Who can be granted a residence permit as a self-employed person?
You must be a skilled worker. The term skilled worker covers the following categories:
- Specialist training corresponding to upper secondary education level. You must have completed vocational training for a specific occupation. The education must, as a minimum, correspond to upper secondary education level, i.e. at least three years. If you were educated abroad, you must have achieved the same level of expertise as you would have achieved had you been educated in Norway. Examples include vocational education for joiners, plumbers or auxiliary nurses.
- Craft certificate. A craft certificate taken abroad must have resulted in the same level of expertise as a Norwegian craft certificate.
- University college or university education. The requirement is a completed degree or study programme. Examples include nurses, engineers, Bachelor or Master’s degrees.
- Special qualifications. You must have gained expertise through professional experience of a certain duration, alternatively in combination with other training (courses and similar). If there is a formal education in the field in question, your level of expertise must be approximately equivalent to the level of such education. Note that, in principle, permits for self-employed persons are only granted on the basis of special qualifications in exceptional circumstances and that thorough documentation is required.
You cannot be granted a permit as a self-employed person if you are going to be employed by a company, for example a business that is to be established. The application for a residence permit will then be assessed pursuant to the provisions concerning skilled workers.
What requirements apply to residence permits for skilled workers?
- The purpose of your stay must be to engage in permanent business activities in Norway.
- You must be necessary for the establishment or continuation of the enterprise.
- The application must concern a personal business (sole proprietorship), for which you will be personally liable for the business commitments. A residence permit can therefore not be granted if you will only have limited liability for the financial commitments of the business, such as in a limited company.
- You must substantiate that there is a financial basis for the operation of the business.
- If the start-up of the business requires a permit from a public body, you must hold such a permit or a prior commitment from the relevant body confirming that such a permit will be granted.
- Subsistence must be granted for the period that the application refers to. The minimum subsistence requirement corresponds to salary grade 1 in the pay scale for Norwegian state employees. It is a condition that subsistence is mainly ensured through the business activities.
The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) obtains a statement from the county administration. If required, the county administration obtains a statement from a trade organisation or professional body.
How to apply
To apply for a residence permit, you must fill in an application form. As a rule, you must submit the application 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.
If you are a skilled worker with legal residence in Norway, you can apply from Norway through the police. The opportunity to apply for a residence permit from Norway does not, however, apply if you are staying in the country in connection with an asylum application or pending departure after rejection of your asylum application. Applications from Norway must be submitted to the police district where you live.
See also information about visas for applying for a permit, and information about stays of up to six months to seek employment in Norway.
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 consider it 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:
- a detailed description of the nature of the enterprise and your role in it
- financial and business plans
- accounts, if available
- a market analysis and analysis of the sales potential of the product
- documentation of your education containing information about the duration of the education, its content and the level of the educational institution
- documentation of work experience containing detailed information from former employers about the duration, tasks and the nature of the activities
- your CV
- specification of the location of the business premises and the name of the enterprise
- a necessary permit from a public body, if applicable, or a prior commitment of such a permit
- information about your accommodation
- a copy of your passport
- a passport photo/ photo that meets specific requirements
- documentation that you have paid the application fee.
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 requirement varies from country to country and may change over time. You should therefore examine in more detail what the requirements are at the Norwegian embassy 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/caseprocessingtime
The content of the permit
- A residence permit for a self-employed person is linked to the specific enterprise. The permit does not confer a general right to take other employment.
- The permit can be granted for one year.
- The permit entitles the holder to repeated entry into Norway for the duration of the permit.
- The permit forms 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. You must apply for a renewal of your residence permit at least one month before your previous residence permit expires, and the application must be submitted to the police where you live. A fee must be paid for renewal applications.
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
For more information, contact your nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, or the UDI’s Information Service.
Further information about the permit is available at the web portal UDIregelverk.
