Norway temporary work visa: everything you need to know

High salaries, safety, amazing standards of living — Norway sounds like a dream. This dream may come true if you find work in Norway and apply for a visa. Learn everything you need to know about the Norway work visa in this article.

Do I need a work visa in Norway?

Everyone outside the EU/EEA needs a visa if they plan to work in Norway. After arriving, you should apply for a resident permit, as the visa is only for entry purposes, not a long-term stay.

If you don’t have an offer yet, read these tips on how to find a job in Norway.

Visa types in Norway

You may be working in Norway for 2-3 months, or several years, or visit the country as a researcher. For each case, there is a specific type of work visa in Norway.

Skilled worker visa in Norway

A skilled worker visa in Norway is for those with enough qualifications and experience to be counted as a ‘skilled’ individual. More precisely, you must meet one of these criteria:

• Participation in a vocational training programme for 3 years or more. There, you’re supposed to improve your skills and gain enough real-time experience to qualify as a professional. There must be an analogue of the programme in Norway.
• Having a university degree. A bachelor’s level is enough. However, note that you may need to apostille or have other legal recognition of the diploma—check the Norway work visa requirements for your country.
• Having at least six years of professional experience. However, if you don’t possess a diploma or other educational certification, applying is risky because of the high percentage of rejections. This option should be your plan B, not plan A.

What else you should know about this working visa Norway:

• You should have a full-time offer.
• After arriving, you’ll be granted a work permit in Norway for up to three years.
• After three years, you may try to obtain a permanent residency.
• You can bring your family with you.
• When switching a job position, you should also get a new work permit in Norway.
• Changing employers but staying in the same position is OK; you don’t need to apply for a new work permit in Norway.

After settling down in Norway, many expats have to send money back home to support their loved ones or deal with the bills and business. To transfer funds quickly and at great exchange rates, use Profee—an online service for remittances. Read more on profee.com.

Now, let’s continue with our Norway visa guide.

Job seeker visa Norway

It's time to talk about the next type of the work visa in Norway. This one is for those who don’t have a job offer in Norway yet but are willing to be hired. As for the qualification, you must meet at least one of the criteria we listed for a skilled worker visa. However, in Norway, work visa requirements for job seekers are special. If you fit one of these descriptions, you’re eligible:

• You’re a student with an active resident permit in Norway. If you already have a diploma or will graduate soon, you can become a job seeker—apply at least one month before your permit expires.
• You’re currently receiving additional education in order to get the qualification recognised, or you’ve already completed the studies, but your resident permit is still valid.
• You're a researcher. Either fund your own research in Norway or work as a skilled worker at a university or institute. Again, your reprint should be valid.

As for the job seeker visa, Norway accepts applications from those who are already in the country, so it’s not suitable for first-time comers.

What else to consider:

• The permit validity will be up to one year max; you must secure a job offer before it expires.
• This one year will not be counted when applying for a permanent residency.
• Self-employed and business owners are not eligible.

Explore: ATMs in Norway

Seasonal worker visa

When you plan to work in Norway for up to six months and then return home, you can apply for a seasonal worker visa. Here’s the thing about saying you’ll ‘go back home’ — if the Norwegian authorities think your home country isn’t safe or stable enough, they might assume you’re planning to stay in Norway illegally, and that could get your application rejected. But you’ll never know until you try. Remember this about seasonal working visa Norway:

• Having a full-time offer is a must.
• Not every job is ‘seasonal’. For example, carpentry isn’t. Check your profession before getting hired in Norway.
• Your salary should be equal to or higher than Norway's minimum hourly wage. If you're underpaid while working in Norway, you won't be granted the permit.
• You may stay as a seasonal worker for six months per year. It could be 2/2/2, 4/2, 3/3, 6/0 or whatever.

Working holiday visa Norway

This is a unique work visa in Norway offers, and you’ll see why now:

• Only the citizens of Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand can apply.
• Only those under 31 years old may apply (35 years old for Canadians)
• Having a job offer is a must.

For example, if you want to be an English teacher in Oslo for half a year and you're from Australia, you can apply for a working holiday visa Norway and spend time there happily.

You can read more about each of the working visa Norway types on the official website of UDI in Norway. There are special permits for researchers, exchange programmes and more. Now, it's time to talk about documents.

Documents for work visa in Norway

Regarding documents, in Norway, work visa requirements may vary depending on the visa type, but you’ll definitely need:

1. Passport and copies.
2. A signed form from an application portal.
3. Passport-size photo.
4. Proof of address. In the ideal world, you should sign a rent contract before applying, but if it's not possible, you can hand in a written explanation of how you're going to find a place to live and what it'll be like.
5. Offer of employment form. It’s a company that fills it in, not you.
6. Proof that your salary will be on the same level as the ‘normal’ in your industry.
7. Educational/work experience documents.
8. CV.
9. Health insurance.
10. Proof that you were not involved in any illegal activity and have clear records.
11. Return ticket for seasonal work in Norway.
12. Proof of your financial stability.

Optional but helpful:

• References from previous employers
• Language certificates

Prepare all the originals and copies in English and Norwegian. In general, the more documents you provide, the better your chances of getting approved. Worst case? They just hand the papers back to you — no big deal.

Fees for work visa in Norway

Unfortunately, nothing in this world is free. As for the 2025 working visa, Norway fees are:

• 6,300 NOK (around 550 EUR) for all working visas
• 5,400 NOK (around 470 EUR) for researchers with their own funds.

Yep, going to Norway is really expensive, but the salaries are also high, so initial investments should pay off.

How long it will take

The job search itself may take months, especially if you have little prior experience. Plus, it takes a month or two to prepare the documents and then up to 6 months of the application waiting time (in rare cases, usually it takes around 1-3 months). So, prepare a year or two in advance; it's not a one-night miracle but a slow process.

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Check if you qualify

Choose which visa type suits you the best and check whether you meet all the requirements. Do so even before you apply for a job.

Step 2: Gather the required documents

Copy, translate and make sure they are all valid. Follow UDI’s checklist to not miss any files.

Step 3: Apply online

Go to the UDI Application Portal and:

• Create an account
• Fill out the application form
• Upload your documents
• Pay the fee (around NOK 6,300)

Step 4: Book an appointment

After applying online, you need to:

• Book an appointment at a Norwegian embassy, visa centre, or police station in Norway (if you’re already legally staying)
• Submit your original documents and biometrics (fingerprints + photo)

Step 5: Wait

• You’ll receive updates via email or your UDI account
• Don’t start working in Norway until the permit is officially approved, unless UDI specifically allows it

Step 6: Decision

• If approved: congratulations, now you can pick up the documents and pack your bags.
• If rejected: don’t give up, read the explanation given to you and appeal if needed. Work in Norway still waits for you.

Step 7: Travel to Norway

• Enter Norway within the timeframe given.
• Register with the local police and start dealing with post-arrival bureaucracy (but it’s a topic for a whole other article).
• Open a bank account in Norway.
• Once you receive your first salary, celebrate it with your family back home—send them a fast and secure transfer from Norway.