We have therefore collated the necessary information and clarified the tasks that you need to undertake in this process.
Residence permit
To be able to work in Norway, you need a residence permit or a residence permit for work.
Nordic citizens
Nordic citizens obtain a residence permit by virtue of their citizenship in one of these countries. In other words, if you are a Nordic citizen, you have the right to live, study and work in another Nordic country without any special residence permit.
EU/EEA citizens
If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you have the right to take employment in Norway, and you can start working immediately after arriving in the country. If you intend to stay for more than three months, you need to register with the police within three months.
The registration is a two-stage process that starts with an online registration at The registration scheme for EU/EEA nationals – The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. When registering here you will have the opportunity to book a meeting with the immigration authorities, where you will complete the second stage of your registration through personal attendance.
Non-EU/EEA citizens
People from countries outside the EU/EEA area normally need a residence permit to work in Norway. As a main rule, applicants must first find a job and then apply for a residence permit for work.
The registration is a two-stage process that starts with an online registration at Want to apply: Work immigration – The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. When registering here you will have the opportunity to book a meeting with the immigration authorities, where you will complete the second stage of your registration through personal attendance.
Be aware that you may not start working before you have received a confirmation of your residence permit. It is therefore crucial to start the application process well ahead of the planned entry into the position. Processing times for the Directorate of Immigration may vary, but you can expect an interval of 5–6 weeks before you receive an answer. You can find an overview of expected waiting times for an answer at Waiting time – The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
Persons who have received a notification from the police on early employment start may, however, start working before their application for a residence permit has been processed.
Early employment start
The arrangement called ‘early employment start’ gives work migrants from countries outside the EU/EEA the opportunity to start working before a decision regarding their residence permit has been made.
The employee must request early employment start when delivering his/her application for a residence permit to the police. The police may then provide a confirmation that the employee may start working for this specific employer before the application for a residence permit has been processed. The employee may not switch employers.
NOTE: Once the police have sent the application to the Directorate of Immigration for processing, no confirmation on early employment start can be provided.
For more information on early employment start, go to Early employment start – The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
Tax deduction card
As a foreign employee in Norway you need to have a tax deduction card, deliver your tax return form and receive a tax assessment notice. When applying for a tax deduction card you should follow the instructions on Application for tax deduction card for foreign citizens – The Norwegian Tax Administration.
Approximately two weeks after the submission of your application for a tax deduction card you will receive a letter from the tax office with information on your ID number. You should give this number as soon as possible to your immediate superior, who will forward it to the HR department for payment of your salary. The ID number is required to register you as an employee on our payroll and to pay out your salary, and you should therefore apply for a tax deduction card as soon as possible.
All wages that you earn from a Norwegian employer are taxable in Norway. You can read more about the rules for tax residence in Norway when moving to or from Norway at Tax residence in Norway when moving to or from Norway – The Norwegian Tax Administration.
There may be cases in which you could be liable to tax both in Norway and in your home country. Contact the tax authorities in your home country for more information.
Notice of relocation to Norway
If you plan to stay in Norway for more than six months you must submit a notice of relocation no later than 8 days after arrival.
Reporting your relocation to Norway requires going in person to a tax office with ID control. Fill in the form Report a move to Norway from abroad - The Norwegian Tax Administration.
If you will stay in Norway for less than six months, for example to work, you need not report a relocation. However, you need to go to a tax office to obtain a temporary identification number (D number).
For more information, read Moving to Norway – The Norwegian Tax Administration.
The Service Centre for Foreign Workers – SUA
The Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA) is a centre where the Labour Inspection Authority, the police, the Tax Administration and the Directorate of Immigration (UDI) collaborate in providing foreign nationals who come to Norway to work with proper advice and reduced processing time for applications. SUA has departments in Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim and Kirkenes.
By booking an appointment at one of SUA’s offices, all the applications mentioned above can be organised into a single meeting.
- If you are an EU/EEA citizen you can have your registration confirmed.
- If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen you can submit documentation for your application for a residence permit.
- You can order a residence card, which is proof of your residence permit.
- You can apply for a tax deduction card and obtain a Norwegian ID number.
- You can report your relocation to Norway and obtain a Norwegian ID number.
If you have followed the procedures for applying for a residence permit as described above, you have already booked such a meeting.
Remember to bring with you to the meeting:
See The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration's checklists for a detailed overview of the documents you need to bring to the meeting.
Approximately eight weeks after this meeting you will receive two letters: one from the police with your residence permit and one from the Tax Administration with your Norwegian ID number. Remember to give the ID number and a copy of your residence permit to your immediate superior, who will forward them both to the HR department. The ID number is required for registering you as an employee in our payroll and to pay out your salary, and it is therefore essential that these are handed in as soon as possible.
With an ID number you can also open a bank account in Norway and register in the contract GP (general practitioner) scheme.
Bank account
When you have received your Norwegian ID or D number you should open an account with a Norwegian bank as soon as possible. VID will pay your salary to this account.
The largest banks in Norway are:
An application for an account with a Norwegian bank requires personal attendance in the bank, and it often pays to book a meeting with the bank in advance. Remember to bring the following with you to the bank:
- Your Norwegian ID/D number
- Your passport
- A passport photo
- Your employment contract
Tuberculosis screening
People who arrive from countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis are required to undergo tuberculosis screening, provided that they will stay in Norway for more than three months.
A list of countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis by Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Please contact the nearest hospital to arrange for tuberculosis screening.
Renewal of permits
Non-EU/EEA citizens normally need to renew their residence permit no later than one month prior to expiry. The process for renewal of your residence permit is identical to the one you needed to complete for the first application.
Go to The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration and register your application for a renewal. If you already have received a letter from UDI with an F code, you can use this code to register for fast-track processing.
If you have lived in Norway for more than three years, you may qualify for permanent residence. Read more at The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.
Notice of relocation out of Norway
If you intend to relocate from Norway to a country outside the Nordic region you need to notify the Norwegian tax authorities. If you intend to move to another Nordic country you only need to report your relocation in the country to where you move. Fill in the form on this page and send it to the tax office within 14 days prior to your departure.
Your employer will fill in the form Confirmation of reason for termination of employment when you terminate your employment relationship in the enterprise.