Norway internship visa (trainee permit)

You must be taking higher education at a foreign institution and must not have completed it; graduates apply as skilled workers instead, and a traineeship at the very start of the studies is not accepted. The purpose must be practical training as part of the education. You must have turned 18 but not 30 when you apply, normally cannot have been a trainee or worked in the same field before, must have housing, and it must be likely that you return home afterwards.

Your school must confirm the programme and level, its duration, start and expected end, credits and exams completed, how relevant the internship is, whether it is compulsory and gives credits, what you need practice in, and its agreement with the employer. The employer completes UDI’s offer of employment form and describes your tasks and training plan for the whole period.

You need a concrete offer of a full-time traineeship relevant to your education, with one employer. In sectors with a collective agreement you must get the agreed trainee rate; elsewhere the pay may not be lower than what is normal for trainees in that occupation and place. Instead of pay you can receive a grant equal to Lånekassen’s basic support, at least NOK 15,488 per month.

From abroad the route is the same for all residence permits: register the application in UDI’s portal and pay the fee, then hand in the documents and originals in person at the Norwegian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, or at the external service provider it uses. The mission verifies the originals and forwards the case to UDI, which decides. Your passport and originals are returned when the case is finished. Documents not in English or Norwegian need a translation, and for work permits the translation must be made by an authorised translator showing the translator’s name and date.

If you need a visa to travel, the Norwegian mission issues an entry visa (D visa) once the permit is granted. After arrival you must report to the police within seven days to have fingerprints and a photo taken; the police then order your residence card, a plastic card sent by post. Put your name on the letterbox so the card can be delivered, and avoid trips abroad until you have it. You should also report your move to the Norwegian Tax Administration to obtain a Norwegian identification number.

The permit is granted for up to six months, or up to twelve where longer traineeships are common in the industry, and a training plan must cover the whole period. It cannot be renewed. You may not work remotely for others. Your spouse or cohabitant and children can usually apply to join you, and joint applications are decided together.

If UDI refuses, you can appeal within three weeks of receiving the decision letter. The appeal is free, must be signed and written in English or Norwegian, name the decision and explain what should change, and should contain new information; it can be uploaded through udi.no. If you cannot gather all documents in time, appeal anyway and explain, and you get up to two more weeks. UDI reconsiders the case and sends it to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) if it maintains the refusal.