Norway has a special scheme for foreign nationals who are going to work in Norway for a non-profit, humanitarian or religious organisation. If you are going to work for such an organisation, you can be granted a residence permit.
Who can be granted a residence permit to work for a non-profit, humanitarian or religious organisation?
- You must have received an offer to work for an established organisation. Relatively short-lived spontaneous action groups will, as a rule, not be considered to be established organisations.
- The purpose of the organisation must be to carry out non-profit, humanitarian or religious work. By non-profit, humanitarian and religious work is meant charity work for people, or another form of altruistic work that is based on idealistic and non-profit motives. It is not a requirement that non-profit, humanitarian or religious work is the sole activity of the organisation. The organisation may also have commercial interests and receive public funding.
- The purpose of the stay in Norway must be to carry out non-profit, humanitarian or religious work for the organisation.
- The organisation must need foreign labour, or the activity in Norway must be part of an international exchange programme.
What requirements apply to the employment relationship?
- To apply for a residence permit, you must have received a concrete and relevant offer of employment.
- As a rule, the offer must concern full-time work.
- The pay and working conditions must not be poorer than those stipulated in the applicable collective agreement or pay scale. If no such collective agreement or pay scale exists, the pay and working conditions must not be poorer than is normal for the occupation and place concerned. Low pay or no pay can be accepted if this is normal for the place and occupation concerned. However, it is a minimum requirement that subsistence and accommodation is ensured for the period in which you wish to stay in Norway. If you do not receive pay, the organisation you will be working for must guarantee free board and lodging, as well as cover your return ticket.
How to apply
To apply for a residence permit, you must complete an application form. The application must be submitted to the nearest Norwegian embassy or general consulate in your home country or a country in which you have held a work or residence permit for the past six months. You cannot enter Norway and start working until your application has been granted. You will receive an answer to your application from the embassy or consulate.
Certain groups can apply for a residence permit from Norway.
Your employer can apply on your behalf
Your employer can also apply for a residence permit on your behalf if you authorise him/her to do so. You can do this by filling in the authorisation section in the application form, by completing an authorisation form or by providing some other form of written authorisation. In such case, the application must be submitted to the police district in which your employer has his/her registered business address.
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 believe it is likely that your application will be granted and you are entitled to apply from Norway.
What must be enclosed with the application?
In addition to the completed application form, you must enclose:
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.
NOTE! The documentation requirements vary from country to country and may change over time. You should therefore check what the requirements are with the Norwegian embassy or consulate in the country from which you are applying.
How long will it take to process the application?
Read more about case processing times at www.udi.no/saksbehandlingstider.
The content of the permit
- The residence permit applies to a specific job and a specific employer. Therefore, you cannot work in another job or for another employer than stated in the permit.
- Permits can be granted for one year, but never for longer than the duration of the employment relationship.
- The permit entitles you to repeated entry into Norway for the duration of the permit.
- The permit does not form 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, but the total duration of the permit cannot exceed four years. After that, the permit cannot be renewed, and you cannot be granted a new permit to work in a humanitarian, non-profit or religious organisation.
An application for renewal of a residence permit must be submitted no later than one month prior to the expiry date of the permit. The application must be submitted to the police in the place where you live. A fee must be paid for renewal applications.
Can I appeal a rejection?
If your application for a residence permit is rejected, you can appeal the decision. If you appeal, your application will be reconsidered by the Directorate of Immigration (UDI). The UDI can reverse the decision and grant the application. If not, the case will be sent to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) for new consideration.
Further information
You can also contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate or the UDI's Information Service.
Read more about the permit and the conditions for the permit at the web portal UDIregelverk.
