonal work in the agriculture and forestry industries. In applications for permits for seasonal work in the agriculture and forestry industries we therefore no longer need this consent from NAV. For application for other types of seasonal work we require a consent to a permit from NAV, whether the need for labour can be met by workers from Norway or the EU/EEA-area. It is important that you enclose the consent from NAV with you application at the time of submission. This wil reduce the case processing time.
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 legal residence in Norway. You have legal residence if you are not subject to a visa requirement to enter Norway or if you hold a tourist visa or a permit in Norway or another Schengen country.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 be enclosed with the application?
Both applicants who register their applications online and those who hand in a paper version need to hand in their passport and other necessary documentation.
- If you apply online, you will at the same time book an appointment for handing in your documents to the police or an embassy. You will not have to wait in line when you turn up for your appointment.
- If are not applying online you need to contact the embassy to find out when to hand in the documents along with the application form.
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 (online or paper version), you must enclose:
If you enclose copies of documents with your application, you must present the original documents when you hand in your application.
Your employer can apply on your behalf
Your employer can apply on your behalf if you authorise him/her in writing to do so. You must complete the authorisation section of the application form or submit the authorisation form. Your employer submits the application to the police in the place where the employer has his or her registered business address.
Special rules for applications for work in agriculture and gardenry
Special simplified rules apply to those who apply for short-term seasonal work in agriculture or gardenry.
However, these simplified rules do not apply if you are staying abroad and need a visa to enter Norway.
How long will it take to process the application?
See the list of the UDI’s expected case processing times at www.udi.no/caseprocessingtime.
Residence card to document your permit
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
You can be granted a residence permit for seasonal work for up to six months. The six months can be divided between several permits for one and the same or several different employers. If you want to change employers after your permit has been granted, you have to apply again.
The permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit or family immigration.
You cannot renew the permit
Seasonal work permits are not renewable.
However, if you have been granted a permit for less than six months, you can apply to extend the permit to cover a total of six months. The total period of residence cannot exceed six months during a twelve-month period. If you have had a residence permit as a seasonal worker for six months, you cannot be granted a new permit of this type until you have stayed outside Norway for six months.
You must apply for an extension before your current permit expires. Use the same application form as for first-time application and submit the application to your local police district. Renewal applications are subject to an application fee.
You can appeal a rejection
Read more about how to appeal a decision on 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.
