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Journalists and media employees

There are special rules for foreign journalists and other media employees who are going to work in Norway. These rules apply if you are a journalist or employee in a foreign media institution (newspaper or online newspaper, radio or television station etc.).



Journalist

Who can be granted a residence permit as a journalist?

To be granted a residence permit pursuant to these rules, you must:
  • be a journalist or hold another relevant position with a foreign newspaper, radio or television station, or another media institution
  • receive pay from an employer or client abroad

If you are employed by a Norwegian branch of a foreign media institution, you can be granted a permit pursuant to the rules concerning skilled workers.

Who does not need a residence permit?


If you are a journalist or hold another position with a foreign media institution and are on an assignment that does not exceed three months, you do not need a residence permit. If you are covered by a visa requirement, however, you must apply for a visa to enter Norway.

What requirements apply to the employment relationship?


To be granted a permit as a journalist, you must have received a concrete and relevant offer of employment from a foreign media institution. As a rule, the offer must involve full-time work for one employer.
It is a requirement that you have sufficient financial means during the period for which the application applies. The minimum requirement corresponds to salary grade 1 in the pay scale for Norwegian state employees.

How to apply


The application for a residence permit must, as a rule, be submitted to a Norwegian embassy or consulate in your home country or in the country in which you have held a residence permit for the past six months. You cannot enter Norway and start working without a residence permit. The embassy or consulate or the person you have authorised will forward the answer to the application to you.

Exemptions for certain groups

You must submit the application yourself


Your employer cannot submit your residence permit application on your behalf, because he/she does not have a registered place of business in Norway.

Permit while the application is being processed


You cannot start working without a residence permit. If you are entitled to apply from Norway and the police consider it likely that your permit will be granted, the police can grant you a permit while the application is being processed. This will not be done automatically; you must ask the police for such a permit.

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 they 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?


See the list of the UDI’s expected case processing times at www.udi.no/case-processing times.

The content of the permit


The permit confers the following rights and has the following limitations:
  • The permit is granted for one year at a time
  • The permit applies to a specific job for a specific employer, i.e. you cannot work in another position than stated in the permit.
  • The permit entitles you to travel into and out of Norway for the duration of the permit.
  • The permit does not form the basis for a permanent residence permit.
  • Family members can apply for residence permits pursuant to the rules for family immigration.

The permit can be renewed


The permit can be renewed provided that the conditions are met.
 
Here you can find more information about extensions and renewals

You can appeal a rejection


You can appeal the decision. Read more about how to appeal a decision at www.udi.no/appeals.

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.
 
 
 
 

 

Last updated 09.04.2010
Published 07.04.2006

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The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, PB 8108 Dep, 0032 Oslo. Phone: (+ 47) 23 35 15 00, Editor in chief: Bente E. Engesland, Web editor: Helen K. Åsli.
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