Living in Norway

Coronavirus

You should follow the advice of the Norwegian Government and your local authority. You can also read our Norway travel advice for our latest guidance.

For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in Norway see our coronavirus travel advice.

Stay up to date

You should:

• sign up for email alerts on living in Norway
• follow the British Embassy in Norway on Facebook and Twitter

You can also:

• read the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration’s frequently asked questions page
• check the Norwegian government advice page
• read the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement

Visas and residency

If you were legally resident in Norway before 1 January 2021, you must register with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) if you haven’t already done so.

You need to complete the application form for UK nationals on UDI’s application portal and book an appointment with the police. You must bring the completed application and any requested documents with you to the appointment.

All UK nationals who were legally resident in Norway before 1 January 2021, including those who have previously registered, must get a new residence card under Brexit regulations. This card will provide proof of your rights under the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement.

Read UDI’s Brexit FAQ page on how to apply for the card. This page also includes information about how to complete the process for children.

If you do not have a permanent residence permit

If you do not have a permanent residence permit (permanent oppholdstillatelse or bosettingstillatelse) already, you must apply for a residence permit under Brexit regulations.

When you have applied, you need to book an appointment with the police to get a residence card. Read the UDI Brexit guidance for more information.

If you have a permanent residence permit

If you already have a permanent residence permit (permanent oppholdstillatelse or bosettingstillatelse), you already have the right to residence in Norway. You will still need to obtain a residence card to prove your residency rights. You will be able to request the card on UDI’s website fromby mid-FebruaryMarch 2021.

We will update this page with further information on the new system as soon as it is available. You should sign up for updates to this page and read the UDI guidance for people who have a permanent residence permit.

Norwegian ID number

If you do not have a Norwegian personal ID number, you should apply for one from the National Registry (Folkeregister). Read more on the Norwegian National Registry website.

Additional support

UK nationals who are resident in Norway, and need help to complete their residence application or registration, can get support from organisations funded by the UK Nationals Support Fund.

This support is only available to people who need additional help to secure their rights under the Separation Agreement. They may include pensioners, disabled people, people living in remote areas or people who have mobility difficulties. Support available includes:

• answering questions about residence applications, such as the documents you need and how the application process works
• guiding you through the process, if necessary
• support if you experience language barriers or difficulty accessing online information and services

If you, or someone you know, are having difficulty completing residence paperwork or have any questions, contact the Aire Centre:

• email: eurobrits@airecentre.org
• visit the AIRE Centre website

Moving to Norway

Check the entry requirements for Norway.

If you are planning to move to Norway, different immigration rules will apply. Read the Norwegian government guidance on moving to Norway.

Passports and travel

You may need to show proof of residency when re-entering Norway. This could happen at the Norwegian border or at an airport outside of Norway.

If you cannot show that you are resident in Norway, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the Schengen area, and your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in Norway.

There is a new residence card for UK nationals living in Norway to help prove your status when travelling. Apply for the card on the UDI.no website.

Until you receive the new residence card, you should always carry one of the approved documents to prove that you are a resident in Norway. This can be your:

• certificate of application under sections 19-33 to 19-35 of the Immigration Regulations
• certificate for job seeker
• registration certificate or proof of permanent residence issued under the registration scheme for EEA nationals
• residence card
• residence certificate from the National Population Register (bostedsattest)
• receipt for registration under the registration scheme for EEA nationals, dated before 1 January 2021

You can order residence certificates from the Norwegian Tax Administration via Altinn. You should order this well in advance of any trips outside of Norway.

For more information read the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) advice page.

Passports

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. You can apply for or renew your British passport from Norway.

You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland). This requirement does not apply if you are entering or transiting to Norway, and you are in scope of the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement.

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.

Renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

As a non-EEA national, different border checks will apply when travelling to other EU or Schengen area countries. You may have to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing. You may also need to show a return or onward ticket.

Entry requirements

You can travel to other Schengen area countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa for purposes such as tourism.

To stay for longer than 90 days in any 180-day period, to work or study, or for business travel, you must meet the entry requirements set out by the country you are travelling to. This could mean applying for a visa or work permit.

Periods of time authorised by a visa or permit will not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

Different rules apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

Travel to the UK and Ireland has not changed.

Driving in Norway

You should exchange your UK licence for a Norwegian licence.

For information on driving in Norway, read our guidance on:

• driving licence exchange and renewal
• what you need to drive abroad
• road travel in Norway
• foreign driving licences in Norway by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration

Driving in the UK with a Norwegian licence

You can use your Norwegian licence in the UK for short visits, or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test. We will update these pages if there are any changes to the rules, as soon as information is available.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Norway

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

You can read the European Union’s guidance on car registration rules and taxes in Norway. You may be exempt from some of these taxes. If so, you will need certificates of exemption.

Working in Norway

If you were legally resident in Norway before 1 January 2021, you have the right to work, as long as you remain legally resident.

If you are working in Norway as a posted or detached worker, you need to apply for a work permit to continue working in Norway. Read UDI’s guidance on permits for posted workers.

If you are planning to come to Norway to work, you may need a visa.

See our guidance on working abroad.

Some jobs may require a UK criminal records check.

Frontier workers

If you live in Norway and were regularly commuting to work in an EU or EFTA country before 1 January 2021 you may need a permit to show you are a frontier worker. You must also apply for a residence permit in Norway.

If you live in the UK or an EU or EFTA country and regularly commuted to work in Norway before 1 January 2021, you need a frontier worker permit.

You can apply on the Norwegian Immigration Directorate’s (UDI) website by completing the ‘application form under “Brexit regulations” (right of residence under the Separation Agreement). Read UDI’s guidance on the frontier worker permit.

Education and professional qualifications

You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in Norway. When doing this, you will be subject to the third country regulations. For help with this:

• find out where to request recognition of your qualifications on the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) website
• read the European Commission’s guidance on recognition of professional qualifications

If your qualification was officially recognised by the relevant regulator in Norway before 1 January 2021, make sure you understand the terms of your recognition decision by checking with that regulator.

Studying in Norway

You will be eligible for broadly the same support as Norwegian nationals, as long as you were legally resident in Norway before 1 January 2021. You must apply for a residence permit in Norway.

Read our guidance on:

• continuing your studies in the EU
• healthcare for students in Norway

Healthcare

Healthcare arrangements will continue to apply in full to UK nationals who were resident in Norway before 1 January 2021, for as long as they remain in scope of the Separation Agreement.

Read the guidance on healthcare in Norway and make sure you are correctly registered.

You’ll pay into the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme (NIS) through your income tax. The NIS covers basic medical services, although you will sometimes have to pay a small fee. Children under 16 get free medical care.

You can only change your GP twice in a year. Find English-speaking doctors and dentists in Norway. Ask your doctor about a health insurance receipt card at your first GP visit.

If your UK employer has sent you to Norway temporarily, your access to healthcare is different. Find out how to access healthcare as a posted worker.

State healthcare: S1

If you have a registered S1 form and were living in Norway before 1 January 2021, your rights to access healthcare remain unchanged if you are either:

• receiving a UK State Pension
• receiving some other ‘exportable benefits’
• a frontier worker who lives in Norway and commutes to work in the UK

Read our guidance on using an S1 form in Norway to ensure you are correctly registered for healthcare.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are resident in Norway, you must not use your UK-issued EHIC for healthcare in Norway.

If you live and work in Norway, you may be able to get a Norwegian EHIC to get healthcare when you travel to EEA countries and Switzerland. Apply for a Norwegian EHIC on the Helfo website.

If you were living in Norway before 1 January 2021, you may be eligible for a new UK-issued EHIC if you’re:

• a UK student in Norway
• a UK State Pensioner with a registered S1
• a frontier worker with a registered S1

Apply now for a new UK EHIC.

An EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance.

For more information read our guidance on healthcare when travelling in Europe and advice on foreign travel insurance.

You should also check your prescriptions are legal in Norway.

Money and tax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Norway to ensure you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Norway have not changed.

You can read our guidance on:

• tax if you leave the UK to live abroad
• tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• paying income tax in Norway
• Norwegian Tax Administration

We recommend you get professional advice on paying tax in Norway. Find an English-speaking lawyer in Norway.

If you’re working on the Norwegian continental shelf, it’s compulsory to become member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. You must pay National Insurance contributions to Norway even if you don’t pay taxes to Norway.

National Insurance

Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Norway.

Banking

Whether UK banks can provide services to customers living in the EEA is a matter of local law and regulation. Your bank or finance provider should contact you if they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your provider or seek independent financial advice.

Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on banking, insurance and financial services changes for more information on cross-border banking.

Pensions

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Norway.

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

If you retire to Norway, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pension Centre to claim
• your pension from the Norwegian Pension Department, if you have worked in Norway
• pensions from working abroad, if you have worked in other EU countries

Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on pension and retirement changes for more information on cross-border pensions.

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible – your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Benefits

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Norway.

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

Check which UK benefits you can claim while abroad and how to claim them.

Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit cannot be paid to you if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You may be eligible to claim some Norwegian social security benefits after you’ve worked 6 months continually – see Norwegian social security benefits.

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.

Voting

If you’re resident in Norway, you can vote in local elections.

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter to vote

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in Norway you will need to register the birth abroad.

If someone dies in Norway you can:

• read our guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad
• find English-speaking funeral directors in Norway
• read our bereavement information for Norway

Find out how you can get married abroad.

You may also need:

• English-speaking lawyers in Norway
• English-speaking translators and interpreters in Norway
• notary services for Norway

Accommodation and buying property

Read our guidance on buying a property abroad.

Pets

If you have a pet passport issued by Norway or an EU member state, you can use it to travel with your pet to Great Britain and the EU.

A GB-issued EU pet passport is not valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. You should speak to your vet before you travel to get the necessary pet travel documents and ensure you’re compliant with the EU Pet Travel Regulations

Read guidance on:

• bringing your pet to GB
• travelling to Northern Ireland with your pet

Check the rules of the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel.

Read guidance travelling with pets across Norwegian borders from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

Emergencies

Norway’s emergency numbers are:

• 110 for fire brigade
• 112 for police
• 113 for ambulance
• 120 for emergency at sea

If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy Oslo.

Returning to the UK

Tell the UK and Norwegian authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.

To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.

If you get healthcare in Norway through the S1 form, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 to make sure your S1 is cancelled at the right time.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.

Disclaimer

This information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Norwegian authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.