You can be granted a residence permit as a trainee if you are to come to Norway to receive vocational training.
For all citizens of an EU/EEA/EFTA country and members of their families, special rules apply through EEA regulations.
Who are eligible for a residence permit as a trainee?
In order to be granted a residence permit as a trainee
- You can not have completed your vocational training. If you have already completed your vocational training, you must apply for a permit as a skilled worker.
- You must complete the trainee stay in Norway before or during your education.The trainee work must be relevant to your vocational training and be of significant importance to your competence.
- you must have turned 15 and have your parents’ consent if you are between the ages of 15 and 18.
It must also be probable that you will return to your home country when your residence permit expires, and circumstances in your home country must also indicate that you will be able to return.
Employment offer requirements
- You must have received a concrete offer of employment. The offer of employment is concrete if it contains a description of your tasks, the number of hours a week you will be working, your monthly pay, and how long you will be working for.
- You must be paid in accordance with the applicable collective wage agreement or pay scale, or what is normal for the occupation concerned. If there is no collective wage agreement for the occupation in question, yout pay must not be poorer than is normal for the occupation and place concerned. Your employer is obliged to document the applicable collective agreement, pay scale or normal pay for the occupation and place in question. The pay must be sufficient to guarantee that the subsistence requirement is met, but a grant can replace wages in full or in part.
- As a rule, the employment must concern full-time work.
- You must be guaranteed accommodation during the period that the application covers.
- You can only have one employer.
How to apply
You must submit the application form to the Norwegian embassy or consulate in your home country or in the country where you have held a residence permit for the past six months. You cannot enter Norway and start working until you have received your permit. You will receive an answer to your application from the embassy or consulate.
Exemptions for certain groups
Certain groups can apply for a residence permit from Norway.
Certain groups can submit applications online through the embassy websites.
Your employer can apply on your behalf
Your employer can apply for a residence permit 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 an authorisation form. Your employer then submits the application to the police in the place where the employer has his/her registered business address.
What must be enclosed with the application?
In addition to the completed application form, you must also enclose:
- a copy of a valid travel document (usually a passport)
- two passport photos/ photos that meet specific requirements
- an original copy of the employment contract, signed by yourself and your employer
- documentation confirming your education and, if relevant, your professional background. If the trainee stay is a mandatory part of your education, this should be confirmed by a statement from the school in question.
- a description of the work, with an training plan
- a translation of the documents into Norwegian or English
- documentation that you have paid the application fee
If you have enclosed copies of documents with your application, you must present the original documents when you hand in your application.
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 permit during application processing
You may not start working until you have received your permit. However, the police may issue a residence permit during case processing if they expect your application to be granted. This will not be done automatically; you must ask the police for such a permit in person.
The content of the permit
Is the permit renewable?
You can be granted a residence permit as a trainee for a total of two years.
More information about how to renew an application
You can appeal a rejection
Read more about how to appeal a decision on www.udi.no/appeals.
Other possibilities for a residence permit if you are not eligible for a residence permit as a trainee
If you are not eligible for a residence permit as a trainee, you may be eligible for another type of permit.
If you have completed a vocational education, for example, you can apply for apermit as a skilled worker.
If you are to live and work with a Norwegian family, you can apply for a permit as an au pair. The purpose of this scheme is cultural exchange
Further information
If you have further questions about this topic, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, the nearest police district or the UDI’s Information Service.
