Who can be granted a residence permit as a self-employed person?
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 education level, i.e. at least three years. If you were educated abroad, 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 joiners, plumbers or auxiliary nurses.
- Craft certificate. A craft certificate taken abroad 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. Examples include nurses, engineers, Bachelor or Master’s degrees.
- Special qualifications. You must have gained expertise through professional experience of a certain duration, alternatively in combination with other training (courses and similar). If there is a formal education in the field in question, your level of expertise must be approximately equivalent to the level of such education. Note that, in principle, permits for self-employed persons are only granted on the basis of special qualifications in exceptional circumstances and that thorough documentation is required.
Relevance
The work you are hired to do, requires that you are trained as a skilled worker.
You cannot be granted a permit as a self-employed person if you are going to be employed by a company, for example a business that is to be established. The application for a residence permit will then be assessed pursuant to the provisions concerning skilled workers.
What requirements apply to residence permits for skilled workers?
- The purpose of your stay must be to engage in permanent business activities in Norway.
- You must be necessary for the establishment or continuation of the enterprise. This requires that you must fill a central and performing position in your workplace. Normally you will fill a central and performing position in a personal business (sole proprietorship), for which you will be personally liable for the business commitments. A residence permit can therefore not be granted if you will only have limited liability for the financial commitments of the business, such as in a limited company.
- You must substantiate that there is a financial basis for the operation of the business.
- If the start-up of the business requires a permit from a public body, you must hold such a permit or a prior commitment from the relevant body confirming that such a permit will be granted.
- Subsistence must be granted for the period that the application refers to. The minimum subsistence requirement corresponds to salary grade 1 in the pay scale for Norwegian state employees. It is a condition that subsistence is mainly ensured through the business activities.
The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) obtains a statement from the county administration. If required, the county administration obtains a statement from a trade organisation or professional body.
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
See also information about visas for applying for a permit, and information about stays of up to six months to seek employment in 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 enclose:
- a detailed description of the nature of the enterprise and your role in it
- financial and business plans
- accounts, if available
- a market analysis and analysis of the sales potential of the product
- 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
- your CV
- specification of the location of the business premises and the name of the enterprise
- a necessary permit from a public body, if applicable, or a prior commitment of such a permit
- information about your accommodation
- a copy of your passport
- a passport photo/ 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 hand in your application. You must also enclose translations of the documents into Norwegian or English.
Please note! The documentation requirement varies from country to country and may change over time. You should therefore check with the Norwegian embassy in the country from which you are applying whether you need to enclose additional documentation.
Permits during the processing of applications
You may not start working until you have received your residence permit. The police can, at your request, grant a temporary permit while your application is being processed if they consider it likely that your application will be granted and you are entitled to apply from Norway.
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
- A residence permit for a self-employed person is linked to the specific enterprise. The permit does not confer a general right to take other employment.
- The permit can be granted for one year.
- The permit entitles the holder to repeated entry into Norway for the duration of the permit.
- The permit forms the basis for a permanent residence permit (settlement permit).
- Family members can apply for residence permits pursuant to the rules for family immigration.
Is the permit renewable?
The permit can be renewed. You must apply for a renewal of your residence permit at least one month before your previous residence permit expires, and the application must be submitted to the police where you live. A fee must be paid for renewal applications.
You can appeal a rejection
You can appeal the decision. at Read more about how to appeal a decision here.
Further information
For more information, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, or the UDI’s Information Service.
Further information about the permit is available at the web portal UDIregelverk.
