Immigration
Entry Requirements
As a participant in Europe’s Schengen Agreement, Norway allows U.S. citizens to enter the country for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of the stay. More information regarding travel into and within Schengen countries can be found at this website.
Further information on visas can be found at the U.S. Department of State.
Temporary Residency
The specific type of temporary visa needed depends on the purpose of your stay in Norway. Here is a partial listing:
- Emergency Visa. Granted if unforeseen circumstances indicate an emergency. Emergency Visas are only issued in extreme circumstances. Emergency Visas are subject to strict requirements and are issued as a Visitor’s Visa once applied for at the border police station. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) decides on the application once it is submitted.
- Type D Visa. Entry to Norway through family immigration requires a residence permit. The Type D Visa is a permit granted while waiting for a decision for family immigration. The embassy processes the application and may only grant a Type D Visa if it is very likely you will obtain a residence permit.
- Visa for Skilled Workers. Issued only to those who qualify as a skilled worker if a residence permit has already been granted, if a concrete employment offer in Norway has been received and if the employer in Norway has been given provisional confirmation that a residence permit application has already been completed, allowing you to work before the application has been processed.
- Fiancé Permit. Issued to those who wish to marry a person already living in Norway; this is a residency permit, not a visa.
- Parental Permit. Issued for up to nine months for those who wish to visit their children living in Norway.
For more detailed information, please visit the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration website.
Permanent Residency
After settling in Norway for a continuous period of three years, during which permits have been obtained justifying a basis for permanent residency, and once tuition in the Norwegian language has been completed, a Permanent Residence Permit can be granted. This entitles you to reside and work in Norway indefinitely and provides greater protection against expulsion.
There must not be any gaps of more than three months between permits during the last three years and you must not have stayed outside Norway for a total of more than seven months over the last three years. Work-related travel under a skilled worker permit provides an exemption from these stipulations.
All required paperwork for Permanent Residency must be submitted while a valid residence permit is in your possession. If the paperwork is submitted after the expiration of your previous permit, your application will be considered an application for renewal and it is then sent to the Directorate of Immigration to be decided upon. Applications for Permanent Residency must be submitted at least one month prior to the expiration of the current residence permit.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration may reject an application for Permanent Residency if the applicant has a criminal record that can result in deportation. If you have been sentenced for a criminal offense, an additional period of residence will be required before you are eligible for a Permanent Residency Permit.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration provides further information on Permanent Residency Permits.