The regulations regarding EU/EEA nationals and their family members' stay i Norway are called the EU/EEA regulations. The EU/EEA regulations give all EU/EEA nationals and their family members the right to live, work and study in Norway.

The EU/EEA regulations are a part of the collaboration between Norway and the EU through the EEA agreement. The regulations that apply to EU/EEA nationals are regulated through EU Directive 2004/38/EC of 29 April 2004 which is incorporated into the Immigration Act chapter 13.

EU/EEA nationals can also choose to apply for a residence permit in Norway according to the other regulations in the Immigration Act (the ordinary/national regulations for immigration).

When we use the expression 'EU/EEA national', we mean a citizen of one of the EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.

Citizens of the following countries are defined as EU/EEA nationals in our regulations:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

All EU/EEA nationals and their family members are covered by the EU/EEA regulations.

This applies both to family members who are EU/EEA citizens themselves and family members who are citizens of a country outside the EU/EEA.

By "Family members" we mean: 

• Spouses and registered partners
• Cohabitants
• Those who are getting married
• Children and grandchildren under the age of 21
• Children and grandchildren over the age of 21
• Children born in Norway
• Foster child under the age of 18
• Children under the age of 18 who have siblings in Norway
• Parents and grandparents who are moving to children/grandchildren in Norway
• Family members who need nursing and care

The United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020. British citizens are no longer EU or EEA citizens.

Here you can read more about what are the implications of Brexit.

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about Brexit.

EU/EEA nationals must register if they are going to be in Norway for more than three months. EU/EEA nationals must have a reason to stay in Norway, meaning that they must be employed, self-employed, a posted worker, student, or have enough funds to support themselves.

Family members of EU/EEA nationals who are EU/EEA nationals themselves must use the registration scheme for EU/EEA nationals to register as family members.

Family members of EU/EEA nationals who are from a country outside the EU/EEA, must apply for a residence card if they are going to stay in Norway for more than three months.

The police receive all cases of registration for EU/EEA nationals.

The police can answer your questions about your registration as an EU/EEA national in Norway. The UDI provide general information about the EU/EEA regulations.

The police also receive all applications for residence card for family members of EU/EEA nationals. Applications for residence card will be processed by the police or the UDI.

You will receive an email if your case has been sent from the police to the UDI. If you do not find an answer to your question online, you can contact the agency handling your case.

If you want to know for how long you must wait for an answer to your application, you will find more information about waiting time published by the police (external website, opens in new window) and by the UDI.

A registration certificate is a document issued by the police which confirms that an EU/EEA national has registered to live in Norway for more than three months.

The registration certificate does not confirm that EU/EEA national has right of residence in Norway after the actual time of the registration.

EU/EEA nationals must normally only register once, regardless of how long they will be living in Norway. EU/EEA nationals can change the reason for living in Norway, for example change from being a student to an employee, without having to re-register.

If a EU/EEA national need to document that they have right of residence, they can do so by showing, for example, an employment contract, pay slips, proof of being a student or similar documents to those who are asking about your right of residence.

Norwegian authorities require that EU/EEA nationals register when living in Norway. If they stay in Norway for longer than three months without registering, they may be fined.

If you have lost your registration certificate and need a copy, please contact your local police district or SUA centre (external website)

If the reference person (the family member in Norway) is a Norwegian citizen, this person and his or her family members are covered by the EU/EEA regulations if:

• they have been living together in another EU/EEA country than Norway, and
• the reference person has been employed, self-employed, had enough funds or been a student there, and
• they are now moving together to Norway or are reuniting in Norway

As a main rule, an EU/EEA national has right of residence in Norway for up to three months, for example for visits and holidays. In order to have this right, the EU/EEA national must have a valid identity card or passport and not be an unreasonable burden for the public welfare system.

An EU/EEA national may also have the right of residence in Norway for more than three months. In order to have this right, the EU/EEA national must have a valid identity card or passport and be either employed, self-employed, a posted worker, a student or have enough funds to support themselves.

Family members of an EU/EEA national have right of residence in Norway for more than three months if the EU/EEA national has right of residence as described above. The condition for this is that the family members move to Norway together with the EU/EEA national, or are reunited with the EU/EEA national in Norway.

No, an EU/EEA citizen can't apply to be in Norway for more than three months as a visitor or tourist. After three months you have to leave Norway.

Once you have left Norway, you can travel back to Norway immediately and start a new three-month stay as a visitor or tourist. There is no requirement for how long you should be outside Norway before you can come back.

When you are in Norway as a visitor or tourist, you are responsible for all your expenses during your stay here, and you must follow the current entry rules that apply due to the corona situation.

If you want to be in Norway for more than three months, you must exercise EU/EEA rights as an employee, self-employed person, service provider, student, have your own funds to support yourself or be a job seeker. Then you must also apply for registration according to the EU/EEA regulations.

If you have been in Norway for more than three months and do not exercise your EU/EEA rights, you can be notified by the police that you have to leave the country.

If you are an employer and you going to employ a person who is a EU/EEA national, you can read more on this page.

An EU/EEA national can stay in Norway for up to six months while searching for a job. The EU/EEA national must registered with the police as a job seeker within three months after arrival in Norway. 

An EU/EEA national has the right to stay in Norway if the EU/EEA national is employed, self-employed, a posted worker, a student or have enough funds to support themselves, and has a valid identity card or passport.

A citizen of an EU/EEA country do not need a residence permit to work in Norway.

Everyone who works in Norway must have a tax deduction card and a Norwegian identification number, either a D number or a National identity number.

The Norwegian Tax Administration issues tax deduction cards and Norwegian identification numbers and can answer questions regarding this (external website, opens in new window).

EU/EEA nationals must contact the Norwegian Tax Administration to be assigned a D number or a national identification number.

EU/EEA nationals are issued a Norwegian national identity number from the Norwegian Tax Administration when they report that they have moved to Norway after they have registered. You must report moving to the Norwegian Tax Administration (external website, opens in new window).

A National identification number is a permanent identity number (external website, opens in new window).

If an EU/EEA national wants to start working before he/she has registered, they have to apply for a tax deduction card via the Norwegian Tax Administration (external website, opens in new window). The Norwegian Tax Administration can then issue a D number (external website, opens in new window) which is a temporary identity number.

If you are a family member of an EU/EEA citizen, you must contact the Norwegian Tax Administration to be assigned a D number or a national identification number.

You will be assigned a national identification number from the Norwegian Tax Administration by reporting your move to Norway (external website) after registering or by being granted a residence card as a family member to an EU/EEA citizen.

A D number (external website) is a temporary identification number. A national identification number (external website) is a permanent identity number.

Suppose you want to start working before you have been registered as a family member to an EU/EEA citizen or granted a residence card as a family member to an EU/EEA citizen. In that case, you must apply to the Norwegian Tax Administration for a tax deduction card (external website). Before you start working, you must provide documentation showing that your family member has the right of residence in Norway. Having a right of residence means that the EU/EEA citizen is either an employee, self-employed, a student, has their own funds, or is employed by a foreign enterprise. If he/she is a student or is in Norway on their own funds, he/she must have insurance.

If an EU/EEA national is going to live in Norway permanently, he or she must report their move to Norway (external website, opens in new window). This also applies to family members of EU/EEA nationals.

You can find information about reporting a move to Norway on the Norwegian Tax Administration website (external website, opens in new window). 

No, you cannot obtain a copy of your registration certificate.

It is unnecessary to provide proof of registration to register as a job seeker or to apply for unemployment benefit. If you are asked to upload a copy of the registration certificate in NAV's form, you do not need to do so.

If you have trouble applying for unemployment benefit digitally, you must use the paper solution and submit claims by regular mail (external website). You will be paid back the days spent on postal mail when the registration comes in later.

Stay updated on nav.no (external website)

Unfortunately, the UDI cannot answer questions about your rights in Norway.

You can find information about your health rights at helsenorge.no (external website)

You can find information about being laid off, unemployment benefits and care benefits at nav.no (external website).

Have you been in paid employment for more than a year?

Then the following applies to you:
You keep your status as an employee if you can document that you are laid off and have registered as a job seeker with NAV.

Have you been in paid employment for less than a year?

Then the following applies to you:
You keep your status as an employee for 6 months if you can prove that you are laid off and have registered as a job seeker with NAV.

You can read more about layoffs and notification as job seekers and unemployment benefits at NAV.no (external website) (content in Norwegian)

NAV does not require you to have a registration certificate from the police to receive unemployment benefit, but you must register as a job seeker with NAV.

If you have problems digitally applying for unemployment benefits, you must use the paper solution and submit claims by regular mail (external website).

You will be paid back the days spent on postal mail when the registration comes in later.

Please stay updated at nav.no (external website).