Skilled workers who are not subject to a visa requirement
- If you are not subject to a visa requirement and have qualifications as a skilled worker, you can stay in Norway without a residence permit for six months to seek employment as a skilled worker or a specialist. You must report to the police in the place where you are staying no later than three months after your arrival in Norway, identify yourself and tell them that you are a job seeker.
- If you are a jobseeker and have stayed in Norway for a period of more than 90 days, see "Requirements for nationals who are not subject to the visa requirement", you cannot travel to or stay in other Schengen countries than Norway. In this case, you cannot leave Norway via other Schengen countries.
- If you leave Norway, your collective time in the Schengen area cannot exceed 90 days in a period of six months if you want to return to Norway.
- If you held a residence permit in Norway, you must have been outside the Schengen area for at least 90 days before you can be a jobseeker in Norway.
- However, you need a residence permit if you are seeking employment as a religious leader/teacher or an ethnic cook.
If you are subject to a visa requirement, you need a residence permit to enter the country, regardless of your qualifications.
Certain three-month employment relationships
If you do not have an employer in Norway, you can work here without a residence permit for up to three months if you belong to one of the following groups:
- Commercial and business travellers
- Technical experts who are to install, repair, perform maintenance etc. on machinery or technical equipment or provide information about the use of such equipment. The need for this labour must not exceed three months, and you or your employer must notify the police in writing before you enter Norway.
- Persons in private service accompanying persons who visit Norway
- Professional athletes and their accompanying support network
- Public servants paid by another country, by agreement between foreign and Norwegian authorities
- Journalists or other personnel on assignment for a foreign media institution
- Tour guides accompanying groups of foreign tourists during visits to Norway
- Staff on foreign trains, aircraft, buses or trucks
- Necessary security and maintenance crew on foreign-owned vessels laid up in Norway. You must notify the police.
If you have an employer in Norway, you do not need a residence permit for employment relationships of up to three months’ duration if you belong to one of the following groups:
- researchers or lecturers
- religious preachers. The need for this labour must not exceed a period of three months.
Nor is a residence permit required if you are employed by an international company and are to undergo internal company training for a period of up to three months.
If you need a visa, you have to apply for a Schengen-visa (C-visa) to enter Norway.
Quarantine period
How often you can enter Norway and stay for three months follows from the usual rules concerning residence in Norway and Schengen.
Certain two-week assignments
If you are a performer, artist, musician or part of their necessary accompanying support staff, you do not need a residence permit for assignments that do not total more than 14 days during a calendar year. You or your employer must notify the police in writing before you enter Norway.
Market trading, one day per month
You do not need a permit to sell Russian products via market trading in Northern Norway for up to one day per month. You must be a Russian national from the Barents Region, and you must notify the police.
If you are selling russian products during municipal cultural events, you can be granted residence permit as a market trader from Russia.
Diplomats
Diplomats do not need a residence permit to stay and work in Norway. More information on diplomats and employees or persons on assignment for inter-governmental organisations, and their family members.
Nordic nationals
Nordic nationals do not need a residence permit to stay and work in Norway.
Certain categories of seafarers on board Norwegian ships
You do not need a residence permit to work on a Norwegian ship engaged in international shipping.
- Norwegian fishing vessels that land their catches in a Norwegian port are not deemed to be engaged in international shipping.
- Norwegian ships that pick up cargo or passengers in a Norwegian port and land the cargo or passengers in a Norwegian port are also not deemed to be engaged in international shipping. Such ships are, however, deemed to be engaged in international shipping if the ship falls under the Regulations concerning extended trade areas for cargo ships registered in the Norwegian International Ship Register or the Regulations concerning special trade areas for vessels and mobile offshore units engaged in the petroleum activity and registered in the Norwegian International Ship Register.
For Norwegian ships engaged in international shipping that call at Norwegian ports, there are special rules concerning permission to leave a position on board a ship and liberty, and concerning a duty to give notification. You can find more information in
UDI Regelverk.
Certain categories of seafarers on board ships registered abroad
If you work on board a foreign-registered cruise ship or a foreign ship registered in a register of ships in an EEA country, you do not need a residence permit. This also applies to seafarers who are covered by bilateral shipping agreements.
There is no requirement for a residence permit for work on board ships registered abroad when the ship only occasionally operates between Norwegian ports, i.e. when it does not operate regular or substantial activity between Norwegian ports.
Further information
