Ten new countries joined the EU on 1 May 2004. In that connection, it was decided that transitional rules would apply to citizens of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Rumania and Hungary. The transitional rules only apply to employees from these countries. The transitional rules contain more stringent employment requirements than those that apply pursuant to the ordinary EU/EEA/EFTA regulations.
The transitional rules do not apply to persons who have legally resided in the realm as employees for at least the last twelve months.
It is a condition for this type of permit that you are going to be an employee in Norway, i.e. that you are to be employed by a Norwegian employer and are going to carry out work in Norway.
A more precise definition of the conditions for the permit can be found in the Immigration Regulations s. 175 second paragraph.
- You must have an offer of employment.
- The position must normally be full-time.
- No requirements are specified with respect to the type of employment, and it is permitted to be employed by several employers in order to make up a full-time position.
- Pay must be in accordance with the relevant collective agreement or otherwise normal for the place and occupation involved.
To apply for a residence permit, you must fill in the
application form for EEA citizens. The application can be submitted to your nearest Norwegian foreign service mission in your home country, or in another country in which you have legally resided for a minimum of 6 months. You can also apply from the realm.
If you decide to apply from the realm, it is important to remember that you cannot start working until you have been issued a permit.
You can reside in Norway for three months before you need to apply for a permit. You can reside in Norway for six months if you are looking for work.
Applications submitted in Norway must be delivered to the police district where you live. The police can grant the application if there is no doubt that the conditions are met. If there is doubt, the application will be sent to the UDI for a decision.
In addition to the completed application form, you must enclose:
- A standard offer of employment or employment contract showing the scope and duration of the work. If an employment contract alone is enclosed, page two of the standard offer of employment must still be filled in by the employer.
You must also enclose:
- A copy of your passport or approved identity card.
- A passport photo/photo that meets specific requirements.
The case processing time varies somewhat. An overview of how long it takes on average to process the different types of application is available at
www.udi.no/caseprocessingtime, or you can contact the Information Service for Applicants by
email or by phoning (+ 47) 23 35 16 00.
We encourage everyone to apply well in advance. In order to avoid the processing of applications taking longer than necessary, it is important to be accurate when filling in the application form and to enclose all the requested documentation.
The time the police take to process applications will vary depending on the district you reside in. Ask the police when you hand in your application.
The permit’s content
The permit entitles you to work and to run a business.
The permit is granted for one year. If the offer of employment is for less than a year, the permit will be granted for the length of time stated in the offer of employment.
Family members can come to Norway pursuant to the regulations for
family immigration pursuant to the EEA Agreement. If the family’s application is submitted simultaneously with the main applicant’s application, they will be processed together.
The permit can be renewed. It is renewed for one year at a time if the transitional rules still apply in your case. If you have had a permit pursuant to the transitional rules for 12 months and have actually been in employment during that year, you are entitled to a first-issue residence permit for five years pursuant to the normal EU/EEA/EFTA regulations.
An application for the renewal of a residence permit must be submitted at least one month prior to the expiry date of the permit.
Applications for renewal should be submitted to the police in the district where you live.
When applying for a renewal, you must enclose documentation showing that you are still in employment.
If your application for a residence permit is rejected, you may appeal the decision. If you appeal, your application will be reconsidered by the UDI. The UDI can overturn the decision and grant the application. If not, the case will be sent to the
Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) for new processing.
A residence permit can be revoked if the conditions are no longer met.
The revocation of a residence permit means that you are obliged to leave Norway, unless you satisfy the requirements for being granted a permit on other grounds.
The Immigration Directorate (UDI) decides the revocation of permits. If the UDI believes there are grounds for revoking your permit, they shall, as a rule, inform you, so that you have an opportunity to state your point of view before they make a decision. You also have the right to appeal a revocation decision.
Further questions?
