Norway:Visa Requirements

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Norway Visa Requirements Map

Norway: Visa Requirements

Visa requirements may change. Always verify the latest information through official government sources.

Visa-Free Entry Requirements

  • For visa-free short-term visits, the total stay in Norway and other Schengen countries is a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. This period may be divided over multiple trips. Days previously spent in the Schengen area are also included in the total of 90 days. As a rule, it is not permitted to work during the visit; this prohibition may also cover remote work.
  • The traveller must have a passport valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from Norway. Certain visa exemptions may apply only to specific types of passports or travel documents, or to biometric passports. If the traveller's exemption varies by passport type, the result of the individualised enquiry by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration must be taken as the basis. For visa-free entry, whether the passport was issued within the last ten years and the required number of blank pages are not specified precisely in the central official source.
  • Persons travelling with a valid residence permit or certain residence cards issued by a Schengen country must carry their passport and valid residence card together. The accepted special, diplomatic, service or other travel documents vary according to the traveller's status and the type of document.
  • The traveller must have sufficient financial means to cover travel expenses including accommodation and return journey. On personalised UDI pages for visa-free visitors, at least 500 NOK per day may be indicated; financial capacity can be proven by cash, credit card, prepaid accommodation and transport documents, or a signed sponsorship form. If the traveller cannot cover their own financial means, they must carry a paper sponsorship form completed and signed by a sponsor in Norway during the journey.
  • The traveller must be in a position to return to their own country or a country where they have a valid right of residence at the end of the visit. A return or onward ticket, a prepaid transport document or other evidence showing that the return journey can be made may be requested at border control.
  • A common checklist of hotel reservation, bank statement period, employment certificate, student certificate, travel itinerary or travel health insurance applicable to all travellers for visa-free entry has not been published. How many months the bank statement should cover and the minimum coverage of the insurance are not specified precisely in the central official source.
  • A general requirement for a vaccination certificate or medical report is not stated in the central visa and entry sources. The competent border authority may request additional evidence regarding the traveller's purpose of travel, accommodation, financial means and return plans. Visa exemption does not automatically guarantee the right to enter the country.

Visa on Arrival Requirements

  • Norway does not have a visa on arrival system generally available. An emergency visitor visa may only be issued at the border under very strict conditions. The applicant must have an extremely important reason to come to Norway and it must have been practically impossible to apply for a visa in advance. Examples that may be accepted include a serious accident of a close family member, participation in a very important event for Norway or the applicant's country, and the situation of seafarers joining or leaving a ship in Norwegian waters.
  • Upon arrival in Norway, the applicant must contact the border control personnel and fill in the visitor visa application form. Travelling without a visa in advance may result in the traveller being immediately removed from the country if the conditions are not met.
  • The passport must be valid for at least three months after the date the visit ends and must have been issued within the last ten years. The required number of blank pages in the passport and the accepted alternative travel documents are not specified precisely on the central emergency visa page.
  • Valid travel health insurance must be provided. The insurance must cover necessary medical treatment, emergency hospital care and repatriation due to illness, injury or death; it must be valid throughout the Schengen area and for the entire planned stay; its coverage must be at least 30,000 euros.
  • The applicant must have financial means to cover accommodation and return journey costs. The emergency border visa page indicates that normally 500 NOK per day will be required. If the applicant cannot cover this amount, a person living in Norway may provide financial sponsorship.
  • The applicant must not be subject to an entry ban for Norway or the Schengen area. If they have been in the Schengen area within the previous 90 days, they must check the remaining legal stay period.
  • The form of applicants under 18 must be signed by both parents or the persons legally responsible for them. The format of the birth certificate, custody document and parental consent is not specified precisely on the central emergency visa page.
  • The emergency visa is subject to a fee. Standard visitor visa fees are 90 euros for adults and children over 12, 45 euros for children aged 6–12, and no fee for children under 6. The accepted payment method at the border point is not specified precisely in the central official source.
  • The emergency visa may only be issued for as many days as required for the urgent need and for a maximum of 15 days. This visa does not allow re-entry to the Schengen area and work is not permitted during the visit.

Consulate Visa Application Requirements

  • A short-term visitor visa allows a stay of up to 90 days in Norway or other Schengen countries within any 180-day period. The visa may be used for tourist visits, family or friend visits, business meetings, conferences and similar short-term purposes. As a rule, it is not permitted to work with a visitor visa.
  • The application must first be registered in UDI's electronic application system and the application fee must be paid online. In the electronic form, all information must be entered on behalf of the applicant and the country of actual residence must be selected as the country where the application is made. After the application is completed, the generated Schengen application summary must be printed and signed personally by the applicant.
  • After electronic registration, the applicant must book an appointment at the authorised application centre in their own country or the country where they legally reside. The applicant must attend the appointment in person and submit their passport, signed form and the documents on the individualised checklist. Although another person may register the application electronically, the physical document submission must be done by the applicant.
  • After the applicant's nationality, country of residence, purpose of travel and the representation processing the application are selected, an individualised document checklist is generated. The applicant must submit only the documents on this checklist and any additional documents requested by the representation. If another Schengen country represents Norway, that country's application method, fees and document requirements may apply.
  • The passport must be valid for at least three months after the planned end of the visit and must have been issued within the last ten years. The required number of blank pages in the passport is not specified precisely on the central UDI application page. Some official representation checklists require at least two blank pages; this condition is applied according to the current individualised list of the representation where the application is made.
  • Copies of the passport identity page and, if deemed necessary, previous visas, entry/exit stamps or used pages must be submitted according to the representation checklist. Since the exact passport pages to be copied vary by nationality and place of application, there is no single universal list in the central official source.
  • Persons who are not nationals of the application country may be required to provide a valid residence permit, long-stay visa or work permit proving their legal residence in that country. The submission of a national identity document also depends on the local checklist. The format and remaining validity period of these documents vary by the representation where the application is made.
  • In the central UDI application, the applicant does not need to bring a printed photograph; the facial photo is taken by the police or external representation during the appointment. The photo must reflect the current appearance; face must be front-facing; eyes, eyebrows and ears must be visible; expression neutral and mouth closed; face and background evenly lit; no glasses or headwear. If the application is processed by another Schengen country or the local checklist requires a physical photo, that representation's photo quantity and technical specifications apply. The file format and dimensions of the photo to be provided by the applicant are not specified precisely in the central UDI source.
  • Facial photo and fingerprints are taken from visa applicants over the age of 12. Only a facial photo is taken from those under 12. Whether the applicant's previously recorded biometric data can be reused is assessed based on the representation and the validity of the existing records.
  • The applicant must have sufficient financial means to finance their stay in Norway and the Schengen area and the return journey. Financial capacity can be proven by bank statements and each application is assessed individually. In the current general UDI guide, for those staying with family or friends or in prepaid accommodation, 300 NOK per day; if the entire accommodation is not reserved and paid in advance, 1,300 NOK per day; for multiple persons travelling together, at least 1,000 NOK per person per day are indicated as general benchmarks. How many months the bank statement should cover varies according to the individualised representation checklist.
  • If the applicant cannot provide their own financial capacity, a person living in Norway or a company or organisation registered and active in Norway may sponsor. The individual sponsor must live in Norway, have a Norwegian national identity number and be at least 18 years old. The company or organisation must be registered and active in Norway.
  • If the electronic sponsorship form is used, the four-word code created by the sponsor must be entered in the application and the printout of the form must be submitted together with other documents. If the paper form is used, the sponsor must sign the form by hand. The paper form issued on behalf of a company or organisation must additionally be confirmed with an official stamp. The sponsorship form is valid for six months after being completed and signed. The paper sponsorship form can be used for a single Schengen entry and must be carried at the border crossing after the visa is issued.
  • A written invitation must be submitted for a visit to family, friends, a company or an organisation. In an invitation from family or friends, the reason for travel, planned visit dates, the inviting person's occupation and residence, the relationship between the parties and whether the inviting person will provide financial sponsorship must be stated.
  • The company or organisation invitation must be written on letterhead; the applicant's name, purpose of invitation, visit and meeting dates, name and registration number of the inviting organisation, business relationship between the parties and who will cover travel, food or accommodation expenses must be explained. If a financial guarantee is to be provided, a sponsorship form must also be completed.
  • The identity page of the inviting person's passport, residence card if not a Norwegian citizen, and for family visit applications, marriage certificate, birth certificate or other documents showing the family relationship may be requested. For visits to a girlfriend or boyfriend, previous travel stamps, photographs or information explaining the history of the relationship showing the genuineness of the relationship may be requested.
  • For tourist and other short visits, round-trip transport reservation, Schengen-internal travel itinerary, hotel reservation or other accommodation proof may be requested. It is not recommended to purchase the ticket before the visa decision is made. The exact document list is determined according to the purpose of travel and the representation's checklist.
  • From employees, an employment and leave certificate, salary slips or employment contract; from students, enrolment or student certificate; from company owners, company registration and activity documents may be requested. The type of document requested, the period it covers and the requirements for official certification vary by the application country and purpose of travel.
  • Valid travel health insurance is mandatory. The insurance must cover necessary medical treatment, emergency hospital care and repatriation due to illness, injury or death; it must be valid throughout the Schengen area and for the entire planned stay; its coverage must be at least 30,000 euros.
  • The application of applicants under 18 must be signed by both parents or the persons legally responsible. The local checklist may request a birth certificate, copies of parents' identity documents or passports, custody document, and a notarised parental consent if the child travels with one parent or without parents. The format of these documents is not standardised centrally.
  • Whether documents need to be translated, notarised, legalised or apostilled depends on the country that issued the document and the checklist of the representation processing the application. A single central translation or apostille rule applicable to all applicants has not been published.
  • The application fee is 90 euros for adults and children over 12, 45 euros for children aged 6–12. No fee is charged for children under 6. Fee exemption may apply to certain family members, students and teachers on educational trips, and persons travelling for scientific research purposes.
  • The application fee is paid online in UDI's electronic application system. A service fee and, if necessary, a courier fee may also be charged at the authorised visa application centre. In applications where another Schengen country represents Norway, the fee and payment method of the representing country apply.
  • The application may be submitted no earlier than six months before the planned travel. For seafarers, this period may be up to nine months. As a rule, the application must be made no later than 15 days before travel; it is recommended to apply earlier due to appointment and courier times.
  • According to central processing times updated on 25 June 2026, approximately 15 days if the application is processed by the embassy in the country of residence, 15–29 days if processed by an embassy in another country, and approximately 45 days if the file is sent to UDI. Incomplete documents, interview, additional review, criminal record or security check may extend the time.
  • The visa may be issued for one, two or multiple entries. The first visa is normally issued for single entry. A person requesting a multiple-entry visa must prove their frequent travel or special need through application documents. The decision is made by individual assessment and the total stay throughout the visa's validity period may not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period.
  • Svalbard is not part of the Schengen area. Travellers who will travel to Svalbard via the Norwegian mainland and are subject to a Schengen visa may need a visa with at least two entries or multiple entries to be able to return to the Schengen area.
  • A general requirement for a vaccination certificate or medical report is not stated in the central short-term visa sources. The competent representation may request additional documents, original documents, explanation, interview or other review. The completeness of the application does not guarantee that the visa will be issued or that entry to the country at the border will be definitely permitted.

Transit Visa Requirements

  • An airport transit visa is required only for certain travellers and when transiting via Oslo Gardermoen Airport from a non-Schengen country to another non-Schengen country. This requirement may apply even if the traveller does not leave the international transit area of the airport. Eligibility varies by nationality and other visas or residence documents the traveller holds.
  • The airport transit visa requirement may not apply to travellers holding a valid Schengen visa. The traveller's personal situation, nationality and existing visas must be checked through UDI's individualised enquiry.
  • The application is made before travel through the visitor visa application procedure. The traveller may be asked for a flight ticket or reservation, an explanation of the purpose of travel, and the necessary visa or residence permit for the final destination country or the next transit country.
  • An electronic application form must be completed, the fee must be paid online, the generated application summary must be printed and signed, and the documents on the individualised checklist must be submitted at the authorised representation or application centre. Passport, biometric data, fee and processing conditions are determined according to the transit or visitor visa checklist of the representation processing the application.
  • The exact validity period of the transit visa, the permitted transfer time, blank passport page, number of physical photos and separate fee amount are not specified precisely on the central transit page.
Population
5,652,989(2026 est.)
Official language
Norwegian; regional official languages: Sami languages
Government type
Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Continent
Europe
Capital
Oslo
Currency
Norwegian krone
Area
385,207 km²
Phone code
+47

Norway: Key Destinations

Oslo, the capital and largest city, serves as Norway's primary international gateway. Bergen and Stavanger are key coastal cities known for their historic wharves and oil industry.

Norway's dramatic fjords, such as Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, are UNESCO-listed attractions. The Northern Lights season draws visitors to Tromsø and the Arctic region, while Viking heritage sites offer cultural insights.

Many travelers start in Oslo and take the scenic Bergen Railway to Bergen. The Hurtigruten coastal ferry connects Bergen with Kirkenes, providing a popular way to explore Norway's rugged coastline.