Immigration – Expat Relocation

Work and residence permit

Non-Eu nationals:

The first crucial step when relocating to Norway is obtaining a valid work and residence permit. The type of residence permit you should apply for depends on your competence and the type of work you will be doing in Norway.

Determining the type of residence permit applicable can be a challenging process. Therefore, at Expat Relocation we assist in all stages of the process from A to Z:

Filing

advising on optimal application procedure.
collecting and checking necessary documentation.
submitting the application on the assignee’s behalf.
accompanying the assignee on appointments before immigration and tax authorities.

Registration

After obtaining a work permit, registration with Norwegian tax administration is the next critical step. A social security code and a tax card are vital for issues such as receiving a salary, subscribing to broadband, and register in medical services.

Our services include:

pre-filing of paperwork.
accompanying the assignee for submission.
following up applications within the National Registry and tax authorities.

EU-Nationals:

Nationals of EU/EEA countries do not need a residence permit to stay or work in Norway. However, all nationals of EU/EEA countries who want to stay for longer than three months must register with the police. At Expat Relocation we support our clients every step along the way, guaranteeing all assignees to get settled in Norway as fast as possible.

Our services include:

registering before the police.
applying for a tax deduction card so you can start getting paid.
Registering you move and new address.
obtaining a national ID number.

What sets us apart

Our seasoned on-the-ground professionals are committed to providing seamless legal immigration services to all our clients worldwide. Expat Relocation offers a complete service from document preparation based on a personalized legal review to end-to-end support from our team of specialists, no matter which immigration path you choose.

Take advantage of our in-house expertise and local network to help employees maintain compliance with local immigration regulations. Our close contact with the Directorate of Immigration ensures we are constantly updated on changes in immigration laws and procedures, guaranteeing all applications are processed as swiftly as possible. Expat Relocation has given user advise to the Directorate of Immigration on a regularly basis since 2005.

We also provide global immigration services with relocation know-how, resulting in invaluable support to our clients. We directly deliver work and residences permit services in select high-traffic and complex relocation destinations and maintain a network of carefully chosen providers across Norway.

Offshore

Whether your business relates to wind, fishing, shipping oil and gas or any industry offshore , you may need to consider how the immigration rules affect your ability to employ workers. You must consider if employees will need a work permit to perform work or if there are additional reporting steps needed to local police – for some cases there can be several applicable requirements depending on situation. Contact Expat Relocation if one of the below applies to you:

You are to work on a Norwegian or foreign mobile installation on the Norwegian continental shelf.
If you are working as a technical expert without a permit, you must keep track of time in Schengen (Including holidays) – the exemption follow several requirements you should be aware of before going down that route.
There are several requirements that may be in place in addition to immigration requirements.

Additional offshore requirements may apply depending on internal agreements.
Before travelling offshore, most employees will have to check in at the heliport and present documentation of who they are and that they meet immigration requirements
Stamping of passports may be a requirement if you are travelling offshore, depending on location this will vary from district to district.
Immigration requirements also depend on territorial waters.
There are different permits in place to cover different types of work, you might need a permit that covers both onshore and offshore work.
As a main rule you will need to be a skilled worker to work offshore, and document the knowledge and competence you possess.

Brexit

The UK has left the EU. British citizens are no longer EU citizens, and British EEA membership has ceased. From 1 January 2021, all British citizens in Norway will be considered third-country nationals. What does this mean for UK nationals working in Norway?

As a main rule UK nationals need a permit to continue working in Norway, what type of permit will depend on the situation applicable to employee both before and after Brexit.

More assessments are needed when sending employees to Norway, especially on short notice.
UK nationals that are living and working in EU, may have the right to work in Norway without a permit. Contact Expat Relocation to receive a further assessment.
UK nationals that are employed in Norway after Brexit – will be assessed according to regular immigration rules such as education and salary.
UK nationals can enter and stay in Norway and the Schengen area without a visa. You can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days during any period of 180 days. If you need to stay longer than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit.
If you are a UK national residing in an EU/EEA country (not the United Kingdom), the rules for citizens living in an EU/EEA country apply to you.
From 1^st of January 2022 every UK national that wish to settle in Norway, must apply for permits trough ordinary regulations.
The application deadline was 31 December 2021. If there are particular reasons why you did not apply before the deadline, you can still apply. If you are applying now, after the deadline has expired, you must attach an explanation of why you did not apply before the deadline. UDI will assess your explanation and decide whether we will process your case.
There is no application deadline for children born or adopted after 31 December 2020 and children born after the deadline of 31 December 2021.