Who can obtain this type of work permit?
- You must be employed by the company that is the foreign contracting party.
- You must have the expertise necessary in order to carry out the contract.
What requirements are there regarding employment?
- There must be a contract between a company in Norway and a company abroad.
- The Norwegian contracting party must have a place of business in the country.
- The Norwegian contracting party must act as the purchaser or principal in its contractual relationship with the foreign company.
- You must be employed in the foreign company.
- Your expertise must be necessary for the performance of the contract: If the object of contract is your competence in the form of consultancy services or your labour, you must be a skilled worker (minimum three years of vocational training at upper secondary school) and there must be relation between your education and the type of work you are going to do. If the contract comprises delivery and assembly of an object, there is no equivalent requirement of vocational training. In that case, it is presumed that your work experience has given you sufficient competence to be regarded as a necessary co-worker for the performance of the contract.
- Your wages and working conditions must not be worse than the applicable tariff agreement, wage scale or normal standard for the location and profession in Norway.
- The Norwegian client must accept responsibility, in writing, for ensuring that the wages and working conditions you are offered from your employer in your home country during your stay in Norway are provided.
- As a rule, you must be offered full-time work with a single employer.
How do I apply?
To apply for a work permit, you must complete an application form. The application must be submitted from your country of origin or another country where you have been legally resident for at least six months. You may not enter the country and start working before your permit has been granted. The application must be submitted to your nearest Norwegian foreign service mission (embassy, consulate general). You will also be informed of the decision regarding your application via the Norwegian foreign service mission.
However, some people may apply for a work permit from Norway.
Your employer/work provider cannot apply for you
The rule concerning employers being allowed to apply for work permit on behalf of the employee do not apply for this type of applications. This is due to the fact that the employer do not have a place of business in Norway. Neither is it accepted that your work provider apply for you
Temporary permit
You may not start working until you have received a work permit. The police may, on request, issue a temporary permit, if they believe it is likely that your application will be granted. In this case, you must meet the conditions for submitting an application from within Norway.
What must the application include?
In addition to a completed application form, you must include:
- The “offer of employment” form must be used, and it must be completed and signed by your foreign employer. The offer of employment must contain information about working hours, workplace and wage (stated in NOK) during your stay in Norway, plus any supplements in the form of free board and lodging, for example.
- The Norwegian client must provide a written confirmation that it accepts responsibility for ensuring that you receive the wages and working conditions offered.
- A contract between the company in Norway and the company abroad, documenting the contractual relationship between the parties. The contract must also clearly detail your work.
- Confirmation that you are employed by the company that is the foreign contracting party
- Any documentation of your specialist training (certificates). Must be submitted if you are applying as a skilled worker.
- Documentation of housing in Norway.
- Certificate of registration from the Brønnøysund register for the Norwegian company
- Your birth certificate
- Copy of passport (all completed pages)
- Passport photo/other photo which meets the set requirements
- You must also pay a fee
As a main rule, it is sufficient that copies of the documents are sent with the application. However, you have to produce the original documents when you hand in your application.
All documents attached to the application have to be translated into English or Norwegian.
How long will it take to process my application?
Case processing times vary. For an overview of average processing times for the various types of permit, visit www.udi.no/caseprocessingtime. You can also contact the Information Service (OTS) by e-mail or by calling (+ 47) 23 35 16 00.
In order to avoid unnecessary case processing delays, it is important to take care when completing the application form and to include all the requested documentation.
Permit holder’s entitlement
- The permit is only issued for the project(s) covered by the contract. Therefore, you may not take any other work without first applying for a new work permit.
- The permit does not constitute grounds for a settlement permit.
- Family members of a skilled worker/specialist may come to Norway under the rules for family immigration. If the family’s application is submitted at the same time as the application for the principal person, these will be processed together.
Can the permit be extended or renewed?
The permit may be renewed for a total of up to four years. The permit cannot be renewed beyond that. An application for renewal of the work permit must be submitted at least one month before the current permit expires. The application must be submitted to the police where you live. You must also pay a fee when applying for renewal.
Any application for a new permit in conjunction with delays to the project covered by the original contract is counted as a renewal. Any application for a permit in conjunction with a new project and based on a new contract is considered a new first-issue application, rather than a renewal. As a rule, this cannot be applied for from Norway, unless you have held a permit in Norway for the past nine months.
Can I appeal against a decision?
If your application for a work permit is rejected, you may appeal against this decision. If you appeal, your application will be re-examined by the UDI. The UDI may overturn the decision and grant the requested permit. If the UDI upholds the decision, the case is sent on to the Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) for new consideration.
Any questions?
If you are still unsure about anything relating to how you apply for a work permit, you can contact your local Norwegian embassy or consulate, or the Information Service (OTS).
