Visa to Norway

Norway is a popular European country among travelers with picturesque northern nature, small cozy cities, a developed stable economy and a measured pace of life. To visit this country, a foreigner must obtain a Schengen visa of category C or D.

Having issued the appropriate type of Schengen visa to Norway, a foreign citizen has the right to freely fly or travel between EU countries, look for opportunities to open a new business or branch of an already operating company, study at a university, work remotely in an international company.

Important 

Unstable relations between states affect the timing and requirements for applicants for a visa to Norway. Before submitting documents in 2024, you should check with the consulate whether the state issues Schengen visas, and how long it takes. 

Freelancer Visa

The residence permit for digital nomads in this country is referred to as an Independent/Self-employed Contractor Visa or Independent Contractor Visa. The local authorities consider a foreign citizen who receives funds from abroad to be such.

Among the requirements for applicants for a freelancer visa is the need for official cooperation with at least one client from Norway. Other EU countries do not impose similar conditions on digital nomads.

Self-employed, sole proprietors and individuals with an employment contract are allowed to apply for a freelancer visa for 2 years. For twelve months, a foreigner with a partially remote job should receive an income of at least € 35,719. If a spouse and minor children are traveling to Norway with him, a more significant amount will be needed to obtain and extend a residence permit.

A separate type of freelancer visa that does not require interaction with Norwegian clients is a temporary residence permit in Svalbard, i.e. on the island part of the country. In this case, priority professions are important, whose representatives the authorities will consider first. These are writers, programmers, online language school teachers, SMM specialists, etc. Remote workers of other profiles are also allowed to apply for such a visa. The minimum income that needs to be confirmed is € 35,719 per year. Education is only higher.

How much does a visa cost?

The fee for a Schengen visa to Norway in 2024 is 90 € for an adult foreign citizen. This is a fixed amount valid for citizens of countries without an agreement on simplified entry into the EU. For entry into the country of a child under 12 years of age, you need to pay 45 €.

The assistance of intermediaries in collecting documents for a visa to Norway is paid additionally and is not related to the consular fee.

Types of visas

In 2024, the country issues such types of entry permits:

• student visa – it allows you to study at an accredited public or private university full-time; 
• tourist – travel around Norway with it along an agreed route and leave when the tour ends; 
• business – issued for one-time or regular business trips: signing documents, conducting negotiations, participating in professional events and other similar purposes;
• work – it assumes employment in a Norwegian company. 

Student's

The review period is 2-4 months.

This type of entry permit is issued to full-time students of Norwegian universities who already have an invitation from the university. The country's educational institutions offer programs in the local and English languages. Therefore, along with the standard documents, the consulate requests an international IELTS or TOEFL certificate from students.

You also need to pay the tuition fee and attach a check, rent a house or arrange for a room on campus, show the funds in your bank account. Underage university students need a sponsor – one or both parents. All students purchase health insurance for a total amount of 30,000 €.

A student visa is initially granted for a year and is extended every 12 months until the end of the program, if the student has passed the minimum set number of exams. 

With a university student visa, a foreigner is allowed to travel freely throughout the EU.

Tourist

The review period is 15 days.

To travel to Norway to explore nature and cities, you can apply for any type C or D Schengen visa. According to the tourist and guest entry permit, it is strictly forbidden to work in the territory of the European Union, it is impossible to get an education and open a business. But you can travel between EU states by any means of transport, provided that most of the time of the tour will be spent in Norway. The same applies to a short-term guest visa based on an invitation from relatives or acquaintances.

A prerequisite for obtaining a tourist «‎Schengen» to Norway is booking a hotel and air tickets. If a traveler travels through an agency, the route of his movement around the country is coordinated with the consulate.

Business (for business trips)

The review period is up to 2 months.

A working visit in Norway is considered to be the arrival of a foreign employee at an event or to solve a specific commercial task. For example, concluding a contract for the supply of goods or negotiating with an employee of a local company. The purpose of the business trip is confirmed by documents. If they sign a contract, they submit an electronic version of it to the consulate for verification. An invitation from the Norwegian side is shown to attend the event.

A business visa is issued for up to 90 days or issued for a specific visit to the country. In the latter case, the entry permit expires immediately after departure.

Please note!

You cannot get a job in Norway on a business visa issued for a business trip or conference. There is a special visa for employment in EU countries, which is obtained on the basis of another list of papers. 

Working

The review period is up to 60 days.

An entry permit for the purpose of employment refers to long-term type D visas. He is discharged for up to 12 months and extended without leaving Norway, along with the extension of the contract.

The condition for issuing a work visa in this country is to receive an invitation from a local company and conclude an employment contract. The company provides housing for the employee – for example, rents an apartment or a hotel room. The employee translates into English or Norwegian and legalizes everything related to his professional activity: a diploma, a work record with at least 3 years of experience. Also, a foreigner buys a medical policy in the amount of 30,000 €.

Required documents

This is the basic list, which will be checked by the staff of the Norwegian consulate for those wishing to visit their country:

• consent to the processing of personal data; 
• a copy of the national passport (you do not need to be notarized, only translated); 
• a valid passport with three blank pages so that there is enough space for a visa sticker and other marks;
• two 35x45 mm photos taken in color and not retouched;
• a certificate from the place of work on letterhead, certified by the director;
• bank statement; 
• receipt for the purchase of one-way or two-way air tickets, depending on the type of entry permit requested; 
• hotel reservation or apartment rental;
• medical policy for 30,000 €.

Other documents that will be requested before issuing a Schengen C or D visa depend on the purpose of entry.

Recent changes in the Norwegian visa issue

Since September 19, 2024, the Norwegian police have been checking the social media accounts of everyone who requests a Schengen visa of category C or D. The authorities are interested in general activity in the profile, belonging to certain groups, previously visited countries and cities, and other information. The innovation should help law enforcement agencies track fraudsters and make more accurate portraits of visa applicants.