Employees from Bulgaria and Romania who have not held residence permits in Norway in the last 12 months are subject to different regulations than other EU/EEA/EFTA nationals. The transitional rules contain stricter employment relationship requirements.
You can stay in Norway for three months before you need to apply for a permit, or six months if you are seeking employment.
You can start working once you have submitted a complete application for a residence permit in Norway.
If you have had legal residence as an employee for the last 12 months, you can register through the registration requirement scheme. You can also register if you are going to study, are self-employed, person with sufficient funds or service provider.
What requirements apply to the employment relationship?
To be granted such a permit, you must be an employee in Norway, be employed by an employer with a registered business address in Norway and work in Norway. In addition, you must:
- have an offer of employment
- work in a full-time position (full-time work is defined as 80-100%)
- receive a wage in accordance with the collective agreement, pay scale that is normal for such a position in the place where you work
You can take any kind of work and have several employers as long as the offers of employment constitute a full-time position in total.
How do I apply?
To apply for a residence permit, you must fill in the application form for EEA citizens. The application can be submitted to your nearest Norwegian foreign service mission in your home country, or in another country in which you have legally resided for a minimum of 6 months. You can also submit your application to the police in Norway or the service centre for foreign workers (SUA).
You can start working as soon as you have submitted a complete application with all the necessary documentation enclosed.
If you are applying from Norway, you or a person you have authorised must meet in person at the police station in the place where you live. The police can grant your application if there is no doubt that you meet the requirements. If the police are in doubt, they will forward the application to the UDI for processing.
What must be enclosed with the application?
In addition to the completed application form, you must enclose:
Case processing time
See the list of the UDI’s expected case processing times at www.udi.no/caseprocessingtime. Contact the police for information about their case processing times.
The content of the permit
- The permit entitles its holder to work in Norway.
- The permit is given for the duration of the offer of employment, but for one year at a time. After one year of holding a residence permit as an employee, you have right of residence in accordance with the EEA regulations.
- The permit may form the basis for permanent right of residence.
- Your family members may come to Norway pursuant to the regulations for family immigration pursuant to the EEA Agreement. If your family’s application is submitted at the same time as your application, they will be processed together.
Permit renewal
A permit granted for less than one year can be renewed until you have had a residence permit for 12 consecutive months. You must apply for renewal one month at the latest before your permit expires. You submit your application to the police in the place where you live or at the service centre for foreign workers. You must enclose documentation of a new or extended employment contract with your application.
If you have had a residence permit as an employee for the last 12 months and you have met the requirements for the permit throughout the period, you no longer have to apply for a residence permit. You must bring the decision for your residence permit for the last 12 months, Certificates of Pay and Tax Deducted and pay slips for the last three months that you have held a permit. You also need to bring documentation of your grounds for residence, for instance a valid employment contract.
You can appeal the decision
Read more about how to appeal a decision at www.udi.no/klage.
Further questions?
If you have further questions about this topic, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, the nearest police district or the Information Service for Applicants.
