Norway intra-company transfer visa

You must be employed by an enterprise abroad that has a contract with an enterprise in Norway for an assignment there. The Norwegian enterprise must have a registered business address in Norway and may not be a staffing company, and as a rule the assignment is for one company. If you apply yourself from abroad, the Norwegian client first submits a confirmation of the assignment offer and gives you a code for the application form. Pay and working conditions may not be poorer than normal in Norway.

UDI counts you as a skilled worker if you have a completed vocational programme of at least three years at upper secondary level with a Norwegian equivalent, a completed university or university college degree, or special qualifications from long experience, generally at least six years documented with detailed work certificates. For vocational-level jobs such as chef, car mechanic, carpenter, painter, bricklayer or hairdresser, UDI applies extra checks to documents issued in Türkiye and several other countries, and these cases may take longer.

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 two years at a time and for up to six years; after that you must live outside Norway for two years before a new permit of this kind. You do not have to stay and work in Norway continuously during the permit. Other assignments, or work for another enterprise, need a new permit, and remote work is only allowed if it is part of the job.

Because you work for an international company on assignment for its Norwegian branch, your spouse or cohabitant and children can apply for residence permits, and joint applications are decided together. Time on this permit does not count towards permanent residence for you.

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.