12 Alcoholic beverages
12.1 General information
The import, retail
sale and serving of alcoholic beverages are generally subject to strict
regulations. Most of the relevant rules are laid down in the Sale of Alcoholic
Beverages etc. Act and in municipal regulations pursuant to the Act.
Further general
information on the import and sale of alcoholic beverages can be found at the
home page of the Directorate for Health and Social Affairs:
(click on Rusmidler in the menu bar at the top).
12.2 Import of alcoholic beverages
a) Missions, as well
as diplomatic agents and consular officers, may purchase alcoholic beverages
exempt of duty and all taxes through authorised companies or bonded stores.
b) Likewise, members
of the families of persons covered by subparagraph a) above may purchase
duty-free alcohol if they:
i) form part of the
household of that person;
ii) are not Norwegian
nationals or permanently resident in Norway; and
iii) are aged at
least 18.
c) Alcoholic
beverages imported free of duty by missions, diplomatic agents and career
consular officers may not be used for commercial purposes, exhibitions, fairs,
promotions or similar events.
12.3 Procedure for importing duty-free
alcoholic beverages
Applications
from missions for exemption from customs and other duties on goods intended for
official use in their chanceries and official residences, or for the personal
use of those members of their staff who are entitled to the exemption, must be
made on numbered forms supplied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They must
be stamped and signed by the head of mission or another member of the
diplomatic staff duly appointed by the head of mission, and must be verified by
the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before being
submitted to the customs authorities. (See also paragraph 13.4.)
The
relief system applies only to imports into Norway,
and it should therefore be noted that VAT will not be refunded on alcoholic
beverages purchased in Norway.
12.4 Serving alcoholic beverages outside
diplomatic premises
The
serving of alcoholic beverages in public places in Norway is generally subject to
licensing by the municipal authorities. In special cases, the Protocol
Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may temporarily grant mission
premises status to an area adjacent to the mission premises, to enable the
mission to serve alcoholic beverages outside its normal premises, e.g. at a
National Day reception.
In
such cases the following conditions apply:
a)
The head of mission must be present at and hosting the event.
b)
The event must be restricted to specially invited guests and closed to the
general public.
c)
The owner of or authority responsible for the outside premises must agree to
the arrangements outlined above.
d)
The event cannot be a trade fair or anything of a similar nature, and its
purpose must not be commercial.
Application by verbal note
Missions
should apply for permission for such events by submitting a verbal note to the
Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The note should state
the intended location of the event and the measures taken to ensure that the event
complies with the conditions set out above.
