Norway
Norway visa guide: every visa and residence permit
- 15 visa types
- checked 24 October 2026
How visas for Norway work
Norway is not an EU member but belongs to the Schengen Area, so a Norwegian visitor visa allows up to 90 days in any 180 days across Schengen. Visas and residence permits are governed by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI); appeals against UDI go to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE), and in Norway the police receive applications and issue residence cards. Nationals of visa-required countries need a visa for every short stay.
From abroad, all applications start online in UDI’s application portal, where the fee is paid. You then hand in the documents in person at the Norwegian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, or at the external service provider it uses. Visitor visas are normally decided within 15 calendar days; for residence permits the mission verifies the originals and UDI decides. The visa fee is EUR 90, while residence permits are charged in kroner, for example NOK 6,300 for work and NOK 11,900 for a first family immigration application.
Longer stays are built around a few main permits: skilled work with a Norwegian employer, studies, family immigration with a spouse or parent, and, after three or five years, permanent residence. Many permits carry money or income thresholds set in kroner and adjusted yearly, such as NOK 170,368 a year for students and NOK 436,957 for a family sponsor. After arrival, residence permit holders must report to the police within seven days.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, visiting relatives or business meetings of up to 90 days: Schengen visitor visa (tourist, family visit or business).
Parents of a child living in Norway who want to stay longer: residence permit to visit children for up to nine months.
Degree studies: study permit; afterwards a job-seeker permit of up to one year is possible.
Job offer from a Norwegian employer: skilled worker permit; seasonal work, traineeships and intra-company assignments have their own permits.
Running your own sole proprietorship: self-employed permit.
Joining a spouse, partner or parent: family immigration; after three or five years, permanent residence.
Visa types for Norway
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Schengen visitor visa (type C) for tourism
If your nationality needs a visa, a holiday in Norway requires a Schengen visa.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area - Family and friends visit visa Schengen visitor visa for visiting family, a partner or friends; residence permit for parents visiting children for up to nine months
Visits of up to 90 days to relatives, a partner or friends in Norway use the Schengen visitor visa: EUR 90, lodged at the Norwegian mission responsible for your place of residence or its external service provider.
Maximum stay: Visa: 90 days in any 180 days. Parent permit: up to nine months
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Schengen visitor visa (type C) for business visits
Meetings, negotiations, trade fairs and similar short business trips to Norway need a Schengen visitor visa if your nationality requires one.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area - Self-employed and freelancer visa Residence permit for self-employed persons with a company in Norway
Skilled workers who will run their own sole proprietorship in Norway can get a permit if their presence is necessary for the business and it is likely to give a profit of at least NOK 341,373 a year before tax.
Validity: 1 year at a time
Study and training
- Student visa Study permit for a university college or university
Studying in Norway for more than three months requires a study permit from UDI.
Validity: For the study period; renewed while you study - Researcher visa Residence permit for researchers with own funds
Researchers with at least a master’s degree who will do research at a Norwegian university, college or institute, financed by a foreign salary or grant, apply for this permit.
- Internship and trainee visa Residence permit for trainees (practical training during higher education)
Students in higher education abroad can come to Norway for a full-time traineeship that is part of their studies.
Maximum stay: Up to 6 months; up to 12 months where the industry usually offers longer traineeships
Work
- Skilled worker visa Residence permit for skilled workers with an employer in Norway
The main work permit for non-EU citizens requires skilled-worker qualifications, a concrete full-time offer from a Norwegian employer and pay at Norwegian levels.
Validity: Up to 1 year for vocational-level jobs, up to 3 years for university-level jobs (1 year if frequent checks are needed, e.g. staffing agencies) - Intra-company transfer visa Residence permit for employees of international companies on assignment for the Norwegian branch
Skilled employees of an international company who carry out an assignment for the company’s Norwegian branch apply for this permit.
Maximum stay: Up to 6 years in total - Job seeker visa Residence permit for job seekers who have recently graduated in Norway or are researchers
From abroad, Norway’s job-seeker permit is open only to skilled workers with a visa-free nationality.
Maximum stay: Up to one year - Seasonal work visa Residence permit for seasonal workers
Work that can only be done at a certain time of year, or as a holiday stand-in for a permanent employee, can be done on a seasonal work permit.
Maximum stay: At most 6 months in any 12 months
Family
- Spouse and partner visa Family immigration with a spouse, registered partner, cohabitant or fiancé(e)
A spouse, registered partner or cohabitant of someone living in Norway can apply for family immigration if both are at least 24 and the person in Norway earns at least NOK 436,957 a year before tax.
Validity: Time-limited; must be renewed before expiry - Family reunification visa Family immigration for children under 18 moving to parents in Norway
Children under 18 can join a parent who is a Norwegian citizen or holds a qualifying residence permit in Norway.
Validity: Time-limited; renewed before expiry
Residence
- Permanent residence Permanent residence permit (permanent oppholdstillatelse)
After three years (five for protection-based and some related permits) of continuous residence on qualifying permits, you can apply for permanent residence.
Maximum stay: Indefinite
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection Protection (asylum) in Norway
Protection can only be requested in Norway: you tell the police and, since 15 July 2024, register at the National Arrival Centre in Råde.
Processing time: Up to 21 days at the arrival centre for registration; total waiting times vary and are published by UDI. Applicants from countries that can protect their citizens may get a rejection within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Norway?
It depends on your nationality. Nationals of visa-required countries, Türkiye among them, must apply for a visitor visa for any short stay, and everyone outside the EU/EEA needs a residence permit for stays over 90 days.
Where do I hand in my application?
After registering in UDI’s portal, at the Norwegian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, or at the external service provider it uses. The mission decides visitor visas and forwards residence permit cases to UDI.
Does Norway still offer au pair permits?
No. The au pair scheme was discontinued from 15 March 2024; only people who already hold an au pair permit can renew to change host family within the two-year period.
Does Norway offer working holiday visas?
Only to some nationalities. Norway’s working holiday schemes listed by UDI cover young adults from Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
Can I apply for a residence permit while visiting Norway?
Usually not. Skilled workers who are in Norway legally, and some family immigration applicants, may hand in the application to the police in Norway.
How do I appeal a refusal?
Appeal within the deadline in the decision letter, three weeks for UDI decisions. Appeals are free and should be in English or Norwegian with new information.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.