Norway seasonal work visa

You need a concrete offer of full-time work that is either seasonal or a holiday stand-in; with several employers each must give a concrete offer. Pay and conditions may not be poorer than normal in Norway and a minimum hourly wage must be guaranteed. Outside agriculture and forestry, the employer must obtain confirmation from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) that enough workers cannot be recruited from Norway or the EEA. If you apply from abroad, the employer first confirms the job offer and gives you a code for the form.

You must be at least 18 and your situation must make it likely that you return home when the work is done. For applicants from some countries, Türkiye among them, UDI states that a seasonal work permit may be difficult to obtain because of the circumstances there, though it considers whether something specific in the applicant’s situation justifies one.

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.

You cannot stay as a seasonal worker for more than six months in any twelve. After a six-month permit you must spend six months outside Norway before a new one; after three months you can get another three months straight away, and after two months another four.

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.

Family members are not entitled to come with you on this permit, and the time does not count towards permanent residence. Renewal is possible in some cases within the six-month limit.

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.